LYLE TAYLOR today hit out at the "embarrassing" plastic pitch at New Douglas Park - and claimed he feared being injured during Saturday's Premiership clash.

Hamilton defender Michael Devlin and Taylor's Partick Thistle team-mate Ryan Stevenson both sustained knee injuries during the first half of the 1-1 draw. Accies had decided not to water their synthetic surface before the game.

Stevenson will have a scan on his knee today to determine the full extent of the damage. Taylor, who was replaced by Kris Doolan on the hour mark, was relieved to come off the pitch unscathed.

The on-loan Scunthorpe striker said: "I was just happy to finish the game without getting injured. I had a completely dead leg. It got to the point where I was thinking 'I just don't want to get injured'.

"We all saw what happened with the lad Devlin's knee and everybody heard the pop. We all heard the noise and you don't like that.

"Then you see one of your team-mates go off and he could barely walk. Nobody wants to be like that at any point of the season, let alone two weeks before it is finished.

"There comes a point where someone needs to sit down and say 'you know what, this just isn't safe'.

"At one point the ball got played to their full-back. He got his studs caught in the ground and nearly fell over.

"If someone had been behind him and pushed him, his knee would have gone, his ankle would have gone and his hip would have gone. We can't continue playing on these surfaces. I am sure there are scientific studies that say there is nothing wrong with them but no amount of studies can tell you how your body feels.

"You can ask any of our players after playing on that on Saturday, and the will tell you the surface is not good.

"They have a sprinkler system that goes round the edge of the pitch but what use is that? It is embarrassing."

The New Douglas Park pitch was the centre of the controversy as Alan Archibald's side missed a chance to move to within two points of Hamilton in the Premiership standings.

The Jags are guaranteed to finish no lower than eighth and head into their final two fixtures against Kilmarnock and Motherwell aiming to end the campaign on a high note.

Taylor said: "We targeted picking up 15 points after the split. That isn't possible now, but if we get 13 then we will be more than happy with that.

"If we get into seventh, we will be delighted. If we finish eighth with 51 points, that puts us 13 better off than last season. That in itself is an achievement, as is the fact we are guaranteed eighth.

"We can be frustrated because we wanted to be in the top six or we wanted to be seventh. But we are thankful for what we have achieved and we will try to get the next two results for the club and the fans."

After hosting struggling Kilmarnock this weekend, Thistle will round off the season with a trip to Fir Park on the final day of the campaign.

Archibald is keen to do a deal to keep Taylor at Firhill, but the 25-year-old admits his future is far from certain.

The former Falkirk striker said: "I am waiting for a conversation with the Scunthorpe hierarchy to see what the situation is and whether they want me there next season.

"I haven't a clue, to be honest. I have another year on my contract, so that gives us a stumbling block if they don't want me at the club.

"But I don't know if that is the case. We will just have to see what happens."