Kris Doolan delighted to reach milestone at Partick Thistle
Kris Doolan is poised to make his 300th appearance for Partick Thistle and admits he knew he had found his football home as soon as he arrived at Firhill.
The 30-year-old aims to mark his milestone with another goal against Kilmarnock on Saturday having netted five times in his last five games against the Ayrshire club.
Doolan, who joined Thistle from Auchinleck Talbot in January 2009, said: "Sometimes for some players they just fit at a certain club.
"Sometimes players go chasing that club to get that kind of feeling. I have felt that ever since I came here and hopefully I have repaid that in my loyalty and my goals. Hopefully I show that I appreciate the club, the fans and the manager by my performances.
"You want to be accepted, players want to feel as if they're important. Players go chasing that sometimes and will bounce around teams to try and find that, but I found that here as soon as I came here.
"It doesn't happen very often these days, players don't hang around at teams long enough to reach the 300 mark so for me it's very special.
"It seems a long way off when you first join the club. That's why it's so special because it has been a lot of hard work between my first appearance and hopefully my 300th one on Saturday. Hopefully I can cap it off with a goal."
The striker scored his 95th goal for the club in Wednesday's 2-0 win over Dundee and is only two off Thistle's all-time top 10 scorers.
Doolan said: "The stat guy at the club is always keeping up to date with it and always informing me of who I am chasing and catching and what position I am in in the goalscoring charts. It's always nice to know these things.
"There are always different milestones and records to be broken, that's why they are there. I certainly look to put in many more appearances over the 300 mark in the future."
Kilmarnock captain Steven Smith is hoping some home truths at Hearts can fire up a performance at Firhill.
The 31-year-old defender revealed an unpleasant exchange of views took place between the players in the Killie dressing following the 4-0 defeat at Tynecastle on Tuesday night.
Manager Lee Clark had to cobble together a side through injury and suspension but notwithstanding his troubles, the Rugby Park men have only one win in nine ahead of the Hogmanay encounter.
Smith believes it is time for Kilmarnock players to help Clark and his coaching staff by taking responsibility themselves.
The former Rangers player told Press Association Sport: "A few words were said but what was said will stay in the dressing room.
"As you can imagine it wasn't pleasant but sometimes the truth has to be told and the truth hurts sometimes.
"I have seen it before, it is nothing new. It happens in dressing rooms up and down the country.
"That's the way football is but sometimes it has got to be said and sometimes it is better if it doesn't come from the manager and the coaching staff, it comes from the players.
"That game against Hearts wasn't a representation of the coaching staff. I know the hard work the manager and coaching staff put in.
"The only thing that gets us back to better performances is hard work.
"It has happened twice now. We lost 5-1 at Aberdeen and four against Hearts and I think it is time for players to take responsibility.
"In football nowadays the finger always points to the manager but I think players have to take responsibility at some point."
"We have to rectify things at the weekend.
"Thistle are a decent side. We know we are in for a hard game.
"With three weeks coming up without a game it is important to go into the break on the back of a positive result."
Source: PAR
