Kilmarnock turn full focus to league action after Scottish Cup exit

Derek McInnes switched his focus back to the Premiership following Kilmarnock’s Scottish Cup exit at Celtic Park.

Killie goalkeeper Robby McCrorie sustained a suspected fractured cheekbone with less than a minute played after diving at the feet of Hoops attacker Nicolas Kuhn and had to be replaced by Kieran O’Hara, who was beaten in the 12th minute by Parkhead skipper Callum McGregor’s drive.

There were more injury woes for the visitors when midfielder Brad Lyons went off with a hamstring injury just before the break, but teenage Rugby Park striker Bobby Wales levelled from close range to tie the game at the interval.

However, Daizen Maeda’s goal in the 70th minute gave the home side a deserved 2-1 win and a place in the fifth round.

McInnes, whose side are ninth in the table, above Ross County on goal difference, looked ahead to next week’s game against Hearts at Tynecastle when he is hoping to have Kyle Magennis and Matty Kennedy available again as they look to climb the table.

The Rugby Park boss said: “The squad, as you’ve seen, is a bit depleted. Unfortunately for us, we don’t really have any resources to go in to try and resolve that.

“We need to go as we are. If we can be a top-six team and we look back in 10 games’ time in the league, maybe we can look back and say that going out of the cup was what we needed to concentrate.

“It means we can just focus on the league now. I said that to the lads, we’ve got wins to get in the next 10 if we want to be a top-six team. I want us to be relevant.

“Our cup final is trying to finish in the top six. I want us to try all that we can to be that team.”

Calvin Ramsay, signed on loan from Liverpool, remained on the bench at Celtic Park but McInnes believes he has a big part to play for the rest of the season.

He said: “There are certain games where we hope that Calvin Ramsay will be a big player for us. We brought him in to be that raiding full-back and give us that attacking threat.

“In Saturday’s game, we needed a (Lewis) Mayo to deal with Maeda. In the main he did.

“There will be plenty of games and opportunities for Calvin.

“I thought it would have been unfair for him to go in for this game.

“Another few days in training and he should be ready for Hearts. We’ve brought him in to play and he’s got the quality to help us.”