Individuals came and went in this trim little stadium's tunnel area as many in a clutch of media personnel craved their every utterance. In the background, Jonny Tuffey stood quietly with his thoughts before disappearing into the chill night air.

Individuals came and went in this trim little stadium's tunnel area as many in a clutch of media personnel craved their every utterance. In the background, Jonny Tuffey stood quietly with his thoughts before disappearing into the chill night air.

It was appropriate the Partick Thistle goalkeeper should manage a few tranquil moments to himself because earlier in the day, while others around him manning defensive positions were a shambles, he stood firmly between a position in the third round of the Scottish Cup and abject humiliation for his employers.

It should be stated from the outset that several of Thistle's main-line defenders had legitimate excuses to be sitting in the stand, but it became apparent, especially as the afternoon ground on and on, that the replacements were quite inadequate, and it is little wonder Allan Moore, the Stirling manager, looked almost distraught when a halt was called.

"We battered them," he correctly summarised, adding that, in his opinion, Stirling had "seven or eight clear-cut chances but just didn't bury them."

Early goals from Scott Chaplain and Gary Harkins, with a penalty, looked to have sent the Glasgow lot on their way, and although Liam Buchanan added a third, Craig Molloy and Paul Murphy set us up for an tasty conclusion.

Time and again guys in red seemed to materialise before Tuffey, with what purported to be Thistle's defence elsewhere, but the Irishman proved well up to the task, and so Thistle's name will appear when the next round is drawn.

It is unfortunate that their poorest defensive performance for ages should coincide with the reintroduction to first-team duty of Alan Archibald, who had been on the excused list for many months. That stated, it is difficult to recollect the club captain putting a foot out of place throughout the afternoon, and further improvement is anticipated.

Of course, when others more adept in the art of defending, like Archibald, are recalled, many of Thistle's weekend wrongs should be corrected, and if not there is always the excellent Tuffey, whose performances can be worth the admission money alone.

What remains for Stirling this season is unclear. They occupy mid-table mediocrity in the second division and, on weekend showing, do not have a striker worthy of the name. As one would anticipate, the astute Moore is well aware of his team's failings and hopes to be active when the transfer window soon creeks open.

As for Thistle, it is unclear as to the duration of Tuffey's deal with them, but no matter its length, it is not long enough.