McGhee can see his toiling side losing to Hamilton

Published on Tuesday 16 December 2008 00:19

MOTHERWELL manager Mark McGhee insists he isn't feeling the strain after last night's 2-0 defeat at home to Kilmarnock which dropped his team back to second bottom of the SPL.

They now face a crucial Lanarkshire derby at bottom club Hamilton Accies, just three points behind them, on Saturday and McGhee admits he can envisage losing a fixture he had previously earmarked as a likely win.

"I don't feel any pressure," said McGhee, whose team were jeered off the pitch at both half-time and full time last night. "I've got to think about what is expected of us. If it is expected that we get into the top three again, then that's obviously difficult. But I see it as the same as last year, the expectation is to do the best we can. We need to get better and we will get better. Saturday is now a very difficult game for us.

"I looked at it a few weeks ago and, while I didn't think it was a banker, I thought it was a game where we could get three points. Now I think we could lose to Hamilton, which around a month ago I would never have dreamed was possible." Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies savoured three points achieved despite a lengthy injury list and on the back of a poor recent run which had seen his team win just one of their previous eight games.

"It's a great win for us, considering the players we have lost to injury recently," said Jefferies. "Last season, we couldn't have coped with that many injuries but when you look at the team we put out tonight, most of them were fairly experienced at this level.

"We haven't been playing badly recently, but the difference tonight was that we took our chances. Allan Russell has had a stuttering start to his career with us because of injury, but that goal will get him going. We have now won at Tannadice, Tynecastle and Fir Park this season. We've got a bit more presence about us than last season and the players are determined to make sure what happened last year doesn't happen again."

Jefferies had special praise for Italian midfielder Manuel Pascali, fielded in defence because of injuries, but was left to rue a head injury sustained by Danny Invincibile which saw the Australian carried off on a stretcher in the first half.

"Manuel has played in defence before, but not at this level," said Jefferies. "He was outstanding, as was Frazer Wright alongside him, and they had a terrific goalkeeper in Alan Combe behind them.

"Danny is still a bit groggy. I think he was unconscious when he passed me on the stretcher. The doctor thinks he will miss Saturday's game. It's a real shame because that was his first game back after injury."