ACCIES LOSING

Fans turn on boss Canning and skipper Devlin during derby disaster

THE signs are not good for Hamilton Accies in the wake of this hurtful defeat. Indeed, the signs are of a club beginning to turn in on itself as the nervous tension of a battle for survival becomes ever more intense.

With seven minutes left on the clock and everything still to play for despite trailing 1-0, a chant rose from a section of the main stand with manager Martin Canning its target.

It is far from the first time it has been heard this season. Let’s just say its clear intention is to let Canning know, in the crudest way possible, that there is no desire to see him back in charge at the Superseal Stadium next term.

It has been a lacklustre campaign, for sure. There may be justified complaints about the manager’s approach. However, is the best time to air them really the closing period of a relegation battle against your fiercest rivals when you are pushing — and pushing reasonably hard — for an equaliser?

As it was, it proved the precursor to some very ugly scenes at the end.

Subjected to abuse as he walked off the field, Accies captain Mikey Devlin became involved in a shouting match with one supporter, in particular. Devlin’s family got involved and he had to be restrained by a steward.

When he had finally been hauled down the tunnel and into the sanctuary of the dressing room, rival Accies fans started squaring up to each other.

Club staff had to step in. It all left a rather sour taste at the end of a bruising encounter.

Hamilton are still not safe from automatic relegation.

With their punters on their backs, it is maybe a good job they are off to Dingwall on Tuesday night.

They won’t be hearing many Lanarkshire accents there.

The lack of unity between football department and fanbase does not augur well, though.

Even if it does prove to be a Play-off that decides their fate.

As for Motherwell, now seven points clear of bottom dogs Inverness Caledonian Thistle, with two matches to play, the tension has eased to some degree.

Their fate lies within their own hands and they will not care how fortunate the winning goal, scored by Louis Moult, happened to be.

Moult had promised to take responsibility for scoring goals pre-match, admitting he felt like he was on Death Row after defeat against Ross County last week.

Of course, the mere sight of an Accies strip gets the scent of blood in his nostrils.

He has now scored all six of Motherwell’s goals against them this season.

This one was hardly a classic, but it may prove crucially important.

Elliott Frear swung in a free-kick from the right, Moult was sharp enough to move into space thanks to some slack marking and the ball ended up ricocheting off his shoulder and looping high into the corner of the net with goalkeeper Remi Matthews helpless.

‘We switched off at a set-piece, which has happened so many times this season,’ groaned Canning.

‘That’s five goals we have lost from set-pieces in the last three games. With games so tight, it’s going to kill you. I’m frustrated and disappointed. I thought the game was exactly what I thought it would be, tight and tense.’

Tight and tense is certainly one way to describe it. Brutal is another.

Devlin set the tone 11 minutes in with a scything tackle on Frear as he scampered up the left flank.

By half-time, another five players had joined him in the book with Motherwell’s Keith Lasley so incensed by an element of referee Kevin Clancy’s display that he could not help but remonstrate with him on the way off the park despite already having been cautioned for dissent.

Ten players ended up on yellow cards. Some limped away from the ground. Craig Clay played out the closing stages with a large white bandage wrapped around a head wound. The ball was crying out for mercy, too.

There was little in the way of technical quality, but enough to satisfy the bloodlust of a 4,173strong crowd containing a majority — 2,312 people, to be exact — cheering on the away team.

Clay brought some welcome aggression to the visiting midfield and came close on 18 minutes with a side-footed effort that slid just past the post after some good lead-up play from Moult.

Clay’s anguished reaction suggested he felt he should have done a little better.

After Ali Crawford had ballooned the ball over the bar from a good position at the other end following excellent work from Grant Gillespie and Danny Redmond on the left,