CHRIS DUGGAN is confident his loan spell in League One will help him become battle-hardened for a shot at Firhill first team football.

The Partick Thistle youngster has joined Forfar until the end of the campaign to work under former Jags gaffer Dick Campbell and has made an impressive start to life in Angus.

After netting 13 goals for Scott McKenzie's second string this term, the striker opened his Loons account against East Fife last weekend and could now be set to face champions Rangers when they head to Ibrox tomorrow night.

Duggan has earned rave reviews for his performances at Under-20 level for Thistle but admits it is the hustle and bustle of Scotland's third tier that will improve his game.

He said: "Senior football is a little bit of a step-up in terms of the physicality but I've only played three games so I can't speak for it too much. It's nothing I can't handle, though, and it hasn't really fazed me at all so far.

"I definitely think it's important that every young player should get a loan spell to get them ready for whatever comes next in their career.

"It's especially the case for a striker where the step-up is a lot greater than for a midfielder because you're going from playing against young boys at centre-back to playing against big grown men."

It has been an impressive debut campaign at Thistle for Duggan, who was snapped up by boss McKenzie in the summer from Hamilton Accies and quickly became a mainstay of the Jags' youth side.

A hamstring injury halted his progress towards Alan Archibald's first team earlier this term but the highly rated young Firhill forward is relishing being in the spotlight at Station Park.

"There's a bunch of experienced guys there like Rab Douglas and Marvin Andrews and I've just enjoyed being in the first team and playing at a senior level," he said.

"The two other strikers, David Templemen and Gavin Swankie, have been great helping me out and I'm just trying to learn as much as I can while I'm here.

"I travel up to Forfar twice a week then train with Thistle in the mornings. It's not ideal to be so far away but I don't mind because I like training with the boys.

"I wouldn't be one just to turn up for the games. I need to be training with them to be at my best and help the team."

While Forfar have their sights set on a League One play-off berth between now and the end of the season, Thistle remain embroiled in the battle to beat the drop from the Premiership.

Archibald's side face fellow strugglers Kilmarnock this weekend and Duggan is confident he will return to a top- flight team when his Loons loan comes to an end in the summer.

"I think we will definitely stay up," he told ptfc.co.uk.

"If you look at the performances between Thistle and the other teams in the bottom six, every game we've done really well and may not have got the result but you can't fault the performances.

"When the pressure is on I'm sure the boys will take the chances. It's going to be an interesting few weeks for sure.

"I'm just focusing on being a Forfar player now and then next season I'll take whatever happens as it comes."