PARTICK THISTLE have banked some EuroMillions ...

but the Jags have yet to hit the jackpot at Firhill.

The Premiership club announced yesterday the launch of the Thistle Weir Youth Academy as they build for a bright future with the help of Lottery winners

and supporters Chris and Colin Weir.

The current crop couldn't cap a dream day for Jags fans, however, as Alan Archibald's side went down 1-0 at home to Hibernian to remain without a home league win this term.

Archibald said: "It [the academy] is fantastic. It lets us get to a level playing field with other clubs.

"We have lost out on a number of players over the years to teams like Queen's Park and Hamilton who have got better youth systems.

"Maybe this lets us get to where they are and we can get the players when they are 10 or 11-years-old.

"It has not been dealt with for a long time. Gerry Britton has done fantastically to do it part-time and get it to where it is.

"We always knew that it needed to go that one step further."

While Thistle fans can look forward to a bright future, those currently in possession of the first-team jerseys continue to frustrate.

Not for the first time this season, the Premiership newcomers knocked the ball about with verve in front of the Firhill stands but the home crowd had little to cheer as the Jags' forward forays too often came to a premature end.

Archibald's side were dominant in possession and comfortable on the ball, with the visitors offering little threat to Scott Fox in the Thistle goal, but a lack of

cutting edge was again proving the Jags' downfall.

By the time the first half drew to a close, they had spurned a series of decent chances, with Kallum Higginbotham and Sean Welsh trying their luck from distance and Aaron Taylor-Sinclair getting his head to a Higginbotham corner.

It was Kris Doolan who would come closest to breaking the deadlock, however.

Stephen O'Donnell whipped in a terrific cross from the right flank but Doolan couldn't keep his header down as Thistle's efforts continued to go unrewarded.

Just minutes after the restart, Doolan passed up the best chance of the night,

firing his tame shot straight at the onrushing Ben Williams as he bore down on goal.

It didn't take long for Archibald to turn to his bench in search of inspiration, with Christie Elliott replacing Steven Lawless in the Jags attack.

The Englishman is keen to shake off his 'super-sub' tag at Firhill and he was almost the Thistle hero as he fired a low shot across goal that narrowly evaded Williams' far post.

The seemingly inevitable sucker-punch soon arrived as Hibs took an unlikely lead on 68 minutes, Liam Craig with a superb finish as he connected sweetly with Abdellah Zoubir's cross from the right flank to leave Fox no chance.

Thistle swarmed forward in search of an equaliser but were denied twice in quick succession by Williams, the keeper somehow denying

Elliott from point-blank range before tipping a curling effort from sub Ross Forbes round his post.

The feelings of what-might- have-been come the full-time whistle are becoming all too familiar for Thistle as more Premiership points slipped through their grasp.

Archibald said: "It is a sore one to take. I thought we played well and created a number of chances.

"All that was missing was a clean sheet. At least you can take a point if you get that so that was disappointing."