Ross County defender Paul Quinn reckons the Staggies’ frustration at leaving Parkhead empty-handed should be a measure of his side’s progress.
County went down 2-0 against Celtic on Saturday, with Leigh Griffiths’ goal on the stroke of half-time followed by Dedryck Boyata’s second-half header.
This time last year, the Highlanders were rooted to the foot of the Premiership with only 13 games remaining, before an excellent run of form meant they secured top-flight safety with one match to spare.
Jim McIntyre’s players have taken momentum into this season, and despite Saturday’s loss they remain fourth in the Premiership, with next month’s League Cup final against Hibernian to look forward to.
Quinn, who rejoined from Aberdeen last month, reckons standards have risen, and he said: “It just shows how far we have come that we are disappointed coming away from the champions, the league leaders, having lost. Teams have been hit for five, six, eight here. But we are disappointed in losing, never mind damage limitation.
“We had a tough game in midweek against Hearts and a few players were carrying niggles and injuries. But everyone is digging in and we can feel the excitement of the last couple of months.
“The aim is to try to win the League Cup. That is a huge incentive for us.
“At the start of the season, I imagine the aim would have been top six. I don’t for sure because I wasn’t here.
“That is still our aim in the league. If we don’t finish top six then it would be a disappointment.”
Quinn was frustrated by the loss of Griffiths’ 30th goal of the season just moments before the interval on Saturday.
County had held firm at Parkhead until the setback, which Quinn conceded blew the Highlanders’ plans out the window, and the 30-year-old added: “I think we rode our luck with one of the chances but defended well up until the first goal. The frustration around the ground was evident.
“But then we were a bit naive from the cross and didn’t defend it well. We went into the interval with the plan slightly messed up.
“We didn’t go to Parkhead to sit in, but we did go with a plan to frustrate. And for 44 minutes we did that.
“Fair play to them, though. They kept prodding us and it was a great finish from their forward. I have to take my hat off to him.”