CHRISTIE ELLIOTT is pleased his hard work is paying off as he looks to become a key part of Partick Thistle's success this season.

The forward has made the most of his recent run in the Jags' starting line-up and has scored twice in his last two appearances against Hamilton Accies and St Mirren.

His second-half strike in Paisley a fortnight ago clinched a much-needed Premiership triumph for Alan Archibald's side.

And the 23-year-old is determined to keep putting in the hours as he sets his sights on an extended Firhill first-team run.

Elliott said: "Hard work always pays off in the long run. If you put in the effort, you will get your rewards at the end of the day.

"I have been working hard in training and I feel as if I am doing well on the pitch just now.

"I have been staying behind at training quite a bit to work on a few things and trying to improve aspects of my game.

"It has not just been finishing, I have been doing fitness work as well and looking to get as sharp as I can.

"Scoring my first goal gave me a lot of confidence and I want to keep getting in those positions where I get opportunities and hopefully I can score more goals.

"It is about getting in those positions and taking the chances when they arrive."

After a frustrating start to the campaign that saw him feature mainly from the bench, Elliott has grabbed his chance with both hands in recent weeks to impress in the Thistle forward line.

He has made the most of Kallum Higginbotham's injury- enforced absence and given boss Archibald plenty of food for thought when he has a full quota of strike stars available once again.

Elliott said: "All I have wanted is a run of games to prove myself. The more games you play the better you are going to get and the more confidence you are going to have.

"I've scored two goals in the last two games so hopefully I can keep my place and keep going.

"It is hard when you are in and out of the team but all you can do is give 100% in training and wait for your chance. I have been given that so hopefully the manager thinks I have made the most of it."

Having fired Thistle to success over St Mirren, Elliott has now turned his attentions to overcoming Aberdeen when the Dons head to Glasgow on Sunday.

The Jags are eighth in the Premiership standings and determined to hit a sustained run of form to break into the top-flight top six this term.

Elliott said: "We have got to build on the St Mirren win so hopefully we can get another three points against Aberdeen.

"They are one of the toughest opponents we have played this season. But we are at home and our home form has been good so far this season so we are confident going into the game.

"If you can get a couple of wins in a row it gets you right up there. Teams have kicked on and put a run together and that is what we need to do now and hopefully we can move up the table."