STEVEN LAWLESS is confident the Firhill floodgates will soon open up for Partick Thistle as they bid to end 2013 on a high note.

Alan Archibald's side saw another two points slip against Inverness on Boxing Day as a host of missed chances proved costly in the goalless draw.

A lack of cutting edge has been the Jags' downfall on several occasions this term as they have slipped down to 10th place in the SPFL Premiership standings following an encouraging start to the campaign.

But Lawless insists the net will soon start to bulge on a more regular basis as the Firhill side gear up for tomorrow's clash with Motherwell.

The former Fir Park ace said: "I think it will come. We are not bad finishers, it is just one of those things when you go through wee spells like this.

"As soon as we get a bit of luck and one ricochets in then I think a lot more will come.

"As long as we keep working hard we will get the win sooner rather than later. You can go through spells of not playing well and getting dominated but we are playing well.

"It is just that bit of luck in front of goal we need and hopefully it will come soon.

"We have to think about it because we need to start scoring goals. We are not missing chances in training but we need to take that into games."

While Thistle were left frustrated against John Hughes' side, Motherwell were recording one of the eye-catching results of the day as they earned a 1-0 triumph at Aberdeen.

Stuart McCall's side have been overlooked by many in the race for second place, with Caley, Dundee United and the Dons touted as the main contenders to finish best of the rest this term.

The Steelmen inflicted Thistle's first top-flight defeat of the season in August and Lawless reckons his old side still have what it takes to mix it at the sharp end of the standings.

He said: "Everyone has been talking about Aberdeen and Dundee United, rightly so because they have been playing good football.

"But Motherwell and Stuart McCall go about their business quietly and they are always there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

"We know it will be a tough game. It would be a brilliant end to the year to get one over on my old team. But I am not thinking about it like that.

"I just want to get three points on the board and try and push up the table.

"Our performances merit us being a lot higher up than what we are."

Despite losing a host of key men in the summer as he was forced to rebuild his Steelmen squad, boss McCall has kept his side punching well above their weight once again this term.

One of his major close- season recruits, former talisman James McFadden, has rarely featured for the Well as he has struggled to recapture his form.

But Lawless insists the striker can still be a class act.

He said: "I don't really know him. I was only a young boy when he was first there.

"I trained with him last year for a bit and he was different class, you could tell he had played at a really high level.

"It just shows that nobody is safe. He is a really good player and I am sure he will get back in form soon."