The fact was, in six 45-minute periods across eight days on a dreadful Hampden pitch - one that was supposed to be the great leveller - the cream of the First Division had lost 10-0 to the Old Firm.

The 'Braveheart p***,' as Ayr captain John Hughes had put it so succinctly after last Sunday's CIS Cup defeat to Rangers, is pointless.

Recognise the awful truth: the giant-killing of mid-range SPL sides was never thus. It is simply that Scottish football's class ceiling has no respect for artificial league divisions.

Ah, but what of the fans? Well, there were roughly 10,000 in Partick Thistle colours - although from the minute Christian Nerlinger struck during their very first, embarrassing chant of 'Only one team in Glasgow', colour was in scant supply.

On the field, it was a mismatch. Yes, the Jags boys did themselves proud - but again, the numbing failure to score a goal must have left Berti Vogts wondering what is this strange land where the serious Cup business is about as romantic as a date in the High Court?

For long spells, punctuated only by Nerlinger's brace and Barry Ferguson's reminder of just why Vogts pushed so hard to have the midfielder on the Stade de France turf come Wednesday, Rangers might have been dragged down by the whole sorry affair.

But when all the floral masterpieces decorating fancy suits had been thrown off the Jags' team-bus, and when all the pre-match publicity had withered in the face of the cruel wind that is the Old Firm, there was next to nothing left.

'We just have to pick ourselves up for Clyde on Wednesday,' said Scott Paterson.

The alternative Glasgow derby is actually a big match for Thistle - because, glass ceiling or not, the SPL still makes wee clubs much more money.

'We're disappointed because we thought we did well for the first hour,' Paterson said. 'But, once they got the second goal, it was hard to get back in.

'In saying that, our goalkeeper did not have all that much to do. However, Rangers are a class side, and their movement up front and through the middle was superb.

'Promotion was always our main aim from day one. But the fans have enjoyed the Cup, and so have we. They've been great all season, in fact. If we do go up - and the gaffer knows what he has to do then - I think we will do okay. Rangers do that to most SPL sides anyway,' he reasoned.

There is always Roger Mitchell for them to shoot at anyway, although if the SPL chief executive may have been unrepentant over disparaging remarks made about Partick, maybe he will also have afforded himself a wry smile yesterday at the non- event this Cup semi- final turned out to be.

Lambie didn't need to say much more than, 'Ach, this was our gala day'. But he did, because he was unhappy at the dual failure to close Rangers players down at the goals, or to take one of the half-chances that did appear.

'If you don't take these against the Old Firm, you get crucified,' he said. 'But the boys can't be too despondent, even if their cages have been rattled over the goals.'

Bravely, the veteran was adamant that had his full squad been available - Martin Hardie and Derek Fleming were cruelly suspended - they might have come closer to making a spectacle, if not necessarily a game of it.

Lambie tried to deploy three men in attack, whenever circumstances allowed, but the sacrifice was a midfield which was regularly over-run. That in turn increased the nerves occasionally on display at the back.