COMEBACK star Kevin O’Hara says that months of hard work recovering from injury was worth it after finding the net on Saturday.

The 24-year-old made his first Dunfermline appearance since the beginning of September during the win over Peterhead after recovering from a knee problem, and tapped in the final goal of their 4-0 victory.

That was also the former Alloa Athletic forward’s first strike of the season – despite the KDM Group East End Park stadium announcer crediting Robbie Mahon with it – and felt that it was “probably the best way” to mark his return to action after a tough period on the sidelines.

O’Hara had featured in each of Athletic’s opening 10 competitive matches of the season but, after playing in a 2-0 win at Queen of the South on September 3, pain in his knee, which resulted in him being sent for a scan, revealed that he had sustained a tear.

That kept him out of first-team action until the New Year and, after being an unused substitute in the win at FC Edinburgh, he played his first match in four months as a substitute against the Blue Toon.

“It’s been nearly five months since I’ve been out injured. It was good to get on the pitch and, obviously, I’m delighted to get the goal as well,” O’Hara told Press Sport.

“That was probably the best way (to mark his comeback). I think scoring that goal was worth the last four or five months of rehab and the hard time that I went through. I have put that behind me now; I’m feeling fit and that goal is going to give me more confidence going into the next couple of games.

“I’m feeling good. Obviously, I’ve still got a bit of match fitness to get into, but that will come as the games come. Training every day will get me fitter as well.”

Describing how he sustained the injury, O’Hara continued: “It happened against Airdrie; it was just a slide tackle and a bang on the knee.

“I thought it had just swelled up with the impact but I trained and played against Queen of the South the following week. It felt fine, and there was still a wee bit of pain in it but, halfway through training that week, I said to the manager my knee’s still sore.

“We went and got a scan and it came back that it was a tear, which I was gutted about because I didn’t think it was as bad. It was a bit of a shock.

“There is still a bit of rustiness there having been out for so long. I feel good, my knee feels good, so that’s the main thing.”

O’Hara, who admitted he has found watching his team-mates, who are seven points clear at the top of League One, and are preparing for a Scottish Cup clash at Championship Partick Thistle on Saturday, tough going, said that working his way back to fitness alongside three of his team-mates did help keep his spirits up.

“That is the first bad injury that I’ve really sustained so, obviously, it was a tough period to be honest,” O’Hara said.

“There were worse days than others but, Rory the physio, he was great with me. He kept me going every day with my programme.

“Also, the boys that I was in the gym with who were injured – Lewis McCann, Paul Allan and Miller (Fenton) – they were good. It was tough, but I just need to put it behind me now and kick-on.

“You don’t want anybody to be injured but I’m really close with those three, so it did help. We did help each other and we’ve just got Paul to come back now. He should be back soon, hopefully, and that means that we will have a full squad again.

“It is tough coming to the games on a Saturday and you’re not playing. You’re watching from the stands and the boys are doing well, you see all your mates doing well and scoring goals, keeping clean sheets and winning in big games. It is tough that way but I’m delighted that the boys have done that and put us in a right good position.

“I just want to be playing. That’s why you play football; you want to play in every game, no matter how big a game it is.

“I can’t wait for the games to come up. We’ve got a lot of games coming up really soon so, as I say, I just need to go into training, work hard every day and prove to the manager that I am ready to go.”

Assistant manager Dave Mackay added: “He’s a proven player at Championship level so if we can get Kevin fully fit in this league and playing well, then he’s a massive asset for us.”