Jason Thomson says Hearts won't let cup loss derail bid for third

HEARTS' Co-operative Insurance Cup defeat at Falkirk in midweek may have sparked concern in some quarters. But Jason Thomson is intent on viewing the bigger picture - and he likes what he sees.

While acknowledging that he didn't envisage his team-mates shipping four goals against the First Division promotion hopefuls, the 23-year-old right-back - who watched from the stand as a virus kept him out of the game at Falkirk Stadium - is convinced it will prove to be only a minor setback for the Tynecastle side as they bid to finish third in the SPL for the second time in three seasons.

"It's a one-off cup match, these things can happen," said Thomson. "We're obviously very disappointed to lose four goals in any match. You don't expect to concede four against a First Division side especially, but we just need to make sure we put it right in the league. Let's remember our league performances have been good, we're sitting third in the league.

"We've only lost once in the league and that was against Celtic, which is understandable considering how well they're going at the moment. We've now got a couple of home games before the international break, so it's a chance for us to get a few more points on the board."

If they can manage that against Motherwell today and Rangers next weekend, then there is a real chance for the Tynecastle side to put down a marker in the battle to finish best of the rest. With the likes of Dundee United, Aberdeen, Motherwell and Hibs so far having failed to find any real momentum, Thomson knows Hearts have an opportunity to take command of the battle for third in the same manner their city rivals did in the first half of last season.

That cushion the Easter Road side opened up over their rivals before Christmas ultimately proved to be enough to get them into Europe despite suffering a wretched second half to the campaign. The fact Hearts had a slow start and just came up short in their bid to overhaul Hibs merely underlines how valuable early-season momentum can be.

"The Old Firm have started the season really well and pulled away from the pack but the rest of the league is so tight that, if you can put together a couple of wins on the spin, you can pull away from teams and before you know it find yourself six or seven points clear of your rivals," said Thomson. "If you can do that it gives you a bit room to relax and play."

In order for that to happen, Hearts will need to tighten up defensively. However, Thomson, who was due to return to the side for today's match with Motherwell, believes the whole team need to take responsibility for the recent lapses at the back - not just the under-fire members of Jefferies' makeshift backline.

"A lot has been made of the back four, but it's the whole team, not just the defence that needs to tighten up. We defend as a whole team and attack as a whole team. We also need to cut out the individual mistakes."

While all the talk has been about dozy defending this week, Thomson is taking encouragement from the scintillating form of Hearts' attacking players. He likes what he's seen of Kevin Kyle so far and is relieved he doesn't have to line up against David Templeton, whose tricky wing play has been tormenting the life out of opposition full-backs.

"Kevin's probably not even fully fit but already he's got four goals. He's scoring goals and is a really good outlet for us. He can hold the ball up and link the play and seems to have struck up a good understanding with Suso. As for Temps, he has done really well. As a full-back myself I know how tricky it can be to play against someone like him. He's really hard to play against and forces defenders to back off which allows the team a bit more space to play in."