KRIS Doolan says that Partick Thistle have the quality in their squad to stay in the Premiership after being dragged deep into the relegation mire with Saturday’s last-gasp loss to Hamilton.

The devastating defeat saw Thistle drop to eleventh place, two points adrift of Accies, who also have two games in hand over Alan Archibald's men.

They now face a massive clash with bottom side Ross County in Dingwall on Saturday, and Doolan is certain that there is enough talent in the Jags ranks to dig them out of their current predicament.

"We have to believe that,” said Doolan.

"These players have been here for a while and we have seen these kinds of things off before.

“It is down us as individuals and as a team to pull the club through this tough stage and there is no better time than to go to Dingwall next week and come away with three points against Ross County.

"It is getting to the stage of the season where you have to use your head more and we have to be a wee bit more cuter and cleverer about the way you go about your business.

"Especially in the big games when you have to be thinking clearly and make sure we do not get carried away and don't let the pressure get to us and keep our feet on the ground and stay relaxed. If we do that then we will get out of this.

"The Ross County game is massive. The Hamilton match was huge for us, but this is even bigger now if that is possible and we all know what is riding on the game.

"We need to go there and dust ourselves down and try and get a decent result.”

There can’t be a member of the Thistle squad who isn’t sick of fielding questions about their propensity for losing late goals, but it was that old familiar failing that reared its head again at the Superseal to deny them a crucial point.

"It is very frustrating,” admitted Doolan.

"In a lot of games, we have taken the lead or have been drawing and for whatever reason we have thrown leads away and conceded late goals and lost valuable points.

"If the games finished earlier Thistle would be at the top of the league, but they don't, and we aren't.

"We need to put it right because it can't keep happening.”