Billy Reid warns rivals Accies are ready for winning run

Mar 11 2010 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

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BILLY REID this week warned Hamilton’s drop rivals that his side is ready to go on a winning run.

The New Douglas Park gaffer believes Accies should have taken six points from their last two games against St Mirren and Aberdeen – but reckons it’s only a matter of time before they start taking scalps again.

With talismanic striker Mickael Antoine-Curier back in the squad following a spell on the sidelines, Reid hopes to start Accies’ winning streak when St Mirren visit New Douglas Park on Saturday, a side he felt frustrated not to have beaten a couple of weeks ago.

St Mirren’s draw against Motherwell on Tuesday put them a point ahead of Accies, but Reid hopes to leapfrog the Paisley side in the SPL table come 5pm on Saturday.

He said: “While I couldn’t say we’re ready to give somebody a going over, given the way we’ve been playing I do think we’re looking ready to kick in and go on a wee run.

“We should have won our last two games but I think we’re beginning to show that we’re ready to start putting the ball in the back of the net and could pick up a couple of scalps.

“So the St Mirren game is one we look forward to and if we continue to play in the same manner, then things will pick up.

“We can’t keep playing as well as that and putting in as much effort without winning games.”

Billy was disappointed not to have taken three points from Saturday’s home clash against Aberdeen as Zander Diamond’s late strike cancelled out Flavio Paixao’s opener.

“It was definitely two points dropped,” added the Accies boss. “I think every Hamilton fan in the ground thought that and I had a group of players in the dressing room who were gutted.

“We’ve found it hard to score goals, so to get one – and from a decent corner-kick set-piece – was excellent. It was a great delivery by Brian Easton and a good header from Flavio.

“That’s three for the season for Flavio and I’m delighted with him. His twin, Marcos, was the first of the Portuguese lads to kick in but he has found it hard to find a starting slot at the moment and I think Flavio is the one who is in form.

“I think my decision to play him was proved right and I thought his overall contribution – not just the goal – was excellent.”

Reid added: “We had a penalty claim waved away when Dougie Imrie went down in the box, then they got a free-kick, we switched off, and they scored.

“That’s the one criticism of our players on Saturday and we’re going to analyse the video. Our guys didn’t mark or pick up their players and that’s totally unlike us.”

The importance of bringing top striker Antoine-Curier on as a 59th-minute sub is difficult to overstate – it changed the game completely.

The on-loan Dundee hitman was unable to add to his six-goal tally but was instrumental in turning the game in Hamilton’s favour as Aberdeen struggled to cope with him.

Reid said: “I thought we controlled the first 45 minutes of the game. They came out for the first 10-15 minutes of the second half and looked lively, then we brought on Mickael and the whole game burst open.

“I look at my squad and I’m happy with the players I’ve got. If we keep our key players fit – and Mickael is THE key player – then I think we’ll be fine.

“Mickael is a player who works up top, brings everybody into play, and it’s not easy to find that. We’ve managed it and now he’s back we hope to keep him fit and we will be much more potent as a goal threat. I think he showed that in the last 30 minutes of the game on Saturday.”

Reid was pleased to report that his squad is almost back to 100 per cent capacity, with long-term casualty Derek Lyle the only absentee.

Left-back James Gibson is back in full training following his horror cruciate ligament injury during the summer, and Reid is confident that he will be back in the side before the end of this season.

He said: “It’s great news for James and for the club and I’m delighted to see him back in training.

“He was the natural successor for Brian Easton when he went to Burnley and then disaster struck for James.”

Meanwhile, Hamilton last week released forwards Gary Gow (20) and Stuart Mills (19), who have signed for junior side Kirkintilloch Rob Roy until the end of this season.