Livingston 3 Hamilton 0: Accies lacked leaders, says boss after dismal display
By Ian Steven
Hamilton manager John Rankin demanded more leadership from his side after the Accies were on the sharp end of a second half collapse against Livingston.
The first half was an evenly contested affair, but David Martindale’s men raced away in the second period, thanks mainly to some inspirational play from Scott Pittman and a virtuoso substitute appearance from Robbie Muirhead
Former Accies ace Stevie May came close on a couple of occasions before the Lions eventually took the lead through Pittman, with the midfielder taking advantage of a wayward interception from Regan Tumilty the rifle his effort into the top corner from just outside the box.
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The home side doubled their lead with 15 minutes remaining as Daniel Finlayson delivered a perfectly flighted cross to the back post for substitute Robbie Muirhead to slam into the net.
Muirhead did not have long to wait to grab his second as Pittman played the winger clean through on goal to slot under Albinson, leaving Rankin searching for some accountability in his side.
“As soon as it went 2-0, it looked as if some were ready to go and press and some were willing to sit in,” Rankin stated. “We need that leadership and pitch at that point. That's the disappointing part. How do you get that leadership? I think you get it through the group growing.
“The group has to grow this afternoon. When we go 1-0 down, I think we get ourselves into a position where we don't concede straight away, and we make sure that we get ourselves back into the game. Disappointing thing, I don't think we tested the goalkeeper at all. We get balls into the box, but again, they picked up seconds, they were across, they looked as if they were hungry to get anything on the end anything in either box, which again is disappointing.
“But how do we get that leadership? Ultimately winning games, getting the togetherness and making sure that the players aren't timid, and they can go and play. We work on various different things through the week and it's, it's great, the players are displaying good quality, but on a Saturday afternoon at three o'clock, that's not judged.
“You need to be able to have that personality when you go out there in that leadership and go and show it.
“The game's there at 1-0. Throughout the first half, it’s pretty even, to be honest. I don't think either goalie had a save to make.
"After it went 2-0, we looked as if we lacked leaders.”
The defeat was Accies' third in six games and leaves them sixth in the table, and Rankin, whose side only managed one shot on goal, reckoned it wasn't much of a spectacle at all.
He said: "It was a pretty poor game to watch. I don't think there was much quality on show. Gets to half time and the boys are saying the conditions aren't great, but listen, that's fine. It's the same for both teams. Make sure we're out for the second half.
"The first goal, they try and press, leave a gap, they play in the gap and they go and get the opportunity, they react well to it and then the second ball comes.
“It's a good finish. It could have been prevented before that. And then we make changes to try and go for the game. Try and get ourselves back in it, but again, from the throw in, we don't defend the cross. And then from then, after 2-0, it was a case of we need to realise that we need to get ourselves back into the game rather than trying to go and get a goal back straight away.
“And we looked at times as if there was gaps opening up, people trying to go and press and people not. But again, we need to take responsibility on the pitch at that time and say, wait a minute, get ourselves in control, get ourselves back into shape."
Accies now travel to bottom side Raith Rovers on Saturday.
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