No old pals act from Jack Ross as Hibs boss targets 'ruthless performance' against Alloa

The Easter Road boss took charge at Recreation Park in December 2015, leaving less than a year later to take the reins at St Mirren. His work with the Buddies catapulted him into the spotlight and Sunderland poached him from Paisley in May 2018.

A little over two years later he returns to Clackmannanshire to take on Alloa for the first time since leaving the club but he only has one target in mind.

Speaking ahead of the Betfred Cup quarter-final clash Ross said: “It means a lot to me personally going back to Alloa but professionally I want us to be as ruthless and relentless as we've been in previous games.

"I've got a lot of time for the club and the people at the club and when I go over to watch games I get made to feel incredibly welcome but we're determined to go and win the game.

"It's a really, really big game for us in our season in terms of continuing this progression that we're making and the confidence we're building in the group and where we want to get to as a club.”

The Championship side dumped Hibs’ rivals Hearts out of the competition in the last round and are going well in the league but there is no risk of the Capital club underestimating the opposition, especially with striker Kevin Nisbet and defender Sean Mackie having faced Peter Grant’s team last season.

Ross continued: "It's easy for me because I signed a number of the players who are still at Alloa: Andy Graham, Scott Taggart, Steven Hetherington, Neil Parry, who are all very good players.

"It’s good to have players [in my dressing room] who have played with them or against them. It makes my job easier, that they have a clear appreciation of the quality of what they're up against."

Use the pain wisely

Ross also believes the pain of losing the Scottish Cup semi-final to Hearts can encourage his charges to keep aiming for the latter stages of both cup competitions.

He explained: “We have a group that is quite driven. They want to get into semi-finals again to give themselves a chance of achieving that emotion you get from being successful.

“They know there is a risk of coming out on the painful side of it but that risk is worth the reward you get if you come out on the right side of it.”

Full-back Paul McGinn, who has scored three goals in his last three league matches, added: “Alloa won at the weekend so they’ll be in a good place.

“We know they’re dangerous and they pass the ball really well on their pitch.

“They train there all the time and they know it inside out, so we’ll definitely need to be very wary and on top of our game to get the win.”

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