IAN McCALL is determined Partick Thistle bring the curtain down on the first quarter of the Irn-Bru First Division by securing their maiden away victory of the season at Morton.

The Jags have managed only one point from their travels this season, compared to seven at the same stage last term.

But, with McCall's progressive young team sprinkling the opening segment of the season with some sparkling football, hope remains that the gaffer has assembled the core of a side who will take the club forwards. MORTON boss Jim McInally is determined to take his side into the top four by beating Jags.

And the Cappielow gaffer says a throwback atmosphere at the Ton's bear-pit ground can help his troops come out on top.

Macca said: "Thistle coming to Morton is the type of game we'll relish in the First Division. There is a bit of rivalry between the two sides and Thistle always bring a big crowd with them.

"With both sets of fans up for it, we should have a cracker on our hands. We have plenty of incentive for a home win, as it would take us above Partick.

"That could see us joint third, a fine achievement given we are a promoted club."

The Cappielow gaffer is having to juggle his resources as injury continues to blight the Ton.

"First-choice goalkeeper Lee Robinson has broken a finger and David McGurn will play.

"But we will be without Michael Gardyne, Chris Millar, Dean Keenan and David McGregor."

Now, McCall's focus is solely on securing a victory at Greenock.

He said: "What will be important at Cappielow is that we must defend well. If you take away the one defensive glitch at Dunfermline last week, we were on course for a clean sheet and a draw at the title favourites.

"Also, we made enough chances to win two matches and failed to take even one. So, if we can cut out the errors and sharpen up in the box we can get three points."

The Jags boss added: "We won't underestimate Morton. I watched them midweek in the Challenge Cup semi-final against St Johnstone and, in young Jim McAlister, they have a fine player capable of turning a game.

"They also have a dominating central defensive pair in Stewart Greacen and Ryan Harding, who are big boys. So there will be a physical element to the game."

The meeting of a diminutive but mobile Thistle attack with the Ton's twin defensive behemoths is a key aspect of this tussle.

McCall is likely to keep faith in Liam Buchanan and Mark Roberts. There is no doubt that the movement of Buchanan could help drag Greacen and Harding about, and open things up for top scorer Roberts, who is badly in need of his first goal this term.

It is debatable whether the trip to Greenock would be the right time to start former Motherwell target man Paul Keegan, before introducing Buchanan to run tired legs into the ground.

Certainly, the second-half introduction of Stevie Murray and Keegan changed the nature of the Pars game. This time out Murray is a certainty to start and his early absence only served to underline his status as McCall's best summer signing.

Either way, Thistle's frontline will need to be sharper than it was at East End Park.

But, with leaders Hamilton entertaining Dundee and St Johnstone facing a Livingston team on the hottest form surge in the division, there is every chance that points will be dropped by more than one of the three teams above the Jags.

Victory at Cappielow could conceivably take Thistle to within six points of pole position and cement their place in the top four.

McCall admitted: "I don't think anyone would argue, given the fact this is a completely new team and a young one into the bargain, that a top four finish at the end of the first quarter would be a decent start to the season."

Meanwhile, I understand the Jags boss has not given up hope of making one of the two loan signings under emergency legislation before too long.