Mark Wilson wants Partick to banish play-off cloud that ‘hangs heavy’ over club

Mark Wilson wants Partick Thistle to banish the play-off cloud he believes hangs over the club by reaching the William Hill Premiership this season.

After a 2-1 aggregate win over Ayr United in the quarter-final, the Jags now face Livingston in the semi-final with the first leg at home on Tuesday night.

Wilson, co-interim manager along with veteran striker Brian Graham, recalled Thistle’s devastating play-off final against Ross County in 2023 where they took a 2-0 lead to Dingwall after the first leg and opened the scoring before being pegged back in the final minute for a 3-3 aggregate draw then losing 5-4 in the penalty shoot-out.

Thistle also lost on penalties in last season’s play-off semi-final to Raith Rovers and Wilson, who also doubles as Jags’ Under-18s coach, hopes this season is redemptive.

He said: “I’ve been here a year-and-a-half and I could see what the club is, where it’s been, how close they came in Dingwall, and I still think that cloud hangs heavy over the place.

“Some of the players have been there and experienced that, and I said, it was a cloud hanging over them.

“I still think some of them reminisce over that, they certainly don’t want to experience it again and maybe some that might have thought that they left something on the pitch there, will certainly have that in the back of their heads.

“So that’s an important message that these games can change so quickly.

“Within the space of 180 minutes you could be on your holidays or you could be looking forward to the final.

“So it’s important that the players take the heartache from that and not leave anything behind tomorrow or Friday.”

Wilson believes further progress in the play-offs would give recently-appointed sporting director Ian Baraclough food for thought when it comes to naming a new management team to take over from Kris Doolan, who departed in February.

The former Airdrie and Brechin boss said: “It gives Ian Baraclough a decision to make, maybe a tougher decision than they would hope coming in.

“He’s maybe just looked at it and thought these guys will hold the fort and, putting myself in that position, I’d probably think the same.

“This club’s a great club, an iconic club.

“Sitting here, I’m well aware of some of the CV’s that will be in for the job and some of the top names.

“So it would be foolish not to consider all that and take out their perspective.

“Brian and I can only do the job that we’ve done so far, and where that takes us, who knows?

“So it’s a tough decision, but I think we’ve given ourselves every chance.

“If it’s a sort of audition, I think we’ve done okay so far, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”