Dundee United’s top six dream is over.
But Micky Mellon insists his Tangerines haven’t given up on a fairy tale ending to the season.
United are within three points of sixth placed St Mirren going into the final round of pre-split fixtures.
However, the Buddies superior goal difference means even if results went in the Tangerines’ favour, they would require a huge, eight-goal swing to overhaul the Paisley side.
Slugging it out to be best of the bottom six is now the aim domestically for United.
But their manager has also vowed to mount a serious assault on the Scottish Cup .
“We want to just keep going, developing and building,” said Mellon.
“We will use every game to try and get better and better.
“We have got ourselves in a place where we were left disappointed that we didn’t beat Celtic and were unable to make the top six.
“We blew it in a few games, we understand that.
“The Motherwell, Hibernian and St Mirren games were the ones we need to look at and learn from.
“We need to improve in those incidents where we got punished.
“Some were refereeing decisions, that happens, but you just have to get on with it when these things happen.
“We will attack every game, keep trying to get better and we will go at the Scottish Cup with everything we have got.”
What United have, at times, lacked in finesse this season, they have usually made up for in grit and determination.
For Mellon, that has been key to his side’s growth in their maiden Premiership campaign.
“In terms of mentality, it is like wow with this group,” he said.
“They just keep going and going.
“They did come out the Championship. I keep telling everybody that and that is a fact.
“All the players were going up a level and it was always going to be a challenge until they found their feet.
“It was but they got on with it and got up to that level now. The Celtic game was a good level of where we’ve got to but we are still looking to improve.
“We just need to keep driving it.
“They will keep going and we will find out where their ceiling is.
“They allow me to keep pushing them to be the best version they can be.
“That is all I am doing and then we have a good batch of youngsters as well coming through and we are pushing them and they are pushing the first-team.
“It is a really good but tough environment, where all the players are wanting to improve and get better.
“It is good when you get a place like that and we are happy with it.”
His players’ improvement is not in question for Mellon.
However, the job of a manager is one of constant striving.
How far United’s players have come since he took over last summer is a source of pride.
But Mellon knows his work is not done – and his thoughts are already turning to next season.
“I go with what I see with my eyes, my gut and what the GPSs are telling me,” he said.
“I look at those results and what I see in the games.
“I think we have massively changed since the start of the season. I now see us being very competitive in every game.
“Yes, they still have to improve and I will keep pushing them and I will be relentless with them and we will keep going.
“I will keep looking at where we can improve.
“I will look at the first-team, the young ones who are there.
“Are there any there who would give us a better chance now or I could develop and give us a better chance in the long-run?
“It has been hard because there have been limited games and so they haven’t had the exams to mark them and so it has all been about the training with the first-team to bring that competitive environment.
“You also need to look outside of the group and to see who you can bring in to improve things and get us closer to where we want to get to.
“There is loads and loads going on and it is a really well run football club.”