Wins over ICT can aid ‘great escape’
HAMILTON ACADEMICAL ................... 2 INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE ............... 1 Dan O’reilly reckons Hamilton Accies are proving the doubters wrong after two wins in three days over Inverness saw them climb off the bottom of the table – and boost their bid to pull off another great escape.
The club became renowned for fighting tooth and nail to keep their place in the Premiership – and succeeding – for a number of years, before their most recent top flight run ended in 2021.
This season, it has been a relegation battle in the Championship that has had fans hoping for a miracle.
And having been six points adrift of Arbroath at the bottom just last month, O’reilly netted the opener in a 2-1 win over Inverness on Tuesday night – hot on the heels of Saturday’s 3-0 win in the Highlands – that sent Accies two points clear of their rivals, and to within two points of eighth-place Cove Rangers.
The tables have certainly turned and the Irishman believes their battling win over the Caley Jags was the kind of game they would have lost earlier in the campaign, when they were being tipped as certainties to go down.
The defender said: “We held on a bit, but we were good. It could have went either way at times but I thought we were resilient, we dug in and stuck together as a group.
“I think a few months ago we would have crumbled.
“But we have got momentum now. “Six weeks ago people would have had us down and out, so it just goes to show what a good run of results can do.
“We need to keep going now. There’s 11 games left and we need to get as many points as we can.
“The players we have brought in have helped massively. We’ve got a bigger squad and the boys coming off the bench are making a difference, whereas we struggled with that a few months ago.
“It is still early days. We need to keep going, but this run shows we can get wins on the bounce.”
The 27-year-old played a pivotal part in proceedings at New Douglas Park, proving just as valuable up top as in defence. He opened the scoring after 19 minutes when he rose highest to head home from Connor Smith’s delivery at a short corner with Steve Lawson.
The visitors equalised just before the break when Scott Allardice lashed a low strike past Ryan Fulton from the edge of the box.
But Accies got the winner in 73 minutes when Smith converted from the penalty spot, after Dylan Stephenson was tripped in the box by Daniel Mackay.
Inverness ended the game with 10 men when Billy Mckay picked up two bookings – one for simulation in the box and the other for a late tackle on Scott Martin – in stoppage time.
O’reilly was modest about his own contribution to Hamilton’s fourth league win in five games, saying: “I think all the lads were great as a group.
“I might have done bits for the team but other lads have as well.
“Players were throwing bodies on the line, like Dylan [Mcgowan], but overall I’m really pleased.”
And Accies boss John Rankin (pictured, below) was full of praise for his charges, as he revealed a number played through the pain barrier.
He said: “There was three players who weren’t ready to play and they went on that pitch for me knowing they were struggling, and they got through the 90.
“That says all I need to know about my players and I am absolutely delighted with that. I am not going to name names but I am over the moon for the players.
“The togetherness in the squad is coming together at the right time but we need to keep working, we need to keep grafting. That togetherness will see us through.”
Accies now host league leaders Queen’s Park on Saturday.