ACCIES WILL LOOK FOR BARGAIN BUYS IN JANUARY SALES

Dec 6 2007 By Andy McGilvray

HAMILTON boss Billy Reid hopes to go on a January shopping spree, looking for bargains that will help deliver the First Division title.

But as he handed a wish list to chairman Ronnie MacDonald, Reid stressed players won’t be brought in to just to make up the numbers.

He said: “We’ve got a list of quality players that we’d like to bring to the club but it’s not going to be easy. Other teams will try to get them or hold onto them.”

Reid has already raided SPL sides Falkirk, Motherwell and Gretna, respectively, to sign Roman Wallner, Simon Mensing and David Graham on loans until the end of December.

He said: “We have a few more names in our squad and that gives us the strength and competition for places, which we’re going to need over the next few games.

“I’ve been working for a while on Mensing and Graham, but Roman is one I didn’t think I would get, to be honest. He’s proved to be a valuable addition to the squad.

“In the last couple of weeks, I would like to think that the fans have seen that we’re trying to bring quality to New Douglas Park.”

Having been a long-term admirer of Mensing, who he worked with at Clyde, Reid wants to make the ex-St Johnstone star’s move permanent.

He said: “I tried to sign him when I left Clyde for Hamilton but he went to St Johnstone. Simon is exactly what we need. He’s shown that he can step in at right-back or midfield, and he’s a big addition to the squad.

“We’ll see what happens in January, but we will do everything we can to keep Simon at the club. We have limitations in terms of budget but at the end of the day it will come down to Simon and what Motherwell see as a good deal for them.”

Reid was delighted with Saturday’s 4-2 win at Stirling, and said: “After losing our last two games on the road, it was important for us to show that we can win away from home again.

“I thought we controlled the game for the first 45 minutes but Stirling came out with all guns blazing, scored, and might have got another one before we broke up the park and grabbed a third.

“It was a bit open for my liking. Every time we went forward. we looked like scoring. They had a good 15-minute spell but over the 90 minutes we deserved to win.”

Reid hopes to continue that form at Almondvale on Saturday, when Accies take on Livingston.

He said: “If we can get that out of the road and come away with something then we can go back to our own place the following week, where we like to think that we make it difficult for people.”

James McArthur is expected to recover from a knock picked up against Stirling but defender David Elebert is to have a scan on a knee injury.

Tom Parratt’s recovery is ahead of schedule and he could be back for the Boxing Day clash with Clyde.

HA352007