Boss’s bravery sees Accies do Well to win
Accies boss Brian Rice blasted back at the critics who have knocked Hamilton’s early season form as he celebrated a derby win over Motherwell.
Rice’s side claimed their first win of the season, courtesy of a late diving header from full-back Hakeen Odoffin just four minutes from time.
It hauled Accies off the bottom of the table and into ninth but leaves a beleaguered Motherwell side still looking for their first win of the season after a run that now extends to five games without a victory.
For Rice, though, the win was the chance to round on his critics who had written off his Accies youngsters following their tough start to the season.
“They deserve credit for the win and I am determined to give them that credit because no one else will,” he said. “I have character here.
“But these kids haven’t got the experience yet to know it is a long season. They are still very day-to-day. Some of the criticism has been too harsh
and some of the stuff I have read was over the top.
“This gives them a wee bit of satisfaction now and they can enjoy that.
“These are young lads and when they are getting battered by the media and the press because they are bottom of the league it is hard.
“I’m sticking up for them as I get everything from them.”
Accies needed that strength of character to hang on in for the opening hour.
Motherwell dominated, but despite their possession, they were toothless in attack.
Indeed, it must be a source of some concern to Stephen Robinson that David Turnbull, their only creative player on show, could be gone from Fir Park before the closure of the transfer window.
Called into the Scotland Under-21 squad this week, Turnbull was at the heart of any of Motherwell’s forward movements and created their three best chances.
Twice he had first-half efforts turned round the post by Accies keeper Ryan Fulton, once from a right-foot effort that was repelled by the stopper and minutes later, with a header from Ricki Lamie’s cross.
He started off the second period with a decent effort that went over the bar but the real difference to this game came when Rice rang the changes and altered Hamilton’s shape.
He made a trio of substitutions, taking off Scott Martin, David Moyo and Marios Ogkmpoe and introducing Reegan Mimnaugh, Callum Smith and Andrew Winter as he tried to put a halt to Motherwell’s control of the game.
It had an immediate impact with Accies creating their first two real chances in the games immediately after.
“It did change it,” acknowledged Rice. “It was a gamble to start the game with Johnson, Templeton and Ogkmpoe because they haven’t had too much game time.
“I had a wee discussion with my coaching staff and we went brave. We went with the three kids on and they changed the game with their energy and enthusiasm and what you can’t forget is they are good players.
“We got up the pitch more, we got more crosses in and we pressed better.”
He might have been forgiven for thinking the chance of the three points had gone when Mimnaugh’s ball into the box was flicked on by Shaun Want but with the goal gaping from a yard out, Odoffin awkwardly stabbed at the ball and missed the target.
The full-back quickly atoned for his indiscretion as he gave Hamilton the breakthrough. Mimnaugh whipped a corner into the box and the defender bulleted a near-post header past Carson and into the net.