Woods: Points mean more than plaudits

Hamilton goalkeeper Gary Woods is happy to swap praise for points if it means Accies grab another ugly win over Motherwell.

The Englishman was fed up seeing his side’s encouraging performances go unrewarded this season. So he was relieved when Martin Canning’s men finally picked up their first win of 2018 against Partick Thistle after opening the year with five straight defeats.

That 2-1 win over the Jags last month moved Hamilton out of the bottom two and Woods hopes the gritty display will be the template that steers them away from relegation danger.

Speaking ahead of today’s Lanarkshire derby, Woods said: “At this stage of the season it’s not about turning up and playing well – it’s about getting the three points any way you can. We found out against Thistle we can win ugly and, at the end of the day, we want to win points – not praise for a good performance.”

Motherwell striker George Newell is a doubt for the visitors. The Englishman rolled an ankle in training and boss Stephen Robinson admits it will be “touch and go” on whether he makes the derby clash.