McGinn: 'I’ll be going for goals'

Nov 19 2009 by Jeff Holmes, Paisley Daily Express

YOUNG gun Stephen McGinn is hoping he will be fit to take on Hibernian on Saturday – so he can set his sights on getting back on the scoresheet.

The midfielder has four goals to his credit so far this season – including one against Hibs in the first SPL match of the campaign – but the last of them came way back in September.

McGinn admits he has gone off the boil recently in front of goal but is hoping to have his shooting boots on again this weekend when the Easter Road men come to town.

He told Express Sports: “I wouldn’t say I was scoring for fun early doors but to get four in the first few weeks of the season was fantastic.

“I want to recapture that form as soon as possible and help take the pressure off the strikers.”

McGinn is working his socks off in a bid to be fit for Saturday’s clash with Hibs.

He had to be substituted early in the second half of the match against Rangers at Ibrox on November 8 and missed out on the Scotland Under-21 match in Azerbaijan last weekend due to back and hamstring problems.

But McGinn is confident that, with a full week’s training behind him, he’ll be fit to face the on-form Hibees.

He said: “The physio wanted me for another day but I was determined to put in a full week on the training ground, so I started my shifts on Monday.

“I felt the back a wee bit but not enough to cause me too much concern. It was certainly a lot better than it has been recently.

“If there’s no reaction by the end of the week, I’ll be delighted but, if I’m not 100 per cent, then I won’t risk it.

“It was disappointing to limp out of the Rangers game at Ibrox but it was just too painful to play on. Initially, I felt my back tighten up and then my hamstring went.”

As well as working with the physio, McGinn has also been spending a lot of time with St Mirren’s sports scientist in a bid to hasten his return.

But McGinn reckons he won’t really know how strong his back is until he returns to action.

“It’s that type of injury,” he said. “Saturday is definitely the target at the moment and the game couldn’t be much tougher.

“Yogi Hughes has got Hibs playing really well, although we were unfortunate to leave Easter Road without anything on the opening day of the season. We had Steven Thomson sent off after just 10 minutes and felt really hard done by to lose 2-1.”

McGinn always knew that November would be a tough month for the Buddies and it doesn’t come much harder than Rangers and Celtic away, with a home clash against Hibs sandwiched in between.

He said: “Having three games in a row against the SPL’s top three was always going to be a big ask.

“Losing such an early goal at Ibrox was a blow, although it was pleasing the way we responded. The game against Hibs is one we need to win. In fact, we should be aiming to win all our home games.”