LEE MAIR is determined to repay Partick Thistle for saving him from the football scrapheap - by scrapping for every point to keep them in the top flight.

The 33-year-old was a shock transfer window signing from St Mirren after his five-year spell in Paisley ended.

But Mair has slotted instantly into the Jags' backline, and formed an impressive centre-back pairing with young Thistle stopper Conrad Balatoni.

That partnership has seen Thistle concede three goals in the last four games compared with the nine blemishes at the back in the four outings before Mair's arrival in Maryhill. Mair said: "The move to Thistle has been a great one for me. At this stage in my career I just want to play football and I have had four games in 14 days and feel great after that.

"It has also been great to come in and play alongside a young lad like Conrad, who has all the attributes to go a long way. Obviously I bring a lot of experience to the table and hopefully that can help bring Conrad on.

"But we have formed a pretty solid partnership and I couldn't have asked for a better start to my Thistle career, except to have got a couple of wins from the three games we have drawn since I arrived.

"It was tough spending so much time on the bench at St Mirren after four good years there but things change. Now I am delighted to be a Partick player and determined to do everything I can to keep us in the SPFL Premiership."

Mair's sojourn in Paisley may have turned sour after Buddies' boss Danny Lennon opted to go with a centre-back pairing of Marc McAusland and Darren McGregor in preference to the ex-Aberdeen star.

But the big defender is far from desperate to see the Saints go marching down.

He said: "For me the only thing that matters is that two clubs finish below Thistle at the end of the season.

"It is not a question of wanting this one or that one to go down just that Thistle are not in the bottom two and are clear of the relegation play-offs.

"I think we have more than enough about us to do that and you can see from our recent results and the way we played against Dundee United in the second half, that we have the quality not only to stay in the Premiership but to flourish in it."

Mair has also impressed with the signing of former Tannadice and Watford midfielder Prince Buaben.

The Jags' centre-back said: "Buaben is a great signing.

"He has plenty of experience for a guy who is still relatively young.

"He has a Scottish Cup winner's medal behind him as well as experience of the English Championship with Watford.

"He has composure, can spot a pass and likes to get forward and he is only going to get sharper.

"I think Prince can be a major player for us down the stretch."