Partick Thistle manager Jackie McNamara has said his side’s 3-1 loss to Livingston at the weekend has raised questions about some of his players.

The Jags were three goals down in the First Division tie after strikes from Marc McNulty, Paul Watson and Kyle Jacobs before Paul Cairney scored Thistle’s first goal of 2012 with two minutes to go.

McNamara told STV: "The mentality of the players needs to be a lot stronger. In the first half, there wasn’t much in it. Once they (Livingston) got their goal, their tails went up and they got a massive lift.

"After the second goal, we looked off it and some of the players didn’t show any spirit or drive. There was an acceptance that we were beat, and I am not happy about that."

The match against Livingston at the Braidwood Motor Company Stadium on Saturday was the first match The Jags have played since January 21, but McNamara dismissed any suggestion that the impromptu winter break had an affect on his players.

"We have been training hard and have held a number of bounce games in the break so that is not an issue. We just let ourselves and the supporters down.

"I don’t think we have had a slump in form. There has been a thin line between winning and losing in our games. But Saturday was a poor, poor performance, and we need to toughen up mentally and physically for the next match."

On Monday night, Thistle will play a bounce game against a Scottish Universities side. One player set to feature is Conrad Balatoni, the ex-Thistle defender who has been without a club since his deal with Hearts ended in the transfer window.

Balatoni made 38 appearances for Thistle in two loan spells, with the latest ending at the beginning of the year. The free agent has been training with the Firhill side in the past week.

McNamara said: "I would like to (sign him), but as always it comes down to finances. We will need to wait and see what we can do."