A WELL-KNOWN tongue-in-cheek expression states that death and taxes are the only two certainties in life. As the weeks roll by it looks increasingly like you can add a third item to that list: Partick Thistle failing to score.

Alan Archibald’s side have now failed to find the net in seven of their eight Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership matches after Liam Boyce’s 17th-minute header was enough for Ross County to claim the three points and move within one point of third-placed Hearts.

The worrying thing for Archibald is that whilst in previous weeks he has been able to console himself with the fact that his side were at least creating chances – even if they weren’t taking them – they barely posed a threat at Victoria Park until the dying minutes, by which time it was far too late.

“The longer we go without a goal the more pressure we start to feel,” the Partick manager admitted. “We created a lot of chances last week and had one or two more this week but then Scott Fox has made a couple of really good saves.

“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves though.

“We need to show character and keep plugging away. It is early days yet.”

The opening 45 minutes were extremely scrappy with neither side able to put a foot on the ball and maintain possession for any length of time.

Amidst the constant scrambling for possession Brian Graham managed to find a yard of space in the fifth minute but his attempt on goal from 25 yards bobbled harmlessly wide of the goal.

The home side took the lead in the 17th minute with a rare piece of quality.

Liam Boyce managed to head high into the top of the net after Jamie Reckord was afforded far too much time and space to deliver an inch-perfect cross from the left touchline.

Thistle’s only clear sight of goal in the first-half came in the 27th minute when Bannigan played a well-weighted pass for Sean Welsh to run on to and his shot was bound for the far corner before former Thistle man Scott Fox got a hand to the ball and pushed it safely wide.

Ross County were immediately on the front foot in the second half and Martin Woods flashed a left-footed shot a couple of feet wide of the post after a short free-kick was neatly worked into his path.

Shortly after the hour mark the Staggies had another decent opportunity to force Cerny into action but Robertson headed a foot or so over the crossbar, when he was left completely unmarked from an outswinging Woods corner.

It took until the 72nd minute for Thistle to register any attack of worthwhile note in the second period after substitute Robbie Muirhead’s 20-yard strike deflected wide for a corner.

Muirhead certainly gave Thistle a bit more of an attacking potency and he forced Fox into a smart save with a well-struck left-footed effort in the 86th minute.

The clear opening Partick had been waiting all match for fell to Welsh in injury time but he could only flick the ball over the bar from six yards after a sustained period of pressure.

It was far from Ross County’s most glamorous performance of the season and manager Jim McIntyre admitted that his side had been carrying a few knocks during the week and were struggling towards the end of the 90 minutes.

“We kept it under wraps but we had a number of player struggling to make the match,” he said. “Boyce, Franks and Gardyne were all struggling so we are glad to take the three points against a side that came and battled for every ball as we expected.

“We wanted to be far more consistent this season and so far we have done that well.”