But player-coach Craig Stirton's Thistle youngsters — newcomers to the premiership this year — are adjusting to the quicker pace and higher skill level required at each step up the ladder.
If it means they graduate to Federation League standard or higher with no appreciable loss of form, then the decision to field a second team in an outside league will have been vindicated.
The Thistle first team's opponents tomorrow, Levin, are an interesting proposition.
After four games they sit at the bottom of the table with no points, having scored three goals and conceded 18.
But those four games were against the top four teams in the league. Now they're playing the fifth-placed side.
When Levin played at Childers Road Reserve on August 1 last year, they lost 4-0 to the Jags.
Levin were a young side — their oldest player was 25 — and they gave away several centimetres in height to most of their Thistle counterparts.
But they gave plenty of cheek and played some good football.
Thistle supporters could not relax until the Jags scored their third goal in the 71st minute.
Thistle head coach Garrett Blair said the footage of Levin he had seen this year showed a direct style of football aimed at getting a long ball behind their opponents' defence for a fast striker to run on to.
“They keep it simple,” Blair said.
“Even though they are at the bottom of the table, we'll look at them as though they're at the top.”
He was happy with the brand of football Thistle were playing, but they hadn't had a clean sheet this season. Clean sheets were a big part of being successful.
The 5-3-2 combination was working for them, Blair said.
Having three central defenders and two wingbacks allowed them to sit back in numbers when under pressure, then use the wingbacks to launch counter-attacks.
If leftback Kuba Jerabek had not recovered from an injury that had been bothering him, Blair would consider using Sam Patterson at left wingback.
Although used primarily as an attacker, Patterson was fast and among the fittest in the squad. He had the ability to get up and down the line, and had been performing well in training.
Alex Davies would probably play at right wingback, with a central defensive trio of Daniel Venema, skipper Ryan Anderson and Ander Batarrita.
Goalkeeper Mitchell Stewart-Hill would have an important role sweeping up through-balls.
Blair said he had a selection dilemma in midfield. Kieran Venema, after a game at the back, would be back in his holding midfield role but his defensive midfield partner had yet to be settled.
Ash McMillan had played probably his best game for Thistle last weekend in the 4-1 Federation Cup win against Linton, and did not deserve to be dropped, but first-team regular Nick Land was coming back from injury.
Either McMillan or Land would fill the second holding role, and Matt McVey would be the attacking link man behind strikers Jarom Brouwer and Cullen Spawforth.
That would leave a bench of either Land or McMillan, reserve keeper Mark Baple, Raydon Semmens and Leo Maisey, all of whom had performed capably when called on.
Second-team player-coach Stirton has a few injury worries but plenty of players to cover them.
Midfielder Cory Thomson has been trying to get over an injury but if he is not fit, Stirton could consider Levi Julies for the role.
Keeper Tom Talbot, centreback Brad Hill and rightback Alex Shanks have the inside running for those positions, but others are wide open. Stirton has been looking to Eastern League 2 players for reinforcements.
Reece Brew will fill a holding midfield role, while Davie Ure will lead an attack that also features PJ Goodlett and Tim Hofman.
One question remains to be answered: will former Thistle striker Oli Davies be in the Havelock North Wanderers side in Gisborne tomorrow?
