Alan Archibald is hoping it’s a case of no more Mr Nice Guys from his Partick Thistle men as they go into battle with Hamilton Accies this weekend.

The Jags travel to the SuperSeal Stadium for a crucial encounter at the foot of the table which could see the Jags either inch away from the danger zone or slither further into the mire.

Thistle are just a point ahead of second-bottom Accies heading into tomorrow’s showdown but the Lanarkshire side still have two games in hand on their rivals in peril.

Thistle’s cause was not helped by a last gasp defeat at home to Dundee last weekend as a late double from Simon Murray inflicted a morale-sapping reversal.

Archibald reckons that particular tussle was a decent game of football to watch but the Firhill boss wants his troops to ditch the pleasantries, roll up the sleeves and come out ready for a grisly relegation scrap this weekend.

He said: “The game on Saturday against Dundee was too nice a game for both teams. It was more of a footballing match. It wasn’t a scrap which it usually tends to be down at the bottom of the league. There was plenty of good football played by both teams and we got drawn into that. It was a nice game to play in.

“The games we have won this year, we have won them very well and our game management has been excellent. But against Dundee, we were just a little bit too nice and open towards the end of the game when we should have just shut up shop. That’s why the manner of the defeat was so disappointing. You’ll see a different match on Saturday. There is plenty at stake for both teams and it will be more of a battle and less football played.

“After the poor result last week, this match becomes even more significant. The roles have been kind of reversed. Last week we were trying to catch Dundee now we want to pull away from Hamilton. I know they have a couple of games in hand but that’s an incentive for to get away from them.”

Given that Thistle seemed to be in command and heading for three points, the Dundee defeat was a particularly painful one to stomach.

Having been on course to leap-frog the Tayside men in the table, the Maryhill side were left lagging behind them while anxiously peering over their shoulders in an increasingly tight scene in the lower reaches.

Archibald added: “Even now it still hurts a bit in terms of how we lost the game. But we spoke to the lads and we got it out of our system. We went over it and the only way to deal with it is to get a response this Saturday. It’s always an open discussion. We raise things about the game, we always have a talk about the game and we take everybody’s opinions on board. That’s the only way you learn. There was a bit of shock in the dressing room after the game due to the way we had lost.”

Accies chalked up three goals against Rangers last weekend but having conceded five, Archibald knows where the weaknesses are.

He said: “I don’t know what Martin (Canning) must be thinking. They are that kind of team. They are always a threat and have a good scoring record but you look at the negatives and they do concede a few and hopefully we can get a bit of joy there."