WANT URGES ACCIES TO PUSH ON AGAINST SAINTS
HAMILTON defender Shaun Want has urged Accies to handle the pressure of the basement battle and take a giant stride towards Premiership survival. Should Martin Canning’s men pick up all three points at St Johnstone this evening, they will be eight points clear of the relegation play-offs with a game in hand over 11th-placed Partick Thistle. Accies face a tough run of three away matches in six days, with Kilmarnock on Saturday followed by a trip to Hibs next Tuesday. ‘There is a wee bit of pressure, and every game is huge, but pressure is good in football,’ said Want. ‘We’ve picked up seven points from nine in our last three games, which was important. Hopefully, we can keep getting the wins and get in the best possible position.’ Tommy Wright’s Saints have a nine-point cushion over Thistle. Chris Kane has been central to their recent resurgence with six goals in nine matches since returning from a loan spell at Queen of the South. The 23-year-old hopes to finish the season with a bang and prove he is the natural successor to 35-year-old mentor Steven MacLean, who is out of contract this summer. ‘My spell at Queens has done me the world of good,’ said Kane. ‘I wanted to play games and get some experience. My confidence and fitness levels are really high. ‘I’m playing games and scoring goals. Hopefully, I can keep it up. ‘It’s great to be back playing alongside Steven MacLean. I hope I can take over from him but I will just have to get my head down in the meantime and keep doing what I do.’ Saints can leapfrog seventh-placed Motherwell with victory tonight but Kane is looking to go even further. ‘The top six is still in sight and I don’t see why we can’t look to get there,’ said Kane. ‘If results go our way, we can push into the top half.’