ALAN ARCHIBALD is confident Ryan Stevenson will get the goal he needs to kick-start his Partick Thistle career sooner rather than later.

It has been a frustrating campaign so far for the 30-year-old, who has yet to find the net in his 11 appearances in red and yellow.

The forward was the headline capture of the summer for the Jags boss as he saw off a number of Premiership clubs to land Stevenson on a Bosman deal from Hearts.

He returned to the Thistle attack for the Premiership clash with St Mirren a fortnight ago but again struggled in the final third as Christie Elliott bagged the only goal of the game in a crucial 1-0 Jags win.

But Archibald is sure the Firhill crowd will soon see Stevenson at his best as attentions turn to the visit of Aberdeen on Sunday. He said: "I think Stevo just needs a goal. He is playing as striker or just in behind the striker and things just aren't happening for him at the moment.

"We changed it a wee bit against St Mirren, which we will do over the season.

"We change it to win games. It won't just be if the team wins then that same 11 plays the next week.

"We brought him in against St Mirren because we thought he could hold the ball up for us and get runners in behind them but it didn't quite work.

"It worked for the first five or ten minutes but that wasn't his fault, he didn't get any service.

"He does need a lift and need a goal but these things can happen when players come to new clubs. It can take time.

"He is working ever so hard in training and when he comes on he gives his all for us. Hopefully it will turn for him."