Goalkeeper gag shows Hamilton’s team spirit
His team-mate perhaps wasn’t happy - but Ryan Fulton says a gag that left Joe Hilton thinking he was appearing on TV proves Hamilton’s team spirit.
The goalkeeper - on loan from Blackburn Rovers - has suffered a grade two MCL (medial collateral ligament) tear and Fulton stepped up against Inverness.
He made a few standout saves as Josh Mullin’s goal was cancelled out by Sam Pearson’s leveller in the 1-1 draw at New Douglas Park.
With Hilton injured and BBC cameras in place to broadcast it on TV, members of the Accies dressing room convinced him he would be appearing on the show.
It led to a well-taken reaction when he turned up at New Douglas Park in a suit, while his team-mates were in tracksuits. Fulton says such camaraderie will be key in the end of season run-in, with Accies seventh in the league.
He explained: “It wasn’t me, so Joe would kill me if I said that! But once we knew I was on the team sheet, we told him they wanted him on the TV as he’d been doing well.
“We told him they wanted him on so he came suited and booted, while everyone was in tracksuits. He wasn’t too happy!
“Joe took it well to be fair to him.
But that’s what we need towards the end of this season. We need that team bonding. From a neutral point of view it was probably a good watch.
“We look solid in defence and we were a bit unlucky with their goal. But we looked good. I have to have that trust in them (Hamilton’s defenders) and them with me. We had that.”
Hilton has been Hamilton’s number one for most of this season and the Inverness draw was Fulton’s first appearance in the Championship since October. Now a wait of between four and eight weeks for his next game due to injury awaits the Blackburn loanee, and Fulton will likely fill the void.
No stranger to injury problems himself - making 55 appearances since 2017 due to various knocks - Fulton says he’s more than happy to support his colleague.
But he needs to take his shot between the sticks.
He said: “Joe’s been in and done well. It’s unfortunate what has happened to him but I had to take my chance.
“We didn’t really know what was going to happen with Joe but I know anything can happen last-minute. I was getting ready as normal and found out I was starting on Thursday.
“I will be there to comfort and support Joe. But I have to look after myself too.
“It’s a shame that with Covid we don’t get the bounce games but when that shot is there, you have to take it.”