Conrad Balatoni insists Partick are not in danger of 'doing a Hibernian' this season.

The Jags defender watched with astonishment last year as the Easter Road side's incredible collapse saw them relegated.

Terry Butcher's team kicked off 2014 gunning for a top-six slot but a nightmare run of results saw them crash into the play-offs after winning just twice following the turn of the year.

Hamilton then ended their 15-year stay in the Premiership with a dramatic penalty shoot-out triumph in Leith.

Balatoni admits it is a horror story which Thistle could easily have repeated this term, but their 2-0 victory over Dundee United halted a run of five straight defeats and, ahead of Saturday's trip to Ross County, the centre-back says his side will not fall into the same trap.

He told Press Association Sport: "Hibs is a great example of what can happen when it all goes wrong.

"No-one here wants to see us go through the same sort of thing. But Hibs was a totally different situation.

"But I just know we have the players in that dressing room who have the quality to see ourselves out of this situation and keep us away from that drop zone.

"We got a great result last weekend and now we want to follow it up with a good win over County this weekend."

But Partick have been well warned what can happen if they go easy on the Staggies.

Boss Alan Archibald claimed his side lacked desire when they were turned over 3-1 at home by the then Scottish Premiership basement boys two weeks ago.

But Balatoni knows victory this weekend would all but rule out the possibility of County, Motherwell and St Mirren - all seven points behind - catching the Jags.

"Saturday is a huge game for both of us," Balatoni said. "County are on a good run of form, while we are coming off the back of a good win against Dundee United. It should be interesting.

"We want that win which could hopefully put us 10 points clear of the three sides at the bottom.

"It wouldn't say it would guarantee us safety but it would certainly ease the pressure on it. Maybe we can then start thinking about catching Kilmarnock above us."

On-loan Michael Gardyne, meanwhile admits Jim McIntyre's resurgent Staggies are fighting for their very futures in the game amid the nerve-shredding survival scrap. The on-loan Dundee United attacker believes the fraught, four-way relegation battle could prove a make-or-break moment for individual top flight careers.

"Everyone is playing for their futures and we want to keep Ross County in this division," he said. "I want to play at the highest level I can and, like so many other lads here who are out of contract in the summer, I have to do well and impress the manager.

"I've not heard much from Dundee United, Ross County is my only focus just now. To win four in a row would be massive but all we've done is get ourselves into a position where we are back in amongst the other teams. There is a lot still to be done."