Keeper can handle cup success

Paul Gallacher's cup winners medal success at Gleniffer Thistle is all too long ago

Shaun Wright-Phillips and Didier Drogba effectively halted Paul Gallacher's hopes of cup glory two seasons ago. Two injury time goals from Michael Essien and Andrei Schevchenko took the gloss off the afternoon's achievements but Gal' had already impressed in saving Norwich City from Lampard and Robben.

Last season it was former Cowdenbeath striker Liam Buchanan's double for Partick Thistle that put an end to Paul's cup hopes of glory. This time around he is determined to show the SPL visitors that he can still compete against the best:-

"It gets you in the shop window," said the Pars keeper. "People get the chance to see you who might not have seen you for a while.

"You want to do yourself justice and play well from a personal point of view and from a team point of view you want to get the right result on the day."

"It's been a while since I played in the SPL and Aberdeen games are always special given my ties with Dundee United and us being the New Firm. There will maybe be a bit of banter from behind the goal but I don't mind that.

"It's part and parcel of football and especially some of these grounds you go to in the First Division the fans are very close and you can hear every word.  It spurs you on to do better and show them how well you can play to prove a point."

The 29 year old has a fair amount of cup experience and eight international caps behind him that can be called upon in trying to knock out the Dons. Paul has not won a cup winners medal since his boys club days at Gleniffer Thistle in Paisley and a runners up medal in the 1997/98 BP Youth Cup was his next chance in a final.

As runaway League Champions Dundee United had defeated Rangers and Celtic en route to the final against Hearts. The Jambos took full advantage of home ground however winning 2-0.  A great occasion for young Paul with a bitter blow at the end.

At the age of 21 Paul played in Dundee United's Scottish Cup Semi Final against Celtic in 2001.  After putting the Hoops into the lead Henrik Larsson added a penalty eleven minutes from the end that basically sealed the match.Jackie McNamara and Derek Lilley scored goals after that but Paul's first major cup campaign, with shut outs against Montrose, Motherwell and Rangers, ended at Hampden.

In the 2006/07 FA Cup his reward for helping Norwich knock Tamworth out was a Fifth Round tie against Chelsea but he was back on the bench by then only to get a surprise recall when David Marshall got injured after just 10 minutes. Playing against the world class players was fantastic and their attitude impressed Paul as much as their skill:-

"They were very professional in the way they approached the game, they knew that you were up for a tough game so it was hard. Starting the game on the bench, I wasn't really thinking about being involved with them.  But when David went down injured - it is never a nice thing - but I got the chance to go on and show what you are capable of.  To go on in a game of that size was fantastic.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and at the end Petr Cech and I exchanged jerseys."

Last season Paul played for the Pars in the Challenge Cup Final against St Johnstone at Dens Park but unfortunately he is still in search of another cup winner's medal.  If he can keep Aberdeen out on Saturday there is just a chance that this season could be the one.