A DODGY away record could wreck Partick Thistle's bid for promotion to the SPL.

The disappointing 1-0 Irn-Bru First Division defeat by Ross County at Dingwall last night leaves the Jags with just one victory from seven games on the road.

That came way back on August 9 in a single-goal success at Airdrie United, while this was Thistle's fifth defeat away from Fortress Firhill and also saw them blow the chance to close within a point of leaders St Johnstone.

And today as he took stock of his side's latest body-blow up north, boss Ian McCall admitted the game had slipped away through missed chances.

A gutted McCall said: "We had opportunities to take a point from this one and maybe more but, whereas we failed to take them, Ross County have taken theirs and we have nothing to show for what was a decent perfor- mance.

"The key moment was when Liam Buchanan missed with a header from close in, but he has had a long lay-off after injury and has still to get back to his full sharpness and that will come.

"Liam has already scored two vital goals for us and he will put a lot more away."

McCall added: "Over the piece, it was a fairly even game, and you have to give credit to County. They are a decent team and they will now fancy their chances of making an impression on the title picture."

Dyron Daal's 68th- minute strike from just outside the penalty area proved the difference between the two sides and, when Buchanan's point-blank header went askew shortly after, Thistle had blown their best chance to take something from the long journey.

However, with a vital Homecoming Scottish Cup third-round tie against Stirling Albion at Forthbank on Saturday, McCall is now hoping his men can rediscover the ability to win away from home and book a lucrative money-spinning fourth-round tie into the bargain.

The Jags boss said: "Although we have missed a chance to put pressure on the leaders we are still very much in there.

"Now we have Stirling at their place in the Scottish Cup and it is vital we re-focus on that and concentrate on getting into the fourth round.

"That will not be easy, but maybe the freshness of the Scottish Cup will be a good thing for us and, if we can get the win there, then hopefully that will help recover the momentum we lost at County."

While Thistle's defeat may have been their first in four games, it tellingly came on the back of three home fixtures at Firhill, all of which produced wins.

Perhaps not surprisingly in their last away fixture the Jags also came a cropper 3-0 at St Johnstone and their next league outing is against Morton at Cappielow on Saturday week.