ALAN ARCHIBALD today admitted the time may be right to go with a two-pronged attack of Lyle Taylor and Kris Doolan.

The Partick Thistle gaffer opened the campaign with Dools flying solo at the apex of the Maryhill frontline and the selfless striker fired in seven goals while being employed on the graveyard shift up top.

But when Archie swooped for former Falkirk frontman Taylor on a loan deal from Sheffield United until the end of the campaign, Doolan was taken out of the firing line and Taylor deployed as Firhill's lone hitman.

However, after Dools' second-half arrival against Dundee United on Saturday helped significantly increase Jags' goal threat, Archie has admitted it may be time to go with two when his Maryhill men march on Motherwell a week on Saturday.

The Firhill boss said: "I felt that when Kris came on it did add to our goal threat. He and Lyle have combined well in training so we have had it in mind to go with them in tandem up front, it was just about getting the right game for that.

"Obviously it is a tough call for a striker to be playing up top on his own, week after week. It is demanding physically and mentally but Kris had done a great job in that role.

"So when we got Lyle in we felt it was the right time to give Kris a break and in any case the idea is that the striker has support with others pushing on.

"But now with the Motherwell game not until February 15, we have extra preparation time to see how they go in training and decide if two-up is the best way to go at Fir Park.

"But I was pleased with how Lyle and Kris hooked up against United and on another day Kris could have scored and perhaps Lyle also from one of the chances he had before the break.

"So they are both dangerous in their own right and they have styles that complement each other. We have to make sure we make the most of that."

The poker-faced Firhill manager can take a lot of positives from Saturday's share of the spoils with United. Not least from the debut of former Tannadice midfielder Prince Buaben, who noticeably improved as the game wore on, and he rediscovered a touch that had earlier proven slightly rusty.

Yet Thistle are still locked in a brutal four-team battle with Ross County, St Mirren and Kilmarnock to avoid being isolated in the SPFL Premiership relegation play-off slot.

Sadly it is the Jags' inability to make the most of home comforts that has cruelly undermined their bid to consolidate some fine football into safety in their first season back in the top flight since 2004/05.

With seven draws and six losses from their 13 home bows, Archie admits his boys must do better at Firhill over the second half of the campaign if they want to ensure their Premiership survival.

He said: "I think our home record is playing on our minds when we are at Firhill. But I felt we showed a lot of resilience against United and hopefully if we keep on playing the way we did, especially after the break, it bodes well for the second half of the season.

"But when you see the results over the weekend with St Mirren losing at Celtic and Ross County and Killie drawing, it is two points dropped in my book because we had the chances to beat United.

"It also continually puts pressure on our away form and that is something we don't want to have to rely on."