PARTICK THISTLE are out to break Hearts and turn Saints into sinners during a grandstand finish to the season.

That was the vow of Jags star Liam Lindsay as the Firhill club stand on the verge of a landmark top-six finish.

The Maryhill club could secure their highest placing since returning to the top flight this afternoon with Motherwell the visitors.

But that's just the start of the Thistle adventure according to Lindsay.

With Alan Archibald's team just three points behind fifth-placed Jambos, the Jags could draw level with the Edinburgh outfit and potentially go within five points of St Johnstone with six games left to play.

And while Lindsay insists he and his team-mates are focused on the task in hand of getting that top-six spot nailed down, the 21-year-old defender is ambitious about what can then be achieved on top of that.

"Exactly," he said. "What is the points difference, three points?

"I don't really know what has happened to Hearts but we are looking up.

"That gives us confidence that we can not just get the top six but push on after the split and maybe go up a place or two, and not just be content with sixth.

"It would mean a lot [to finish in the top six]. It'll be for the first time in I don't even know how long since we finished that high.

"We are nearly there. It's just one last push now.

"I think we have had a good mix of clean sheets and scoring goals over the last couple of months.

"We have been defending better, I'd say. At the start of the season we were just conceding goals too much.

"It was a fairly new and young back four. It was just a matter of trying to gel.

"Scotty [assistant Scott Paterson] and the gaffer have been drilling us with defending and attacking. That then means you get clean sheets and wins which brings confidence and allows you to push on."

Regardless of what happens this season, it will be a key one in the career of Lindsay when he looks back long after he eventually hangs up his boots.

Blooded into the first-team only really last season, this campaign the young centre-half has already played 36 games for Thistle, notching up 10 clean sheets and seven goals in the process.

"It's been a key season for me," he explained.

"Last year it was my first season. I made a couple of mistakes and I've learned from them.

"This year I took it all in my stride. I hope I've repaid the gaffer and Scotty for throwing me into the first team. It's nice to have got a few goals and clean sheets for the team."

The modest and grounded young man is grateful for the opportunity afforded to him by Thistle and the belief put in him by Archibald.

A former defender himself, the Jags manager has not only brought along the game of his young protege but transformed the fortunes of a team on a small budget over the last 12 months.

"Recently he's been getting plaudits but not anywhere near the amount he should be," added Lindsay.

"I'm not sure about budgets but people say we have one of the lowest budgets. I think he's worked wonders and it's about time he got praise.

"He's been brilliant with me, especially with me playing in the same position. It's the same with Scotty.

"He's brought me on leaps and bounds and I can't really thank him enough."