Critics spur Accies on to avoid drop

DARIAN MacKINNON has revealed how Hamilton have decided to ignore their critics as they bid to prove them wrong once more.

Martin Canning’s side have been tipped in recent seasons to go down before a ball’s even been kicked but proved the doubters wrong yet again by staying up last season.

Accies have been in the habit of using the cynics to motivate them by pinning pre-season predictions up on their dressing-room wall.

But, in the wake of his side’s 1-1 draw with Dundee at Dens Park on Friday night, midfielder MacKinnon insists they’ve become so used to being written off they just take it in their stride.

He said: “We pinned up the predictions on the wall the first few years but not now. We just get on with our job and we know we have good players and we can do well.

“Staying in the league is what we aim for and we won’t be shouting about doing this and that.

“In all honesty, I should have buried the chance that I had in the second-half against Dundee.

“I tried to put it in with the outside of my foot and it’s caught my big toe and went wide.

“I knew as soon as I hit it that I had missed it and I know I should be putting them away.

“It’s not cost us the three points but I have to be putting them away to give us a better chance.

“I apologised to the boys when I went into the dressing-room but they said we are all in it together.

“We played well and we deserved the three points but we have to start taking our chances.”

Accies are still searching for their first Premiership win but MacKinnon reckons it will come sooner rather than later, judging by their Dundee display.

He added: “It’s pleasing we have went to Ibrox and Dens and came away with something but we are disappointed we haven’t managed to get a win.

“The manager said we could be on seven points instead of two.

“Yes, we want to go out and play well but we need to turn the good performances into wins.

“I think playing like we did against Dundee then a win isn’t far away for us.”