The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Winger Mackay seals loan switch to Killie
Hibernian winger Daniel Mackay has joined cinch Championship side Kilmarnock on loan until the end of the season in a bid to get game time.
The 20-year-old moved to Easter Road in the summer on a four-year contract after impressing for Inverness in the second tier last season.
However, he has managed only six appearances so far and has not featured since August, so Hibs have allowed him to move to Rugby Park in order to get the first-team exposure required to accelerate his development.
After becoming Derek Mcinnes’ first new signing since he took over as Kilmarnock manager last week, Mackay told the Ayrshire club’s website: “It’s a good opportunity for me to come to Kilmarnock with the goal of winning the league and hopefully I can help the team do that.
“I’m happy that the manager was keen to bring me in and I can’t wait to get started now.
“I’m direct, quick and can score goals as well, so hopefully I have all the ingredients to show the fans that I can do well on the park.”
Kilmarnock are currently two points off the top of the Championship with a game in hand over leaders Arbroath.
Meanwhile, Hibees defender Paul Mcginn has received a two-match ban for branding referee John Beaton “inept”
following last month’s Premier Sports Cup final.
Mcginn landed himself in trouble after hitting out at the official’s decision to allow Celtic’s second goal to stand as they beat Hibs 2-1 at Hampden Park on December 19.
He criticised Beaton for penalising Paul Hanlon for his part in an aerial challenge on Liel Abada, and also felt he was wrong to allow Tom Rogic to take the subsequent free-kick quickly as Hibs paused for a substitution.
Mcginn’s outburst resulted in a notice of complaint from the SFA.
At a disciplinary hearing yesterday, the defender was deemed by an independent panel to have “indicated bias or incompetence” on the part of Beaton.
Mcginn will now miss Hibs’ next two games, away to Celtic in the cinch Premiership on Monday and at home to Cove Rangers in the Scottish Cup next Thursday.