Reid wants Accies to move up a gear in push for safety

Apr 30 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

HAMILTON boss Billy Reid this week told his side to step up their performances as they enter the final straight in their bid for SPL survival.

Reid reckons that, if Hamilton improve their displays, results will follow but he feels his side are due a break and hopes that happens when Kilmarnock come calling on Saturday.

Depending on results elsewhere, a third win over Jim Jefferies’ side this season could take Hamilton into eighth place.

Reid said: “It would be massive to get a win against Kilmarnock on Saturday.

“Everybody’s waiting for a win and we thought we had got it at Inverness a fortnight ago. We probably just merited it but didn’t get the break at the end of the day and that hurt us.

“For most of the season, it’s been about results but I’m more interested in the level of performance now.

“I believe that if we play the way we can then results will come for us. I don’t have any doubt about that.

“There are five games to go and if you keep saying ‘we need another win’ then it can run away from you so we have to stay focused.

“I’ve looked at the Inverness game and I thought that the performance was good. If we play to our potential on Saturday, then we can win the game.”

All three previous games between Accies and Kilmarnock have ended 1-0 – two wins for Hamilton, home and away, and one for Killie at Rugby Park – and Reid expects a similarly close encounter this weekend.

He said: “We have an idea of how we feel Kilmarnock will play the game and we’ve got to match their running. If we do that, we can be a threat.

“What I will say is that there’s not a lot between the teams. I think the last time, at their place, we thoroughly deserved our win but the other two were pretty even.

“Our league positions tell you there’s not a lot between the teams but we’re the home side and need to force the issue.”

A win for Hamilton, coupled with defeat for basement battlers Falkirk at home to Motherwell, would go a long way towards safety, but Reid isn’t taking anything for granted.

He said: “Staying up is obviously the aim and if results go for us then it can go a long way towards that but if results go against us then we can get dragged back into the mire a wee bit.

“However, we haven’t looked behind us for the whole season and there’s no point in starting now. We’ve just got to concentrate on the job in hand.

“When you’re in the bottom six, people are going to say you’re in a relegation battle but only one team is going down and there are five involved.

“We know results haven’t gone for us in recent weeks but I feel as though we’re due a wee break.

“I’d much rather be in our position than a lot of others. We have three games at home and two away, we’ve got a six-point cushion over Falkirk, we’re a couple ahead of Inverness and we’ve got the same points total as Kilmarnock and St Mirren, so we’re in a decent position.”

Striker Richard Offiong, winger Mark Corcoran and defender David Elebert could be ready to play their part in the run-in after returning from long-term injury.

Reid said: “They trained this week and they’re getting closer all the time, which will make us stronger. We’re just trying to get over the line with what we’ve got at the moment. Offiong and Elebert haven’t played for several weeks, while Corcoran hasn’t been involved for five months but these guys will feature.”

Meanwhile, Senegalese defender Lamine Diatta has been released without playing a game for Accies.

l Brian Easton has been named in the Scotland B squad for the Tennent’s International Challenge Match against Northern Ireland at Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld, next Wednesday.