Canning: Stand-in stars blew big chance

MARTIN CANNING was disappointed his stand-in Hamilton stars didn’t make the most of their chance to shine against Rangers.

The Accies boss was without a string of key players for the Premiership clash on Friday night, with keeper Gary Woods and midfielder Darian MacKinnon two of the most notable absentees.

Danny Redmond gave the hosts a first minute lead at the SuperSeal Stadium but Rangers ran out comfortable 4-1 winners in the end.

Boss Canning said: “I don’t making a big deal about missing players, but when you are missing your number one goalkeeper, you are missing Darian, you are missing Georgios Sarris, you are missing David Templeton, you are missing Michael Devlin, you are missing good players from your team and players that would play for us if they are fit.

“Of course you miss these guys, but like I said before the game, I believe in our squad, I believe our squad is as strong as it has been. And some guys didn’t do themselves justice in terms of what they are capable of.

“That is one thing about football, you never know when you will get your opportunity. You can be out the team or in the team and whenever you get your opportunity you have to make sure you go and seize it.

“I don’t think enough people really believed they could go and take the opportunity to stay in the team.”

A double from Declan John and a Daniel Candeias strike had Rangers in control at half-time before Graham Dorrans’ penalty clinched the points for Pedro Caixinha’s side.

And Canning was frustrated Accies couldn’t put more pressure on the Light Blues as they slipped to another top flight defeat - their fifth of the campaign.

He said: “I am just disappointed because it was a big opportunity to go and win that game against a Rangers team on the back of an Old Firm defeat.

“We put ourselves ahead so early in the game but then we switch off at crucial moments and that is the hardest thing to take.

“We talk so much about concentration and focus but we just switched off.”