Robinson back to basics after doleful December

MOTHERWELL

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HAMILTONACADEMICAL

Imrie 41 pen, Bingham 53, Docherty 76

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Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson promised a more straightforward style of football after a disappointing December ended with a 3-1 defeat by Hamilton at Fir Park.

Well ended the month with one point from seven Premiership games after struggling to deal with injuries to the likes of Louis Moult, Chris Cadden, Trevor Carson, Elliott Frear and Peter Hartley.

Charles Dunne and the suspended Carl Mchugh were also missing on Saturday and Motherwell suffered from the loss of Allan Campbell to a dead leg late in the first half, while Hartley will wish he had not played at all. He conceded a handball penalty to allow Dougie Imrie to cancel out Craig Tanner’s early opener just before the break, and his sliced clearance enabled Rakish Bingham to run through for Hamilton’s second before Greg Docherty sealed the win.

Hartley lost control after fulltime when he barged Imrie to the ground and he will miss the Scottish Cup meeting between the teams on 20 January after receiving a postmatch

0 Peter Hartley: Game to forget. red card. The likes of Gael Bigirimana and Tanner may also fear for their places after Robinson decided to go back to the style that earned them some impressive results before December. “The run of results is disappointing, but the same group of boys were on a super run, and we have to get back to doing what we were doing, the shape we were playing and the style of football,” Robinson said.

“We’ve had to put more perceived footballers into the team due to injuries and it shows that we’re not quite there. We have to get back to doing the basics well again.”

Robinson will also seek attacking reinforcements. “I will freshen things up and make sure we get people in at the top end of the pitch,” he added.

Accies boss Martin Canning said his side’s win would make a huge difference to their winter break. “The boys can go and enjoy it and come back fresh to hit the second half of the season hard,” he said.”