Billy Reid issues rallying call for Accies

Jan 20 2011 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

HAMILTON Accies boss Billy Reid set his sights on Saturday’s crunch SPL clash at Inverness and said: “Our season starts here.”

Accies head to the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium looking for three points that could kick-start a revival and save their season.

The New Douglas Park club are bottom of the SPL, four points behind nearest rivals St Mirren and Hibernian but, with a game in hand over both, Reid knows there’s everything to play for.

Reid also said he hopes to add “two or three” new players to his squad before the transfer window closes at the end of this month.

Accies raised a few eyebrows by coming out of back-to-back games against Celtic and Rangers with a point more than most would have expected – but it has taken its toll on Reid’s battle-weary squad.

David Buchanan, Gary McDonald, Mark McLaughlin and Martin Canning sat out Saturday’s 4-0 defeat at Ibrox after picking up knocks in the midweek 1-1 draw with Celtic, while red-carded Simon Mensing and Jim McAlister were suspended.

With a week to prepare his squad for their Highland fling, Reid will hope to have McLaughlin, McDonald and McAlister back in Saturday’s squad, while the injured trio of Buchanan, Mensing and Canning will be given every opportunity.

Reid said: “Our players realise the situation they’re in and we’ll be ready.

“It’s been a hard week with three fixtures in seven days and back-to-back Old Firm games. We put a lot of work into the 1-1 draw at home to Celtic last Wednesday and had a lot of walking wounded, but we dug in for a point, which I thought we deserved.

“Going to Ibrox on the back of that was a daunting task but now those games are out of the road, we’ll knuckle down and hopefully get some players back.

“We’ve already won at Inverness this season and we’re not frightened to go there. We know that if we play to our potential we can win.”

Reid was naturally disappointed with Saturday’s capitulation in Glasgow but was pleased with the debut performances of young defenders Mikey Devlin (17) and Lee Kilday (18).

He said: “It was a fantastic arena for those two guys to make their debuts and I hope they remember it.

“They’ve got a taste for first-team football but they’re 17 and 18 so what an occasion it was for them and it’s one they handled fairly well.

“The young guys didn’t disgrace themselves and it was good to get them on, but it’s difficult to blood kids when there aren’t a lot of experienced players available.

“They’ve got a long way to go but I’ve said all along that the lifeblood of this club has got to be nurturing young players. There are good young players here like Grant Gillespie, Ali Crawford and Jordan Kirkpatrick and they just need a bit of time.”

While youngsters will play a big part in Reid’s plans, he reiterated his hope that new faces will be brought in before the end of the January transfer window.

He said: “It’s going to be a testing time for us. I’ve spoken to the chairman, Ronnie MacDonald, and we will add two or three to the squad.

“I think our progress in the last few weeks has been good. We’re looking a lot more solid and we’re not giving away cheap goals.

“There are quite a few things happening at the club and if something happens before Saturday then fine – what I will say is that we will have a few players in before the window shuts.”

Dundee United will visit New Douglas Park in the Scottish Cup fifth round on Saturday, February 5, after the Tayside club defeated First Division side Ross County 4-3 on penalties in a replay at Victoria Park on Tuesday.