ALAN ARCHIBALD hopes Partick Thistle can get off the mark sooner rather than later in the Premiership after they suffered another top flight defeat on Saturday.

The Jags went down 1-0 at McDiarmid Park as Michael O’Halloran continued his fine form for St Johnstone and netted the only goal of the game.

It has been a tough start to the season once again for Archibald's side and they are one of three teams - alongside Kilmarnock and Dundee - that have yet to pick up a point on league duty this term.

After suffering a 3-1 defeat to Hibernian on the opening weekend of the campaign, Thistle were narrowly beaten by Celtic at Firhill last Friday night.

The Jags made the trip to Perth determined to get off and running in the Premiership as they looked to follow up their Betfred Cup win over the Saints.

But it was to prove another disappointing day at the office for Archibald as his attentions now turn to the visit of Aberdeen this weekend.

He said: “We want to get off the mark. We’ve got Aberdeen next so it doesn’t get any easier.

“We knew that we had a tough start going into the season but that doesn’t excuse us from putting everything into games. It doesn’t matter how difficult the games are, we have to try to get some points on the board.

“We have a squad of good lads and good characters who I know can get us out of this position.

“I don’t think the league will be as forgiving this year as previous campaigns when we’ve started slowly because there are more good teams than ever.”

While Thistle remain without a league point to their name, Tommy Wright's side sit second in the standings after they made it three from three so far.

Archibald ended the match with Miles Storey, Kris Doolan and Connor Sammon in attack as he searched for a way back into the game.

He said: “I thought that St. Johnstone were the better team in the first half.

"They won the midfield battles and we lost a poor goal from our perspective.

"We lost the first goal and everyone knows how difficult it is to break St. Johnstone down when they get in front.

“We wanted to create danger. Sometimes you just have to mix things up and change how you play when your plan A isn’t quite working.

"Miles went out wide but that’s nothing new to him.

“Also, Callum Booth was forced off so that changed things a bit in terms of who we could bring on.

“Towards the end, we were just trying to change the game and create some chances but, unfortunately, it didn’t quite work for us.”

Thistle saw a penalty claim waved away by referee Barry Cook after Storey's cross hit the arm of Murray Davidson.

But Archibald had no complaints about the call as he reflected on a frustrating afternoon.

“You see them given sometimes,” he told ptfc.co.uk. “It comes off his arm but it’s a short distance and his arm is trailing behind his body.

“Sometimes those are given, sometimes there not but I have no qualms, we should have done more to get back into the game.”