KRIS DOOLAN is targeting his first-ever cup success next season with Partick Thistle.

Signed from Junior giants Auchinleck Talbot in 2009, the striker has yet to experience a final triumph in his career.

Despite spending two campaigns with Talbot, the 10-time Junior Cup winners never triumphed during that spell, doing so once the term before he joined and three times since.

It has left Doolan hankering for a taste of success in a knockout competition, with the closest thing coming in the 2013 Challenge Cup final when Thistle lost on penalties to Queen of the South.

"I think Talbot have won the Scottish Cup every other year since I left, so I don't think they've missed me," said the Thistle striker.

"I left in the January and they went on to win the cup a few months later. I've won local cups and won a gold medal playing for Scotland just before I came to Thistle.

"My record here isn't too great. We got to the final of the Ramsdens Cup but got beaten on penalty kicks - although that was another memorable day and I think the supporters enjoyed it even though the outcome wasn't the best.

"Those days live long with you, so we'll be aiming for that feeling again. A cup run is important to any club. It's a break away from the league, the supporters enjoy it and so do the players.

"Even just a good run in the cup and hopefully even getting hold of some silverware would be massive for the club."

It is a target that would bring something tangible to Firhill next season as the club look to progress in their third term in the SPFL Premiership.

From a personal point of view, getting more game time is surely the goal for Doolan.

The 28-year-old has featured 34 times for the Jags, but half of these have been from the bench.

It still hasn't stopped the Ayrshireman reaching double figures, and it's an achievement he is keen to emulate again after the summer, only this time with more starts to go with it.

"My main aim every season is to get into double figures, so to do that twice in a row having not started all the games - or even a fraction of the games at times - I'm pleased with that," said Doolan.

"That was frustrating at times. Everybody wants to play and I'm no different, but I always make sure that even if I'm not playing I'm ready to hit the ground running as soon as I come on to offer something to the game.

"Whether that's chipping in with a goal myself or creating one for someone else. The important thing is that I don't let my head go down, I just work even harder."

Doolan may well get one last chance to impress this season when Thistle travel to Fir Park this afternoon.

Alan Archibald's team face a Motherwell side already in the impending relegation play-off with one eye on Thursday's first leg against Rangers or Hibs.

The Jags, therefore, may come up against a rested team, and Doolan will be keen to make the most of any opportunity to sign off this season in style.

He said: "Whatever team Motherwell put out I don't know, but we'll approach the game properly, focus on our own game and look after what we do.

"I think it's important that we finish the season off well and also rectify last Saturday's 4-1 defeat by Kilmarnock. So it's important we go out and put on a decent performance."