Kilmarnock V Inverness CT at Rugby Park : Match Preview

09 January 2015 14:31
Kilmarnock V Inverness CT - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


O'Hara hits the gym to make team

Mark O'Hara has turned into a gym bunny in his bid to muscle into the Kilmarnock first team.

The Barrhead boy made his senior debut as a substitute in a Scottish League Cup tie against Stenhousemuir on August 28, 2012, aged just 16.

However, his career trajectory at Rugby Park did not turn out to be as steep as he had hoped.

Chances have been few and far between this season but he has forced his way into Allan Johnston's side in the last three games.

Ahead of the visit of Inverness on Saturday, O'Hara, now 19 and standing at over six feet tall, told Press Association Sport how he is bulking up for the future.

"You are never the complete player and physically I have a wee bit to develop," he said.

"The game in Scotland is quite physical and you need to be strong.

"I have been doing quite a lot to get myself stronger.

"Some of the younger players went to a conditioning place in the close season, to try to bulk us up a little bit and I have been going to the gym five times a week since the summer.

"I can definitely feel the difference.

"I have put on about seven kilogrammes in the last six months and I feel comfortable with it."

O'Hara is confident Killie can shrug off Monday night's 2-0 home defeat by champions Celtic.

He said: "Inverness are a good team. But we had two good results before the Celtic game, so we shouldn't be affected by that."

John Hughes is preparing Inverness for the trip to Kilmarnock believing Rugby Park's artificial surface is the future of Scottish football.

The Caley boss, in direct contrast to his Killie counterpart Allan Johnston, believes the pitch, which was laid in the summer, offers an advantage to the home side.

However, he also understands the reasons for its use and believes most clubs could follow suit soon.

"I feel the artificial pitch is a massive advantage to the home team," said Hughes.

"I think that is self-explanatory. They are training on it every day.

"Is it the way forward? Possibly. I wouldn't mind if it was here.

"I can understand why you are putting it in, for the community and the finance.

"As long as it has some sort of water on it, from rain, sprinklers or water guns, then it is a whole different surface.

"You ask any player. It is a whole different surface when there is not a skid on it.

"I trained on the artificial surface at Livingston and in the summer I saw guys go over on their ankles, and you could smell the rubber.

"But if there is a skid on it then by all means everyone in Scotland should be looking to do that.

"In the next few years you will see a lot more clubs playing on it, but it has to come with water because it is a whole different game.

"Hopefully it will be a rainy day on Saturday. It will be conducive to our style of play, hopefully we get on the ball, pass it and make sure we take the game to Kilmarnock."

After three defeats at the end of 2014, Caley have won their last two games against Highland rivals Ross County and St Mirren to sit in fifth place, only five points behind leaders Aberdeen.

Consequently, Hughes is looking forward to the second half of the season.

He said: "We are back to winning ways and positives. It is all to play for in the second-half of the season.

"There is different dynamics in the second half, you are coming up against teams fighting for their lives, against teams who want to get into the top-six, with players are out of contract.

"And in the next month we could be facing teams with new players so you have to make sure that you prepare properly.

"We have set our standard. If we have the same second half as we did the first half, then we will be there or thereabouts."


Source: PA