Ezemo Iriekpen is just what we need

Jan 22 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

Dr Goals is just the jab in the arm we need

HAMILTON hope to tie up a deal before this weekend to sign former Scunthorpe captain Ezemo ‘Izzy’ Iriekpen until the end of the season.

Boss Billy Reid, who was speaking as he paraded striker Kenny Deuchar, says he isn’t yet finished in the transfer market.

London-born Iriekpen (26) would be the fourth new face to come in this month, following Deuchar (28), and loan duo Jordan McMillan (20) and Paul McGowan (21).

Former Gretna hitman Deuchar, a GP, joins until the end of this season after negotiating his release from US side Real Salt Lake, while Iriekpen had his Scunthorpe contract terminated by mutual consent last week.

Reid said both of his new captures are playing for permanent deals and hopes they significantly strengthen the squad.

He said: “We’re going to pick up injuries and suspensions between now and the end of the season and once the window’s shut that’s you dead in the water – and it’s going to be a big three months for this club.

“I’ve got to make sure we’re prepared to meet that head-on and signing players of the calibre of Kenny Deuchar and Izzy Iriekpen I think will go a long way to securing that.

“Big Kenny has a point to prove. He’s a smashing lad, and he’s got a goal-scoring record in the Premier League. He played eight games with Gretna and scored six goals, which is a great return for a target man.

“Izzy was captain of Scunthorpe. He played 14 games and scored four goals, which isn’t bad for a centre-back. He worked with my old assistant Graeme Jones at Swansea and obviously I’ve done a few checks on his whole character.

“He’s a big, strong, pacey centre-back and a leader who was brought up in the West Ham set-up with Joe Cole.

“Like Kenny he’s come up here on a short-term deal to prove himself at the top level of Scottish football. They’ll hopefully either win a deal at Hamilton Accies or put themselves in the shop window – and I don’t have a problem with that.”

Winger David Graham was released on Tuesday and heads to First Division side Dunfermline, while striker Lucas Akins is expected to be loaned out to Partick Thistle.

Billy explained: “We’ve changed our style a bit. When we played 4-3-3 we played with two wingers and David featured strongly, but he was unhappy at the moment about not playing – and rightly so.

“David has done us a good turn, he leaves with our best wishes.”

Billy wants at least one more new face in at the club before January 31. He said: “I’m not going to sign players just for the sake of it. I know exactly what I want; we’ve been working hard to get players in and the backing of the board and the chairman Ronnie MacDonald has been brilliant.”

Reid turned his attentions to Sunday’s SPL clash with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, where an away win would see Hamilton go level on points with Killie. He said: “There are going to be big games all the time until the end of the season and the Kilmarnock game is every bit as important as Inverness was last week.

“We’re looking at St Mirren and Kilmarnock and if we can keep up our rich vein of form then we can go above them. But there are a lot of teams who have gone on runs where they’ve won five games and lost four – Inverness did that – so we have to be beware that we don’t get too cocky.

“Kilmarnock’s home form has been poor, but I had them watched last week and by all accounts they were the better team against Aberdeen by a long stretch and were unlucky not to take the points.”

Hamilton go into the game minus defender David Elebert. A hamstring injury will keep the Irishman out of action for up to six weeks. Reid admitted that is a blow, and added: “In the last three or four games he’s been brilliant and I thought on Saturday he was immense. It’s frustrating because the defence had really tightened up and he was a big part of that.”