DARIAN URGES TROUBLED ACCIES TO UNITE

ADDING the heat of a derby occasion was enough to see six long months of frustration come bubbling to the surface at New Douglas Park. Without a home win since defeating Motherwell here in September, a reversal of fortunes against their Lanarkshire rivals provoked some steamventing reactions. Little groups of Hamilton fans queued up to shower derision upon boss Martin Canning as they made their way from the ground. Then the ire was turned towards the players. Midfielder Darian Mackinnon was clearly upset by something aimed in his direction at full-time. He responded angrily, gesticulating towards the fan in question before heading down the tunnel. ‘The supporters were frustrated with us,’ said Mackinnon afterwards. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t bite back. But we are hurting just as much as them. My partner is going to get it in the neck because this is just a horrible feeling. We know we’re in a dog-fight.’ Accies have won just once in their last 14 outings and remain two points above 11th-placed Kilmarnock. A long scrap to stay clear of the relegation play-offs, or possibly worse, beckons unless they can radically revive their form. Mackinnon looked as dismayed as anyone by what he described as a ‘long-ball’ performance, admitting Motherwell ‘fully deserved the win’. But he insists only unity — on and off the field — can help bring improvement. ‘We are hurting just now and sometimes things get said after games,’ he added. ‘But we’ll stick together in the dressing room, we always do, and bounce back. ‘If you are going to watch your team and they’re playing rubbish, then the fans have every right to moan at us. But we do need to stick together. Because, if we don’t, we’ll be in trouble. Hamilton had a little clutch of chances in the first half, the best of which fell to Dougie Imrie, before Motherwell claimed the solitary goal. Louis Moult’s header from a Steven Hammell corner was blocked by Michael McGovern, but Louis Laing smashed in the loose ball. Accies offered precious little after the break. And could have fallen two behind when Kevin Clancy pointed to the spot after McGovern toppled Chris Cadden. The award sparked a little spat between Mark McGhee and Accies kit man Danny Cunning, delaying the actual penalty. When Moult finally stepped up, McGovern turned it wide. ‘We had criminal defending and lost a rubbish goal, that put us on the back foot,’ said Mackinnon. ‘We didn’t try to play football. Everything was long ball. It’s strange as we usually try to play.’