Ross ready for Alloa
Jack Ross has no room for sentiment when he returns to the club that launched his management career.
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. I've got a lot of time for the club and the people at the club, but we're determined to go and win the game. It's a really, really big game for us.”
Jack Ross has packed a lot into his career since leaving the club that gave him his star t in management, but the Hibs head coach is adamant that there will be no room for sentiment when the Easter Road side visits Alloa on Betfred Cup business.
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 N is bet 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."
Ross also believes the pain of losing the Scottish Cup semifinal 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 dr iven. They want to get into semifinals again to give themselves a chance of achieving that emotion you get from being successful."
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 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.”
Scott Allan has been given the all-clear to resume training but Ross insists Allan will not be rushed in his recovery.
Scott Taggart could miss out
for Alloa after going off injured just before half-time during Saturday's Championship win over Arbroath.
The versatile player last month ended a run of 8,490 consecutive minutes of action for the club when he was rested for the group-stage win over Stenhousemuir.