CANNING SOLVES KEEPER WORRY

ONE of Martin Canning’s biggest concerns in the last couple of weeks was trying to replace Michael McGovern. In the past two seasons, the Northern Ireland goalkeeper has been brilliant for Hamilton Accies and helped the club retain its top-flight status. After his heroics for his country during the Euros in France, the inevitable happened and McGovern moved on to bigger and better things, joining up with former Accies gaffer Alex Neil at Norwich City. Neil then urged his No 3 keeper, Remi Matthews, to be McGovern’s replacement. A deal was done and the 22-year-old joined on a season-long loan. Matthews was put under pressure by St Mirren at different stages during the game. But he commanded his box and came time after time to take cross balls. It was so refreshing to see a goalkeeper display a clean pair of hands rather than opt to fist the ball away. He also appears to have the mentality to cope and that will be a required attribute when Canning takes his men to play against Rangers at Ibrox on the opening day of the league season. Accies took the lead in the 12th minute through Ali Crawford when he tapped home a Grant Gillespie cross from six yards. After surviving some pressure from Alex Rae’s side they doubled their lead in the 52nd minute when Dougie Imrie scored from 14 yards. Both goals were the result of excellent overlapping play from the Hamilton full-backs. It will also be great for Canning to see Crawford and Imrie in good form. Massimo Donati made it 3-0 in the 69th minute when he placed a right foot shot from 23 yards into Jamie Langfield’s bottom left hand corner. It rounded off an impressive display from the Italian midfielder. Indeed, he brought calmness and composure not witnessed in the middle of the park since Neil was in that role before he left for Carrow Road. Donati enjoyed the game and is also relishing the prospect of going to play at Ibrox. The last time he played there was for Celtic in 2007 and he was on the end of a 3-0 defeat. The former AC Milan star said: ‘It was an enjoyable start for my first game back. The team played well, we won the game and I scored. When you score a goal anywhere it’s a great feeling. ‘We have two games before we face Rangers and we have to do well in those ones before we think about playing against them.’