Third Time Lucky??

25 October 2011 15:24
Garry Hay has been close to lifting the League Cup before the glory had been snatched away.

Killie's Garry Hay is hoping luck will shine on him and the Rugby Park side if they reach the Scottish Communities League Cup final this year. It would be third time lucky for Hay who admits it could be his last chance to claim the silverware. The utility players was part of the Killie side which fell at the last hurdle against Celtic in 2001 and then to Hibs six years later, with the Ayrshire club name not appearing on the trophy. East Fife stand in the way of the semi-finals for Killie and Hay urged his team-mates to make the most of the opportunity to take another step closer to the Hampden finale. Hay said:  "Quite possibly it could be my last chance. I'm 34 now so I'm not getting any younger. I still feel I can go on for a while yet but these chances are few and far between for Kilmarnock players so it's something you've got to grasp with both hands. Hopefully I can help some of the guys who have never been in this position before. Hopefully that experience of getting to cup finals can help. We will see what happens tomorrow night first and see if we can get the victory." The Second Division side should not be dismissed without a thought as they can be a handful. The Fifers have established themselves as this season's classic giant-killers, having already overcome SPL opposition in the shape of Dunfermline and Aberdeen. Hay went on: "The manager has already spoken about the fact that they've put out Dunfermline and Aberdeen on their way to the quarter-finals so it's something we are really aware of. They will be given the utmost respect. On the other hand, it's a wonderful opportunity for us to get to a semi-final." Manager Kenny Shiels has done his homework on their opponents and insists he will be taking no chances when it comes to his team selection. He said: "I was at the Dunfermline game. I just went along to watch the game and, lo and behold, we end up meeting them in the cup so I'm glad I did now. East Fife is a tricky one. We will be looking to start our best team. Of course it acts as a warning what they have done and that's why we will go strong. We have to make sure that we don't miss the opportunity to reach the last four. I'm just thinking about East Fife and putting out a strong team to see if we can beat them. We know they will be coming in a positive frame of mind. They are on a winning run at the minute but we are a couple of leagues above them and we've got a home draw and we should be thankful of that and we will be working hard."

Source: FOOTYMAD