STEVEN LAWLESS is determined to play his part in Partick Thistle's battle to beat the drop after fighting back to full fitness.

The winger has struggled for match action in recent weeks as boss Alan Archibald's has stuck with widemen Chris Erskine and Kallum Higginbotham, with Lyle Taylor retaining his place at the head of the attack.

Lawless was one of the Jags' key men as they lifted the First Division title, but it has been a mixed season for the former Motherwell star.

Thistle gave their top-flight ambitions a timely boost with victory over Aberdeen on Saturday and the forward is eager to show what he can do in the remaining 11 games - starting with Saturday's clash with fellow-relegation battlers Ross County.

Lawless, below, said: "It has been frustrating, but I have been carrying an injury so not playing has given me a chance to get it fully healed.

"Hopefully I can get myself back into the team soon. Because we train on Astroturf, I get problems with my ankle now and again, but I have been working on it. Getting myself back in the team is the hard part because of how well Chris and Kallum are playing, but I am confident that if I get in I can stay there.

"When they are doing well, I can't have too many complaints. If they are playing well, the team is playing well.

"I would rather be in the team and helping the boys, but if we are playing well and picking up points then that's good for Thistle. But I want to play my part and help put more points on the board."

Despite a frustrating recent run, Lawless, with five goals to his credit this term, is still Thistle's joint second-top scorer alongside Taylor.

Two of those strikes came in the 3-1 win at Dingwall in August, and the 22-year-old is eager for a repeat showing when the Jags make the trip to the Highlands.

He said: "It will be a hard game. We will have to be at our best to get the points.

"But it is about us and what we do, and if we are at our best we can win the game. We have played well recently and we need to get the results to match. It is a real six-pointer."