Partick V Hamilton at Firhill Stadium : Match Preview

17 February 2017 01:34
Partick V Hamilton - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Tomas Cerny unconcerned by former club Hamilton's survival battle

Tomas Cerny knows Partick Thistle could put a major dent in former club Hamilton's survival prospects this Saturday - but he does not care.

The former Accies goalkeeper spent five years with the Lanarkshire outfit and cherishes his memories working under former boss Billy Reid.

But his old side, now managed by one of his former team-mates Martin Canning, now find themselves in trouble sitting in the Ladbrokes Premiership's relegation play-off spot.

Tenth-placed Jags, however, are not much better off and carry just a two-point cushion into this weekend's Firhill clash.

Cerny could be forgiven for experiencing a tinge of sympathy for his former side but the Czech insists he knows exactly where his loyalties lie.

The 31-year-old, who has never come out on the losing team in any of the seven games he has played in this fixture, told Press Association Sport: "It is always a little bit special playing Hamilton.

"I still keep in touch with the Accies goalkeeping coach Brian Potter and there are still a few players there I played with, including their manager Martin Canning.

"The first game I played back at New Douglas Park for Thistle was a big game for me. It was a little strange.

"But since then all the others have become sort of normal games. I'm a Partick Thistle player now and I want to beat Hamilton whenever we face them.

"They are in a difficult position in the league but of course that does not concern me at all because if we don't win, we'll be the ones in trouble.

"There are still a lot of games left to be played so it won't be decided on this one game this Saturday. However, for us this game is still so important."

Scott McMann admits Hamilton's Scottish Cup battle with Dunfermline left him struggling to sleep.

Now he is dreaming of a win that will see Accies climb out of the relegation play-off spot.

Canning's men know a victory could potentially see them climb as high as seventh.

And the left-back hopes the thrill of the dramatic penalty shoot-out triumph against Dunfermline will shake the Accies out of a slumber that has seen them win just one league game since October.

"You don't sleep after a game like that," he said. "Your body is tired but your mind is so awake because you're constantly thinking about the game, playing it over and over.

"It was about 4am before I finally drifted off.

"It was just good to get through in the end. It was two scrappy ties but I felt we did enough to get through. Winning on penalties is a great boost, especially ahead of Saturday.

"The gaffer said to us after Tuesday night that he could feel the momentum turning.

"We feel that ourselves, that we're starting to pick up a few results now, we're getting a few breaks and hopefully we can take that forward.

"We will go to Firhill confident that we can get a result."


Source: PAR