KEVIN O'HARA insists that the Pars have to take the game to their opponents as they prepare for another vital clash in their battle against relegation.

John Hughes' team entertain Greenock Morton this evening - in a match that fans can gain entry to for just a fiver - as they bid to climb off the foot of the Championship.

Saturday's 2-2 draw at Hamilton Academical one point behind Queen of the South, who occupy the relegation play-off place, and seven adrift of eighth placed Accies, although Dunfermline have a game in hand, against Partick Thistle on Tuesday.

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O'Hara, restored to the starting line-up for Athletic's last two outings, believes they are much improved from January's 5-0 drubbing against tonight's opponents at Cappielow, which Hughes said afterwards "might be the best thing to happen to us".

"I think we have definitely improved as a squad. That was a low point in the season for everybody involved at the club, but I think we have put it behind us now and we have progressed since that game, and we are looking forward to the game on Friday night," he said this week.

"It is going to be a tough game but a game that we are going to have to take to Morton because Morton will probably will sit in with their shape and we are going to have to be patient to try and break it down.

"We have to take each game as it comes, treat it like every other game. We are going to go out there and try our best to win the game. That’s all we can do.

"If other teams pick up results that help us or they don’t - there is not much that we can control about that, we have to just focus on our games."

O'Hara, who has seven goals to his name this season, was described recently by his manager as one of the club's most natural goalscorers, and he's delighted to be given the chance to prove it from the starting line-up.

"He has put me in for the last two games and I am obviously delighted about that," he continued.

"I just kept the head down, not really causing a fuss, just coming in every day, working hard and playing in bounce games when we have them.

"It is great to hear as a striker that the manager thinks that you are one of the best goalscorers at the club and I just hope that I can keep showing him that.

"I have tried to score as many goals as I can and that is what I am aiming to do towards the end of the season. I just hope that we score the goals but it doesn’t matter who it is in the team, as long as we are getting the right results."

With Hughes electing to play one striker in order to give what he believes to be a better balance in midfield, O'Hara's role may be a lonely one, but one he is willing to do.

"I have done it before, done it plenty of times and it has probably changed my game a wee bit," he added.

"I cannot always run in behind, I have to come and link up the play as well. That included Josh (Edwards) that I was supporting on Saturday. I cannot take it myself all the time, I need support up there as well.

"We need to try and kill the game off when we get these chances while keep the chances out at the other end as well.

"We need to win every home game, that is our aim - we obviously want to win every game - but we can’t get beat at East End. These are games where we should definitely be picking the three points up."