Lafferty's hat-trick against Dundee United on Wednesday night jumped Killie into 10th place, two points clear of Ross County and five ahead of bottom club Hamilton with just three games remaining.

Wright, who won the Scottish Cup with St Johnstone in 2014, said of the all-Premiership cup tie: "It is a great game for both teams.

"It takes our focus away from the league campaign which we want to sort out,

"It is a quarter-final that you want to get into semi-finals and finals and this game gives both clubs an opportunity to do that.

"We are looking forward to it, we are coming in to it in a good run of form and looking forward to a tough game.

"They have had a decent season, they will be disappointed that they missed out on top six again but they have had a good season.

"They have done well in the Betfred Cup and will be disappinted they didn't get to the final. So they will be looking to make up for that.

"We just want to keep this good run going. It gives us an opportunity, we are at home and we are certainly not going into the game with any fear,

"We are going into it with a degree of confidence but obviously respecting the opposition as we always do."

Wright believes he is bringing more to the role than he did when he took the trophy back to Perth for the first time.

He said: "Since that success I have had six seasons as a manager so I'm more experienced.

"I feel I'm in a better place as a person and a manager so I can use all my experience.

"The main thing is to get the players believing that there is a trust from their manager that they can do the job and that is how I have always tried to manage.

"There tends to be a sharper focus about a cup game because you know you only get that one chance.

"But there is experience within the squad as well, players that have experienced big games and experienced big games against the Old Firm so I don't think I have any worries about how we will cope with the occasion."