Goal hero Imrie will fight to bitter end against drop

Published on Monday 25 April 2011 13:03

Dougie IMRIE is more determined than most to help Hamilton avoid the drop this season after witnessing first-hand the pain of relegation from the Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League.

The winger was part of the Inverness team who lost their fight to remain in the top flight in May 2009 and knows all too well the devastation that follows.

Hamilton's own survival bid took a blow when they were held to a draw by Aberdeen yesterday, leaving them nine points adrift of nearest rivals St Mirren ahead of next week's crunch clash between the two sides.

Imrie said: "Until it's mathematically impossible for us to stay up, we've got to keep giving ourselves a fighting chance.

"We just don't want to go to St Mirren next week and lose or draw because that means they stay up and their fans will be celebrating and we will be down.

"We don't want that to happen. I've had it before when I was at Inverness and it's not nice. It's not just the players who suffer, you've got to think about other people with other jobs, who have got families and kids to look after.

"It's not nice being relegated and we have to see if we can pull ourselves out of this. Everyone has got to be fighting for the jersey, that's the situation we are in now."

Tomas Cerny denied the Dons' Chris Maguire from the penalty spot, before Imrie marked his 50th appearance for Accies with the opener.

But, once again, it was not to be their day and Nick Blackman claimed the leveller just two minutes after coming off the bench to leave Hamilton still searching for their first SPL win at home this season.

Imrie added: "It's the same old story and it's bitterly disappointing. It wasn't to be and we got a draw and it's a massive game next week.

"We know we've got to go to St Mirren now and win the game. End of story. We've got to go there and win and, if not, it's over. They stay up and we go down."

Craig Brown claimed Aberdeen should have taken all three points despite not being on top form, saying: "I don't think we played particularly well but with the chances we had in the game, we had enough to win the game.

"I wasn't particularly delighted with the way we played but Hamilton is a difficult place to come to and get the points."