THEY say anything can happen in cup football and Partick Thistle stars Abdul Osman and Nathan Eccleston know only too well the truth of that old cliche.

Midfielder Osman was part of the Northampton Town side that silenced the Kop and caused one of the biggest shocks in English League Cup history four years ago.

Goals from Milan Jovanovic and David N'Gog didn't prove enough for Liverpool that September night as Osman and his team-mates took the tie to a penalty shoot-out after it ended in deadlock at 2-2.

In an amazing twist of football irony, Eccleston - who had come on as a sub for Liverpool - missed one of the spot kicks to give lowly Northampton the chance to clinch a famous victory.

And who should step up to the plate to net the decisive penalty for the fourth-tier Cobblers - none other than Eccleston's Jags team-mate Osman.

Now the 27-year-old Ghanian-born player is dreaming of what might be at Firhill this season after helping the Jags into the last eight of the Scottish version of the competition on Tuesday night with a 1-0 win over St Mirren.

And he's entitled to think the football fates are smiling on Thistle - after Eccleston struck the game's only goal.

Osman said: "My best cup memory was when I was at Northampton and we knocked Liverpool out in the third round at Anfield. I stepped up and scored the winning penalty at the Kop end.

"Before the game we didn't believe we could do it. We thought we would concede about six!

"Winning the cup with Thistle would mean more than beating Liverpool. We didn't win the cup, we just beat Liverpool. Winning the cup with Thistle would be very special."

Northampton's win at Anfield remains one of the biggest shocks in the recent history of the League Cup south of the border as a side that included the likes of Brad Jones, Lucas and Ryan Babel was dumped from the competition.

If overcoming the odds and conquering one of the giants of English football wasn't enough, Osman had another, more personal, motivation for putting Liverpool to the sword.

He said: "I grew up supporting Manchester United, so it was great to beat Liverpool. I am confident when it comes to penalties. I picked my spot and sent him the wrong way.

"I didn't have any nerves. My team-mates were like 'it is on you, if you score we win' and I was like 'easy'. I got a lot of texts from people back home in London. It was a moment I will never forget.

Firhill on Tuesday night may have been a far cry from the inspiring surroundings of Anfield, but it could prove a crucial stop on another memorable journey for Osman.

The Jags' summer signing is confident Alan Archibald's side can enjoy more cup success this season.

Osman said: "It was a battling victory in a game that we made difficult for ourselves.

"If you watched the game, we made a lot of chances and didn't take them. That put pressure on us for the whole game. But, at the end of the day, we won 1-0 and we will take it

"Anything can happen and if you don't take your chances you could end up losing the game.

"Fortunately, we scored our goal and won the game.

"Anything can happen in cup football, there are a lot of surprises. Hopefully we get the luck and it takes us forward.

"We have got a good side. We just have to start taking our chances and I think we will be all right."