McINNES PUTS TOTAL FAITH IN HIS HOTSHOTS

ABERDEEN boss Derek McInnes insists he still has the firepower needed to shoot down St Johnstone in tomorrow’s Scottish Cup semi-final at Ibrox — despite seeing Jonny Hayes ruled out. The Irish winger, who suffered a serious shoulder injury moments into last month’s League Cup Final win over Inverness Caley Thistle, had made good progress and was believed to be on the brink of a return. But McInnes (below) said: ‘Jonny is out. There was a bit of doubt after the final if he would be back before the end of the season. ‘He is back running again, although there was always going to be a four to six-week period of convalescence. We would be pleased if we can get him back for our last few league games.’ With Niall McGinn scoring goals again and Peter Pawlett looking as dangerous as ever, McInnes remains confident that his team will carry a threat at Ibrox, saying: ‘It’s very rare we fail to score. We’ve had only one defeat since December and that is despite being without key players at different times. ‘Adam Rooney has come in and given us something different up top — and you can see the confidence Niall has too, with his two great goals against Hibs the other night. ‘No matter how much I bang on about how well Niall is doing for the team, you can see what it means when he scores goals. ‘With Peter, I’m thankful I don’t need to play against him. He is bright and he works the space brilliantly, whether it’s in front or behind defenders. ‘We don’t want him standing still too much. With his pace, he can commit defenders. What hasn’t been documented is his work rate. ‘Against St Johnstone in the League Cup semi, he scored a great goal but he also pressed for the Adam Rooney goal. ‘There is a willingness to do the dirty side of the game, probably more so than before, and he is the type of unselfish player who can make an impact in a game.’ Asked how he had managed to make Pawlett a more consistent performer, McInnes joked: ‘I locked him in a room and had a big stick! ‘Peter is quick to praise his team-mates but the biggest praise should be for himself. He has adapted to his new role and the demands we have made on him. ‘We’ve asked him to be more evident in training. Sometimes, players can train well one day but not the next. We demand it’s the same every day and he has done that. ‘Peter has scored seven goals this season and, hopefully, he will add a few more. He can take confidence from his performances.’ Looking back on that League Cup semi-final thrashing of Saints, McInnes said: ‘We were deserved winners. Some reports suggested we were a bit lucky but I didn’t see it that way. We were very clinical. ‘St Johnstone more than competed in that game, as they have against us all season. That is the only game between us that had a scoreline of that nature. ‘Our players are in a good place at the moment. They are self-motivated. They are determined to finish the season strongly. ‘I said before the League Cup Final that it would whet the players’ appetite. They want to get back there and experience it again. ‘We’ve beaten two Premiership teams to get to this stage and have earned the right to have another go at a final.’