Reid tells players to prove critics wrong!

Feb 28 2008 By Andy McGilvray

BILLY REID reckons critics are waiting for Hamilton’s bubble to burst — and he’s told his players to prove them wrong.

Accies are nearing the final straight in their title charge with a healthy four-point lead over Dundee and just 10 games remaining.

But Reid feels his side haven’t been given the credit they deserve, even after coming through a tricky encounter against Livingston with a 3-1 home win on Saturday.

As he prepared for Saturday’s vital First Division clash against Queen of the South at Palmerston Park, he said: “It was important to beat Livingston because people were looking at us and asking if the bubble had burst after our defeat against St Johnstone last week.

“It hasn’t. We’ve been at the top of the table since the start of the season and there’s pressure on these guys week in, week out to perform so that’s not going to change now.

“I think everybody has been sitting waiting for our bubble to burst. I can’t influence that but what I have said to the players is that it would be nice to prove them all wrong.

“We take nothing for granted but there are 10 games to go and if we can win all of our games we’ll win the league.”

Reid knows Saturday’s clash in Dumfries won’t be easy but, like last week, he says Accies have a point to prove.

He said: “Queen of the South away is a big gamebut we’ve got a point to prove against them.

“They beat us down there in the last game and I thought we were really unfortunate that day.

“It will be difficult as they’re on a great run but the pleasing thing for me is that it’s going to be a decent surface to go and pass the ball on and we’ll do that.”

Reid was delighted with Saturday’s win over Livi, even though he admitted Accies weren’t on top form.

He said: “That was an awkward game for us because we’ve not done well against Livingston this season. We had taken only one point out of six in the two previous games.

“We had a point to prove against them and I think we did that. We weren’t at our best - we had four or five people probably not playing to where they should be - but it’s not about that; it’s about winning.

“It’s not always about guys not playing well, it’s about us grinding it out and winning games, and we’ve done that.

“I’m quite sure Dundee and St Johnstone were looking at it and saying that this could have been a game where we slipped up, but we dug in there.

“We had a few problems; Alex Neil played with a calf problem, that’s why we took him off at 3-0 as a precaution. We missed David Elebert in the second half as well and Tom Parratt was out.”

Reid was delighted to see his side clock up a new club record on Saturday by playing for 1006 minutes without losing a goal at home in any competition.

He said: “We’ve only lost three goals at home all season and that’s a fantastic record.”