KEVIN Cuthbert has been helping keep his former Morton team-mates fighting fit - but the Ayr United goalkeeper will go all out to injure their league aspirations on Saturday.

The stopper, who left Ton in the summer, has become a personal trainer at Greenock's Waterfront gym complex, with some of his first clients being ex-Cappielow colleagues.

And while Cuthbert, 29, has enjoyed putting them through their paces at the gym, he will offer no support from between the posts when Ton travel to Ayr this weekend.

Cuthbert told Tele: "I've had a few of the boys in, including some of the boys who have been injured, and I've done a few sessions with them.

"I'm a lot more educated in fitness and motivation techniques than I was when I was at Morton, so I've got some new ideas to put across to the boys who are coming in.

"I've put them through a couple of sessions and they all worked hard. I can't go slagging my clients so I've got to say they all did their best!

"I spoke to a few people at the Waterfront when I was still at Morton and was planning to do personal training on the side.

"At that time, I still planned to be a full-time footballer, but that never materialised and I've done it on more of a full-time basis.

"I'm in there most days and am working it around training with Ayr, as we train at night - but football is still a priority for me.

"It's good when the players come in to catch up. You get attached to them after a couple of years at a club and it's good to see how they are doing."

Ayr will be in high spirits for Saturday's clash, after learning yesterday they will face local rivals Kilmarnock in an all-Ayrshire League Cup semi-final in January.

He said: "It's like Morton and St Mirren, where St Mirren are always ahead of them by being in the Premier League - it is the same between Killie and Ayr.

"It's a great draw - it will be great for both sets of fans and great for the competition as well to have such a big crowd at Hampden."

But Cuthbert, who spent three years at Ton, insists his side are fully focused on catching up with his former side in the league table.

And the goalkeeper warned that while Ayr have struggled for consistency, their form at Somerset Park has been solid.

He said: "Our home form has kept us going and we can't wait to get into the next game at Somerset Park on Saturday.

"Hopefully we will start to climb a few places. We can catch Morton if we win, and if we do then hopefully we can get a good few weeks going.

"We've had some good results in the cup, but then not followed it up in the league - so we know we have to start being consistent."