Scottish Championship: Can leaders Queen's Park get back to winning ways at Partick Thistle?

Queen's Park top the Championship table by one point going into Friday's derby at Firhill

Form goes out the window. Take each game as it comes. A six-pointer.

At this stage of the season, crunch time, some might say, football clichés come flooding out, met with rolling eyes and raised eyebrows.

We've all heard them all before.

And yet those well worn phrases remain entirely befitting when it comes to the Scottish Championship, a division that continues to deliver drama and confound expectation.

So, when BBC Sport Scotland sat down with former Ayr United and Partick Thistle defender Steven Bell to preview Friday's derby between Thistle and league leaders Queen's Park, it was near impossible to avoid referencing a cliché or two.

Five rounds of fixtures to go before play-offs

Queen's Park have had their advantage at the top narrowed in recent weeks with Owen Coyle's side losing their last two games against Arbroath and Raith Rovers, respectively, allowing Dundee to claw back to within one point with a game in hand.

When Kris Doolan stepped in to fill the shoes left by Ian McCall, Thistle were 10 points off Queen's and one point adrift of the play-off positions.

Victory against the Spiders would lift Thistle into third place, for a few hours at least, and narrow the gap on the leaders to three points.

However, Coyle's side have taken maximum points from the three previous Glasgow derbies this term, with a 9-2 aggregate score.

"If Thistle win, then they squeeze things at the top," said Bell on the Scottish Football Podcast. "If Queen's win, they go nine points clear of Thistle which I would think would knock the stuffing out of them in terms of challenging for the league.

"Partick Thistle are beginning to gather a bit of form, they're starting to keep the backdoor shut, not conceding goals and beginning to score goals.

"There are still potentially four teams capable of winning the league, so it's about not giving silly goals away, staying resolute, staying focused.

"When you look at Owen Coyle's track record as a manager, he is certainly someone who can implement that onto his team."

Spiders to continue climb?

Queen's Park are on course for three promotions in a row, if they can cling on to top spot for a few more weeks.

A relentless rise from the oldest club in the land, their story has been "nothing short of remarkable" for Bell.

"Look at where they've come from over the last few seasons, they've got that momentum," he said. "It's great for Scottish football and most importantly, the Scottish Championship."

The man leading their current charge is no stranger to Bell, with the pair sharing time together 20 years ago at Dundee United.

"Owen Coyle understands people, how to get the best out of them," Bell added. "That's why I think they'll maintain that top spot at the end of the season."

It's far from an easy run-in for Queen's, or any of their rivals for that matter.

After a visit to Firhill, Hamilton Accies are welcomed to Ochilview, with John Rankin's side fighting to preserve their second-tier status.

A trip to Cappielow is the final away day for Coyle's side, always a tricky venue despite a recent slump from Morton.

It could all come down to the final day of the season against Dundee. Now that would be nail-biting.

But that's weeks away yet. If this season is anything to go by, there will be a few twists and turn before then.