PARTICK Thistle are today counting the cost of the Highland sting that has robbed Ian McCall's team of a Homecoming Scottish Cup run - and cash in the bank from a potentially money-spinning fifth-round tie.

The 3-0 defeat by Inverness Caledonian Thistle means the Firhill focus is now firmly fixed on the Holy Grail of SPL promotion. And that assault begins anew on Saturday against First Division pace-setters St Johnstone.

Yes, Thistle needed to make the fifth round and land a lucrative TV tie.

But although the £90,000-plus such a game would have generated would have been mighty welcome, it will be the ability to trade the financially crippling climes of the First Division for the lush cash-rich pastures of the top flight that will determine whether the pulse of full-time football life keeps racing.

And yet, in this reverse - played in monsoon-like conditions - there was so much that was typically promising.

At times Thistle outpassed and outplayed their SPL rivals to such an extent even an appreciative ripple of applause from the home seats pealed out at the Caldeonian Stadium.

Sadly, as has proved the case all too often this term, it matters not how pretty the patterns Partick weave if there is no end product.

Yet again it was the lack of a cutting edge that did for McCall's side. A fact acknowledged by a frustrated Jags No.2 Gerry Britton who also cited a horror injury to stopper John Robertson as pivotal to the sun setting on this term's cup campaign.

Gerry said: "We didn't feel there were three goals in it. John Robertson going off had a big impact on things as he has been excellent for us and two minutes later they scored when we had not maybe settled after his departure.

"But Caley mastered the conditions better than us and they used their big players like Andy Barrowman well. But we certainly didn't feel that the three-goal margin was a true reflection.

"On top of that, John has done his ankle ligaments and he could be out for up to six weeks.

"We also lost Liam Buchanan at the break and that was another damaging blow.

"But their second goal after the interval really killed us off and although we responded and kept going, it was not enough.

"The one positive is that we can now concentrate on the league and, in that respect, we have to pick ourselves back up for a big game with St Johnstone at Firhill on Saturday."

Ultimately, Partick are out of the cup because their attack is too lightweight.

A fact brutally brought home in a match where a clumsy and pedestrian Inverness side delivered three decisive blows in a tie they were content to let their visitors dominate territorially and in terms of possession for large chunks.

The home side were first to demonstrate a goal threat and, in six minutes, a 25-yard Roy McBain strike was superbly tipped over by Jonny Tuffey.

Four minutes later, Thistle enjoyed an even greater let-off when Simon Storey failed to cut out a long ball, and Barrow-man got in behind the Jags backline to slide a low effort just wide of Tuffey's right stick.

But McCall's men responded immediately and Buchanan's low drive drew a decent save from Michael Fraser.

Then Thistle were dealt a cruel and ultimately disastrous blow when Robertson limped off and was replaced by Mark Roberts after 25 minutes with a nasty ankle injury caused by a blatant Barrowman foul.

With Jags still trying to rejig their backline, Caley cashed in almost immediately when Filipe Morais's superb 25-yard drive beat Tuffey all ends up, possibly with the aid of a deflection.

Within a minute of the re-start it was all over when Ian Vigurs ran on to a superbly- weighted Don Cowie pass and smashed home from 20 yards out with Tuffey again helpless.

Partick soon responded, but Fraser parried second-half sub Scott Chaplain's near-post effort brilliantly.

McCall's men did have the ball in the net in 55 minutes when Simon Donnelly smashed home but he was adjudged offside.

From the restart the Firhill side's hopes of a comeback were brutally killed off when Fraser's long ball was nudged on by Cowie and Morais got in between Tuffey and Storey to poke home a third in 56 minutes. This disappointing defeat will soon be forgotten if a vital league victory is harvested against St Johnstone.

Yet the concern remains that, with success apparently tantalisingly outwith their reach, transfer window predators will start to circle over McCall's squad.

It may boost the bottom line but signal a break-up that will mean the true potential of the current Firhill vintage is never realised.

Inverness: Fraser, Tokely, Djebi-Zadi (Hastings, 45), McBain, Morais (Rooney, 80), Barrowman, Duncan (Gathuessi, 73), Munro, Cowie, Mihadjuks, Vigurs. Subs not used: Esson, Wood.

Partick Thistle: Tuffey, Paton, Twaddle, Storey, Robertson (Roberts, 25), Archibald, McKinlay (Doolan, 75), Rowson, Buchanan (Chaplain, 45) Donnelly, Harkins. Subs not used; Hinchcliffe, Robertson.

Referee: E Smith.

Att: 1803.