Accies undone by rivals as Hamilton are cut five points adrift at bottom
HAMILTON ACCIES will not be dissuaded from their fighting talk despite finding their odds increasingly short on their top flight survival.
Mark O’Hara’s goal after Ronan Hughes’ dismissal last night was the difference between the sides and leaves Accies in serious danger at the foot of the table with just three league games remaining to engineer an escape route.
“Of course we can [get out of it],” said Rice. “There was nothing decided last night. It makes us more difficult for us but we need to go harder, quicker and stronger.
“There wasn’t a lot in it. It was scrappy in the first half and they got the goal at a good time. We couldn’t break them down.
“It was a poor goal for us to lose. There was no real danger. But we didn’t have enough craft.
“We know what we need to do. We are open about it. The players have their say and I have my say. It was disappointing to lose because it was avoidable.
“With ten men we couldn’t question their work-rate and effort but we didn’t have the guile to break them down.”
It was the first derby defeat for Accies this season but it could prove particularly costly after seven successive seasons in the top flight.
They were undone last night within four first-half minutes in which they were reduced to ten men when Hughes was dismissed for a late foul on Robbie Crawford. He had barely made it into the dressing room when O’Hara netted to give Motherwell a lead that they clung on to effectively guarantee their survival this term and set them up for their Scottish Cup quarterfinal this weekend against Hibs at Easter Road.
“We knew it was going to be tough,” said Motherwell manager Graham Alexander whose side are now effectively safe after last night’s result. “We had to come here and be dogged and aggressive.
“I couldn’t have asked any more of the players. We changed shape a little bit to compete against them. The players deserve all the credit as it’s been a tough season against Hamilton.
“If you take the Kilmarnock game out of it we’ve been on a good run of form. We don’t want to relax at all.
“We’ll keep the pressure on within ourselves to make sure we keep out foot to the floor. We want to win every game we compete in. It’s a tough game and a tough venue on Saturday but we can look forward to it.”
It was Hamilton who almost got off to an ideal start when Scott McMann’s free-kick was met by Hakeen Odoffin in the box but he steered his effort wide of the mark.
Motherwell, though, countered with a couple of chances of their own; Ricki Lamie had a header blocked while Devante Cole had a fierce effort tipped away by Kyle Gourlay.
Tempers frayed on the park and in the Motherwell dug-out with Alexander remonstrating with fourth official Nick Walsh while his assistant, Chris Lucketti, was booked by referee Clancy following a series of calls that he felt didn’t go his way just before the red card.
Within minutes Motherwell had turned their numerical advantage into a tangible lead when O’Hara was allowed time and space on the
edge of the box before turning and directing his effort into the bottom left-hand corner.
Accies striker Bruce Anderson showed his frustration with a late tackle on Stephen O’Donnell that irked Alexander and earned the striker a word as the game threatened to descend into a battle.
Accies tried to force their way back into the game in the second period. Lewis Smith, a graduate from the club’s academy and one of their brightest performers last term, came off the bench for his first appearance for the club since November following a series of hamstring issues.
He was barely on the park when he whipped in an inviting cross that dropped into the six-yard box but there was no one able to take advantage.
Cole had an effort from the edge of the box that did little to trouble Gourlay while O’Donnell’s pass into the six-yard box had no takers for Motherwell. Accies continued to search for a way back in with substitute Nathan Thomas’ ball in towards the back post just slightly too far in front of Aaron Martin who couldn’t quite connect.
There is a feeling that Hamilton’s season could run out of road now.