KRIS Doolan says Christmas is cancelled for Partick Thistle this year after the Firhill squad axed their festive night out to re-focus on beating the drop.

Alan Archibald’s men find themselves four points adrift at the bottom of the Ladbrokes Premiership after Saturday’s 5-1 hammering by Kilmarnock.

The Jags boss admits he saw the first cracks in his side’s confidence this term during that painful Rugby Park drubbing.

A spot of team bonding would be the answer for many when the chips are down but striker Doolan reckons the Maryhill side are right to bin their night out.

“There won’t be nights out. That just won’t happen. It’s all about business for us. At this stage of the season, the way things are (nights out) just won’t be an option.”

Thistle will hope to pick up their first win in over a month when they host Motherwell tonight.

Their current position is similar to the one they found themselves in at this stage last term.

But Doolan says it is time Jags forget about last season’s top-six heroics and face up to the fact they are now in a fight for survival.

He said: “We can’t just keep talking about last season week in, week out. We need points on the board as we’re now adrift.”