PARTICK Thistle midfielder Craig Slater was frustrated as his side threw away a lead to drop two points at Falkirk on Saturday, but he is hoping the performance can give the Jags the belief to climb the Championship table.

Slater gave Thistle a deserved lead at The Falkirk Stadium just before the hour, but all of their good work to that point was undone as a moment of slackness at the back allowed Joe McKee to reply instantly for the home side.

In the end, Gary Caldwell got his first point on the board as manager at the fifth attempt, but the way they dominated the ball has Slater encouraged that Thistle’s showing can act as a springboard to turn around their season.

“I don’t think we were lacking it earlier in the season,” Slater said. “It’s been fine lines.

“But we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’ve got to build on the point we got at Falkirk.

“It’s a frustrating one to take. We scored and them we let them right back into it straight away and you can’t do that if you want to come away with all three points.

“I thought the performance was really good and we’ll take the point and move on.

“There were a lot of positives. I feel every week we’re getting better. I think the boys know there is enough in the changing room to go on a run. We just need something to kick-start it.

“We have a point to build on and hopefully it can be a springboard.

“We couldn’t think that we would never get out of it. Any team that wants to do well has to have belief.

“There have been hard times, don’t get me wrong, but we’re all in it together.”

Caldwell named the same side for the match at Falkirk that narrowly lost to Inverness the last time out, although goalkeeper Cammy Bell had to make way for Jamie Sneddon at the last minute after picking up a suspected calf injury in the warm-up.

The Thistle boss also persevered with the same 4-4-2 system, and Slater believes that his manager has found a way of playing that suits his personnel, and allows the likes of him and Stuart Bannigan to dictate the play.

The main disappointment on the day apart from the concession of the cheap equaliser was a lack of quality in the final third, which allowed a below-strength Falkirk side off the hook.

“The 4-4-2 seems to be working for us,” he said. “We have the two strikers which gives us a real focal point and that always helps us if we are under pressure. I also felt we defended really well in Saturday when we had to.

“We had a lot of the ball but just maybe struggled to put that last bit together and maybe that’s why we have struggled a bit this season.

“We were excellent on Saturday. Everyone worked as hard as they could, and we were so unlucky.

“We just need to find that little bit of quality – but it will come.”

It seems as though the Thistle supporters are retaining belief in their team with a healthy travelling contingent roaring on the side at Falkirk, and Slater said their backing doesn’t go unnoticed.

“The fans backed us again at Falkirk and we really appreciate it,” he said. “They have been with us every step of the way and we would like to repay them a bit.”