CALLUM PATERSON acknowledges that high-flying Hearts will lose a game one day, but believes it might not be this season.
The 20-year-old netted for the second game in a row in Tuesday night's 2-0 victory over Cowdenbeath as the Tynecastle side continued their seemingly relentless march towards the Championship title. The Gorgie men have a commanding 12-point lead over Rangers at the top of the table and are an incredible 19 points ahead of city rivals Hibs in the race for the one automatic promotion spot available this term.
With Rangers travelling to Easter Road tomorrow and Hearts at Livingston there is the genuine prospect the league leaders will be even further ahead going into the New Year. Although they have lost three times in the cup - to Livingston in the Petrofac Training Cup and Celtic in both the League Cup and Scottish Cup - Robbie Neilson's side are unbeaten in 17 league games and have drawn just twice in that impressive run.
Such is the confidence coursing through Tynecastle, Paterson insists they are not thinking of losing any time soon. The full-back, who played against Cowdenbeath in the striker role he has also filled at times in his fledgling career, said: "The unbeaten run is always going to have to come to an end. But who is to say it will be this season? Who is to say it will be next season?
"We are prepared for a loss, but we want to win as many games as we can by as much as we can. So far we are doing that. If we keep playing the way we are it's going to be tough to beat us: at Tynecastle, with those fans at our back, or away, with the support we bring and the form we are in."
With the comfort of such an advantage over second-placed Rangers, who are reeling from the departure of manager Ally McCoist, many observers will be tempted to call the title race already over and declare Hearts the winners.
Paterson, who scored one of the goals of the season at Central Park when he headed the ball to himself, chested it under control and volleyed in from 20 yards, is level-headed enough not to allow confidence to slip into arrogance. "You can't really say that," he responded when asked if Hearts had the silverware sewn up. "We are not even halfway through the season.
"Who is to say we won't go on a bad run sometime? That would let the teams behind us catch up and it could go down to the wire. But we are in a comfortable position now and I hope we stay there."
That position could become even more comfortable before the first month of the new year is over, with Hearts set to face bitter capital rivals Hibernian at home next Saturday and Rangers at Ibrox on January 16. Paterson knows tomorrow's meeting of the league's other big two clubs could prove beneficial in more ways than one to his own side. He added: "It's a massive game. A couple of teams could pick up a couple of injuries and then we play them after. There could be a couple of doubts.
"It's a massive game for both teams, they are both fighting to catch us up. It will be a good game."
However, asked if he would become a Hibs fan in the thought of Hearts being able to stretch their lead over Rangers still further, he joked: "Definitely not. I will be a neutral when it comes to that game."
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