Frustration in football is a relative concept. Was Partick Thistle captain Sean Welsh irked as his side failed to hold on to a lead at home against the ten men of Hamilton on Saturday? Sure he was. But compared to the seemingly endless months of frustration he endured as a series of injuries kept him on the side-lines for the best part of two seasons, it was but a bump on the road.

With those injury woes now mercifully consigned to history, Welsh has been an ever-present for Alan Archibald’s side this term, and he is thankful to be able to lean on his own experience to help fellow teammates like Christie Elliot, who is currently going through his own physical and mental battle as he fights his way back to fitness.

Welsh said: “It’s great to get a good run of games and it’s great to be in the team.

“It’s so frustrating to be out, especially if the team are going through a difficult spell. I wanted to help the team on the pitch and I couldn’t do that. It’s obviously hugely frustrating on a personal level when you can’t play, but when the team’s struggling and you can’t do anything to help it’s even worse.

“I try to speak to Christie and it’s hard because everyone deals with it in their own way. It’s been very frustrating for him. He knows I’m here to speak to and help him through it if he needs anything.

“He seems to have got on with it well. He’s an upbeat boy, so he’s kept his spirits up as much as he could and it looks like there might be light at the end of the tunnel now.

“We had a couple of good results there, although it wasn’t too good on Saturday, but it’s good for myself to be back in the team and playing every week.

“It was a massive chance to get another three points on the board and keep the momentum going.

“Obviously with them going down to ten men and with us going one up, you think that surely we’ll see it out, but I think we took the foot off the gas and sat off them as soon as we scored instead of going for another one and putting the game to bed. That let them into it, and as soon as they got a sniff they were onto it.

"We’ll never get a better opportunity to get three wins in a row than that, so we’re kicking ourselves."

Pent-up frustration of the kind experienced by a player after a poor result can sometimes be put to good use, particularly as the congested Scottish football calendar usually offers up a swift opportunity to take that out on an opponent.

Welsh will have his shot at redemption at Firhill on Saturday as Hearts come calling.

He said: “We’re at home and we’ll be going all out for the three points. Hearts are a good side but we’ll be treating it like any other home game and will be looking to win.

“We can beat anybody on our day, and it’s up to us to go out there and make up for the poor performance on Saturday."