Cerny: Joy of six can cure Jags’ cup blues

TOMAS CERNY insists Partick Thistle will try to make amends for their Scottish Cup exit by cementing a top-six spot.

The Jags keeper admits his side let themselves down against Aberdeen at Pittodrie where they have never won in the history of the competition.

After losing to a Graeme Shinnie goal in Sunday’s quarter-final the 31-year-old believes claiming a place in the top half of the league is now the priority.

He said: “That is our goal now for the season. We find ourselves in the position and we have it in our own hands.

“That would be a great achievement for the club and is what everybody wants to do now.

“We have been in really good league form and want it to continue.

“It was a very disappointing result because we knew we had a big chance to go to the semi-final of the Cup.

“We knew Aberdeen was a difficult place to get a result but we had gone into the game in good form.

“It wasn’t one of our best performances in terms of passing and quality of football. “It was difficult for both teams because the pitch was not great. It was a scrappy game but we both fought and kept going right to the last second.

“We could have got a draw but it didn’t happen for us. We just have to lift our heads and focus on the league now.”

Partick’s record against the Dons in recent times has been dismal but Cerny admits it’s also an indication of the quality within Derek McInnes’ side.

He said: “Aberdeen are a good side. They are a team who are hard to score against. Against us they mixed it up, were physical and tried to play more long balls.

“It was more of a fight and they scored the one goal that won the game.”

The Jags shot-stopper has played his part in an impressive record of eight shut-outs from their last 11 games.

And he believes the secret of their success has been a combination of a break in the sun and a battering from Celtic.

He said: “I remember there was a bad game against Celtic at home when we got beat 4-1. It was our heaviest defeat of the season.

“We then went away with the boys on a winter break to Spain and for some reason the understanding improved.

“We came back and didn’t concede many goals. We just clicked.

“We went to Aberdeen with eight clean sheets out of 10.

“Not many teams have a record like that. “It’s down to the communication. We also fight for each other – every player on the pitch fights for a clean sheet.

“That got us into the top six because we were resolute and didn’t concede goals. “So if you only need to score one it makes it easier.

“We have to keep going and doing what we have been doing recently.”