Billy backs Accies to put up a fight against Hearts

BILLY REID doesn't attempt to deny the obvious. Hamilton are in a precarious predicament four points adrift at the foot of the Scottish Premier League table and without a league victory since October 30. In deepest Lanarkshire, New Douglas Park is a solemn workplace which masks any angst over the dreaded "R" word.

The manager is philosophical but knows full well the connotations of Saturday's home match with Hearts. In conversation he is positive, effervescent and vibrant. Two defeats in two encounters with the Edinburgh club this season have failed to yield even a goal for his team, yet there is no despondency, merely a realisation that points are pivotal to Hamilton's survival in the elite - now more than ever.

It was Reid who secured Accies' promotion to the SPL in 2008, in the process becoming the only man to win Scotland's Manager of the Year award with a First Division club. His credentials for the job are not in question but he now faces arguably the greatest examination of his managerial career.

Three forthcoming matches against Hibernian and two against St Mirren - the two sides directly above Hamilton - are pinpointed by Reid as key to his club's survival. To that effect he may wish Saturday's opponents were coming from the other side of Edinburgh, for Hearts' 4-0 win at New Douglas Park in August and subsequent 2-0 success at Tynecastle in November ensures they hold a clear psychological advantage.

Reid is known for being refreshingly honest, a quality Scottish football could certainly use more of. This comes across from the moment he begins chatting. Defeat would increase fears of Hamilton becoming detached at the bottom and Hearts' recent run of 11 wins in 14 games denotes them as clear favourites. Reid willingly acknowledges the statistics, but conversely anything garnered by Hamilton this weekend could turn their season around.

"We're hoping David Elebert can make the game after being out for a couple of weeks, so we should be a bit stronger defensively. That's the thing for us at the moment," he says. "Our home form has been pretty non-existent if I'm being truthful. We won one game in the cup and came close on a lot of occasions, but we haven't got there in the league. Against Dundee United last week (also in the Scottish Cup] we were in the game but never in the game, if you know what I mean. They were slightly better than us. We've got to make sure we compete in all areas against Hearts on Saturday. We are one of the smallest clubs in the division and we pride ourselves on being a unit. Everything has to be that way at Hamilton Accies."We need to make sure we are in their faces right from the start.

"We've had some super results against Hearts at home in recent seasons. We've beaten them a few times so there's no reason, if we play to our potential, that we can't win on Saturday.

"The spirit is certainly good amongst the players considering we're losing games. We've always got a wee spirit about us, there's no question about that. I try to keep their peckers up at times but I've reminded them that we are going to go on a bad run. Having said that, we haven't won as many games as I would have wanted. We've lost so many late goals. Celtic scored on 91 minutes here, Rangers scored on 90 minutes here. We were 2-0 up against Kilmarnock and lost two goals in the last eight minutes. One of them was a penalty, which our goalie saved and then the ref ordered a retake. So many things have gone against us.

"I've said to the players that this is the most important part of the season coming up for us. We need to start getting a couple of wins to put pressure on the teams above us and we will do that.

"We've lost twice to Hearts this season and not scored a goal so we want to put that right. We've got three games against Hibs and two against St Mirren still to come between now and the end of the season. The league table tells you these are going to be huge, huge games. I don't think there is a lot between the teams."

Reid would never allow Hamilton to wallow in the fear factor regardless of their league position. In seeking to remain upbeat, he must also counter the belief coursing through the Hearts squad at present.

"That's a fair point, Hearts do have a bit of belief about them," he continues.

"Jim Jefferies has obviously instilled that and he's added some players to the team.

"I don't know if Kevin Kyle is anywhere near fit but he is a big player for them in terms of how they set their stall out. He's definitely an out-ball. I think they miss him when he's not playing, although they have still been on a decent run recently while he's been out.

"They bang it to him and they have the Irish boy (Stephen] Elliott who I think is a decent player. He gets in round about Kyle.

"I'm also a big admirer of (David] Templeton (pictured), which I've said for a long time. He has scored twice against us this season and both were fantastic goals.

If he plays, we need to keep him quiet because he's been the special player against us. We lost the last game at Tynecastle 2-0 and I don't think there was a lot in the game. We matched Hearts in a lot of areas on the park but they scored two individual goals. They were both great strikes, one of them from Templeton, although it was two poor errors from us which lead to the goals. We have to cut those errors out first and foremost.

"We know Hearts are a decent side. I know exactly what to expect of them. They're rigid, they're big, they're strong and they're very efficient.

"At times they maybe aren't pretty but they get the job done."

Clinical efficiency is something Hamilton are looking to striker Mickael Antoine-Curier to provide. Early signs are encouraging since the Guadeloupean internationalist joined last month having previously spent a productive spell on loan at New Douglas Park from Dundee.

"We have a bit more threat up front with Mickael, who has scored three goals in his last five games," says Reid. "He didn't play against Hearts in the two games earlier this season but he's back now and will give us a threat up top.

"He has been great for us so far. He did really well in his first spell here and then got a knee injury and was out for five months. He's come back very strong and he's a big player for me. I did say he would score goals once we get him back, even though he had been out for some time. He has a big part to play in our system. He plays in that striking role up top, like Conor Sammon did for Kilmarnock. He takes the ball behind defenders and scores goals."

With Antoine-Curier's help, can Hamilton drag themselves to safety? "Yes," is Reid's brief reply at the end of a conversation which he has completely dominated.

He may contend that it's time for Hamilton Accies' talking to stop.