They’re nearer fourth place than the bottom of the table so it’s not surprising that Niall Keown wants Partick Thistle to go, well, forth.
All the talk at present is about cementing a place in the top six of the Ladbrokes Premiership and avoiding any end of season panics that can stem from getting sucked into a lower half dogfight.
Should champions elect Celtic also win the William Scottish Cup, then fourth place in the table will be rewarded with a spot in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League.
Thistle sit just six points behind fourth-placed Hearts and, with bottom dogs Inverness Caley Thistle visiting Firhill today, Keown is well aware that the tussle presents an ideal opportunity to both safeguard their top six placing and keep their loftier ambitions on track.
"Europe would be huge,” said the 21-year-old defender. “I know how important it would be for the club. And we want to do everything we can to make that possible. It would be fantastic if we can achieve that. When I got here in January, the manager made it clear that our goal was to finish top six. Now we are there it's about staying there. It's important for us to put distance between us and the teams below us and Saturday is a good chance to do that.”
Since arriving on loan from Reading in the transfer window, Keown has been a key figure in the Thistle renaissance which has hoisted them up the table.
Despite a bump in the road last week with a 1-0 defeat to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup, Thistle’s recent league record reads played three, won three.
Keown, the son of former Arsenal stalwart Martin, continues to enjoy his footballing education north of the border. The Scottish game may be different to what he’s used to but he is savouring the opportunities that have been afforded him as he hones his various skills in the cut-and-thrust environment of Scotland’s top flight.
He said: "The pace can be quicker and it can be frantic but I am feeling more confident as the weeks go by. The manager has shown a lot of faith in me. I've had a lot of bad luck with injury and I hadn't played a lot of football so I’m just delighted to be playing. I'm developing as a player and feeling more positive."
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