ALEX Cochrane is fully focused on the cinch Premiership match against Livingston at Tynecastle tomorrow night – and securing all three points for Hearts with a victory.
It is a month since Steven Naismith’s side last triumphed in the league and their left wing back knows it is vital they end their three game winless run and start climbing back up the top flight table.
A draw at home in the Edinburgh derby against Hibernian, a heavy loss in Gorgie to champions and top flight leaders Celtic and an agonising loss at Ibrox have led to rumblings of discontent among Jambos.
However, Cochrane has half an eye on the Viaplay Cup semi-final against Rangers at Hampden on Sunday afternoon as well and he is certain that the capital outfit can get a result despite their collapse in Govan at the weekend.
The defender, who set up his captain Lawrence Shankland for the opening goal in the fifth minute with an inch-perfect cross, was devastated when the Glasgow club scored in the 89th and 93rd minutes to snatch glory from the jaws of despair.
But the former Brighton man believes that Hearts can draw positives from many aspects of the display and can go into the last four encounter with confidence despite the reverse they suffered in their latest outing.
"Livingston is the main focus,” he said. “But we will go in next full of belief. We did that at Ibrox and we put in a good performance for 90 minutes.
“Obviously it wasn't enough, but there were plenty of positives to take. We were 1-0 up at Ibrox for 90 minutes I thought we defended well. We also broke them too and had a few other chances.
"So there are definitely positives. It's obviously very disappointing to lose. We know that and the lads in the dressing room are gutted."
"When we conceded that penalty, the worst thing that should have happened was that we took a point back and moved on. We should have regrouped and tried to hang on, but it wasn’t to be.
“It was very difficult to take. But for 90 minutes or so the gameplan worked perfectly. Of course, football is longer than 90 minutes now.”
Naismith was livid when referee John Beaton gave Rangers a second spot kick with two minutes of regulation time remaining after a VAR check showed that Peter Haring had pulled down Connor Goldson.
Cochrane felt that Hearts players had been victims of infringements which went unpunished at the other end of the park and felt the crowd had perhaps influenced the match official.
The 23-year-old, though, admitted that the visitors should have been able to hang on and pick up a point after James Tavernier had levelled.
"It was something that was spoken about at half time, about the blockings,” he said. “Obviously, you know when you go to those places and the crowd are on top of the referee . . .
“Some decisions may go our way and some may not. It was just one of those things. But the penalty was given. After that, we had to regroup and make sure we didn't concede.
"Obviously, the penalty happened. But we had to see the game out for the nine minutes of injury time. It was a very hard one to take.
“We have shot ourselves in the foot with the goals and the times of them, but there are also positives to take and we will look at them.
"We have to pick ourselves up and go and play Livi now because that's a massive game for us. Three points is massive on Wednesday.”
