Give Accies credit for achieving five top flights in row

MARTIN CANNING isn’t prepared to admit the job is complete.

It would take a ridiculous 13-goal swing in Partick Thistle’s favour to deny Hamilton safety but, in a way, you can understand Canning given what he’s been through in the past.

This is a guy who was part of the Accies squad that scored 10 goals against Morton on the final day of the 2013-14 season as they hunted down Dundee in the battle for the Championship title.

It wasn’t enough but they still won promotion that month after sinking Hibs in the play-off and they haven’t been out of the big time since.

That sequence is remarkable as every season it gets harder. They get told annually no one wants them. They don’t have the fanbase.

They don’t bring anything to the league. They will go down.

Every summer they get outspent. Lose some of their best players. Have to regroup and reinforce with a budget less than many of their competitors and they keep doing it.

It’s been some season. Countless injuries, huge turnover of players. Even in the middle of the campaign they had star man Greg Docherty taken away by Rangers.

A seven-figure sum disappeared out of their bank account at one stage. You couldn’t make it up yet you still can’t put them down.

Despite the turmoil, more magic moments. They punch above their weight and at times they hit hard. For the first time since 1926 they beat Rangers at Ibrox.

Accies have taken more points off Rangers this term than Aberdeen and have had one less game to do it.

Hibs have been brilliant but Accies took them apart in Leith at the start of the season when they scored one of the goals of the season.

They took four points from three games against Neil Lennon’s side. Celtic only took five having played one more. Accies have also taken points from the other top-six sides Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Hearts.

Ahead of Saturday’s visit of Motherwell, Canning’s men have won two of three Lanarkshire derbies. Toss it all into the mix and this top-flight run extends into a fifth term.

Look at the clubs missing in that time. Rangers, Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United have all been absent through this Accies constant.

Same goes for the likes of Falkirk, Dunfermline and St Mirren. Premiership clubs we are told. Well they haven’t been there while Hamilton have.

Canning has done some job. Blooding yet more youngsters. Mixing them with experience and adding signings such as David Templeton to keep heads above water.

Ironically, Accies have been on a dreadful run of late having lost eight of their last nine games. But the final table won’t lie.

When they had to come up with a major result they did. The recent win over Ross County sealed the deal.

Canning wouldn’t have chosen to stay up on the back of such a bad run. But it doesn’t matter a jot. He won’t admit it but the job is done yet again.

It has been some season for Accies. You couldn’t make it up yet you still can’t put them down