PARTICK Thistle striker Mark Corcoran has admitted that promotion to the SPL this season is now an "almost impossible" task.
The Jags suffered their third league reverse on the spin on Saturday, going down 2-1 away at Inverness Caley.
Their recent slump means that, barring a miracle, Thistle will have little to play for this season but pride as they have also been put o
ut of the Scottish Cup.
The team's run has been made all the more disappointing because leaders Dundee have been shipping points as well recently — handing the chasing pack a fantastic opportunity to catch up.
Now, however, the Firhill side sit 12 points behind the Taysiders — and Corcoran says there is no point in looking above them or even below them in the league.
Instead, he insists, they must look at themselves and try to improve their performances, match by match.
He said: "I think you would have to say that promotion will be almost impossible for us now. We now have to concentrate on taking things game by game.
"We won't be thinking about promotion, just about winning matches and getting points. Then we'll see where we are."
Corcoran scored a 30-yard wonder goal at Inverness on Saturday, but he says that his super strike was very little consolation for what turned out to be a crushing afternoon, which saw them going home pointless after a controversial last-minute penalty decision went against them.
He said: "I think we were the better team in the first half and we played well in the second.
"It was hard to accept the penalty decision and we deserved a draw at least, but that's the way things have been going for us."
Thistle are not in action this weekend, but travel to play Ayr United in a rearranged league fixture on Wednesday.
Corcoran said: "We've been carrying a few injuries, so while you want to keep playing, having a wee lay-off at the weekend might do us a bit of good as we get ready to try to turn the corner."
