Hamilton have to make most of this lifeline says Mcmann

ST MIRREN 1

Mcgrath 71

HAMILTON 2

Callachan 28, Moyo 57

Scott Mcmann has challenged Hamilton to grasp the lifeline in front of them after Accies ensured their survival fate once again rests in their own hands.

Saturday's 2-1 win over St Mirren means Brian Rice's basement boys are now just three points from safety with two games remaining.

Hamilton's season has been blighted by injuries and Covid complications but their luck was finally in as Ross Callachan and David Moyo netted with fortuitous finishes to make sure Jamie Mcgrath's 16th goal of the season counted for nothing.

They now head to 10thplace Ross County a week on Wednesday before rounding off their relegation scrap against second-bottom Kilmarnock in a final-day shoot out.

The win in Paisley was Hamilton's first since mid-february but, having ended a miserable nine-game run without victory, skipper Mcmann is now targeting back-to-back results which will safeguard Accies' place in the top-flight for an eighth year in a row.

He said: "We know the next two games means it's in our hands. We need to win and we know what we need to do.

"We got the rub of the green on Saturday with a couple of finishes and scored the goals we needed to. It sums up this club, it's that never-say-die attitude.

"The mindset is to win both games. Hopefully we can take this momentum into those games."

Saints boss Jim Goodwin gave Daniel Finlayson pass marks on his full debut despite his side failing to take the spoils.

Theon-loanrangersdefender will make his move to Paisley permanent in the summer but it was a shaky display from the 20-year-old on his first professional start.

"Daniel has come on loan from Rangers mainly for us to have a look at him in training and to see how he got on alongside senior pros on a daily basis," explained Goodwin. "I thought he did OK. He's still a young man and there's bits of his game that he needs to improve on.

"But overall I thought he had a decent performance."

The visitors deservedly took the lead after a bit of head tennis in their box created an opening for Callachan, who knocked the ball in from close range.

Bruce Anderson appealed for a penalty after a shove from Conor Mccarthy, but went down too easily to impress referee John Beaton. However, the on-loan Aberdeen striker was to be pivotal as Accies doubled their lead in the 57th minute. He cracked a low shot at goal that hit Moyo and trickled over the line. Mcgrath, moments after coming off the bench, hit a sweet low strike past Gourlay to pull one back for St Mirren and Jay Henderson should have levelled when he shot wide with the goal at his mercy.