He knows what it takes to create a cup upset and Danny Devine believes Partick Thistle are in the right frame of mind to produce one at Pittodrie on Sunday as they head north seeking to extend their best run of form this season.
A fourth successive win at Dens Park on Wednesday took them into the top six, leapfrogging a Dundee side that they have now beaten in all three league meetings. They have the exact opposite record against the men from further up the east coast, but the central defender, who was part of the Inverness Jags’ cup triumph two seasons ago, reckons they are ready to redress the balance against Aberdeen.
“Obviously we’ve been to Pittodrie a couple of times and I feel we’ve been a hit unlucky,” said Devine.
“Aberdeen have quality players throughout their team but it was a bad result for them against Hamilton in midweek, so hopefully we can go there and their heads are down and we can capitalise on that.”
He admitted that is unlikely because there is added incentive for the team seen as most people’s second favourites for what is the last trophy they can win this season.
“I don’t think that’ll be the case,” Devine continued.
“It’s a big cup game and their fans will get behind them, but if we can go on and put in a similar performance we’ve got a good chance.
“From the first game of the season anywhere we’ve gone we’ve felt like we can get a result. Sometimes things just don’t happen but we feel like we owe them one. We’ve had a couple of close games against them this season and we’re definitely in confident mood, we’re definitely going to go there in confident mood and go for the win.”
In saying so he senses there is the same sort of mood as that at Inverness two years ago when he and his team-mates shocked Celtic in the semi-final, as well as his current club, on their way to their historic Hampden win over Falkirk.
“It is similar,” he said.
“We had quality players there just like we have here. I came here in the summer and looked at the squad and around the changing room and I saw that same quality so hopefully we can put a run together, keep looking up the table and climbing as high as we can and hopefully the cup run happens for us.
“What’s the point in being in the competition if you can’t win it. We’ve seen with teams like Ross County, Inverness, St Johnstone, teams like that can win it.”
He is aware, however, that his cup final winning skipper, Graeme Shinnie, who headed east to join Aberdeen after that win, will also be harbouring hopes of a repeat cup run.
“Obviously we had great times at Inverness together but all that goes out the window,” said Devine.
“He’ll be looking to win the game, I’ll be looking to win the game and may the best team win on Sunday.”
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