Queen of the South 1 Hamilton Accies 4: Rankin insists they should have scored more against title 'favourites'

Yahoo

3 days ago

Hamilton Accies made it back-to-back wins in League One as they eased past Queen of the South in Dumfries.
And boss John Rankin felt his side should have delivered a more handsome victory against a side he sees as favourites for the League One title.
The visitors defeated the Doonhamers 4-1 on their home patch, with a Connor Smith double, plus a sensational strike from trialist Charlie Telfer and a Steven Bradley effort doing the damage. Reece Lyon grabbed what proved to be a consolation just seconds into the second half.
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Victory added to last week's 2-0 success over Montrose in the league opener and while Rankin was pleased with the football on show from a side hamstrung by a transfer embargo, he insisted he wasn't happy that they didn't run out more comfortable victors at Palmerston.
He told the club media: "I'm delighted. I said before the game that Queen of the South are favourites for the league and coming here to a difficult ground - they've got a great record here, especially last season - we wanted to put a marker down and set the tone.
"And I thought we matched the physicality of them at the start of the game and we grew it into it.
"Smudger [Connor Smith] scores a great goal to start it off, then after that I felt we had another two or three chances that we didn't capitalise on. The goalkeeper, to be fair to him, makes some really good saves and, at that point, you are thinking it is going to be one of those days.
"But just before half-time, we got the second goal. It is a great goal, a great bit of play and sets us up at half-time.
"As much as the first half was good for us, I felt there were more goals in it for us but we just weren't ruthless enough. That is the disappointing part.
"But I've got to give the players credit. They rode the storm, they remained calm, they did the things that we were asking them to do, and it came to fruition in the second half.
"We played some really good football and the goal from Steveie Bradley is great. I'd have taken a 4-1 before the game but the disappointing part is that we've given away a goal. We need to start the second half better than we did.
"There was a calmness and maturity after conceding the goal. They never felt flustered or anxious and that is the pleasing part."
Accies broke the deadlock in 28 minutes when Smith fired a sensational strike into the back of the net from fully 35 yards and just 10 minutes later Telfer said 'anything you can do, I can do better'. Playing his second league game as a trialist, the midfielder launched an unstoppable half-volley from 35-yards to leave the hosts stunned and grab his second goal in as many games.
Lyon reminded Accies they were still in a game when he pulled one back just moments into the second half, but in 53 minutes Smith slotted home his second of the day and Bradley netted the clincher in 61 minutes to send Accies up the road with all the spoils.
Accies now face Motherwell B on Wednesday night in their opening game of the KDM Evolution Trophy, which is being played in a Champions League style format this season, before hosting East Fife on Saturday in the league.
Rankin added: "There's boys needing minutes and we need to make sure we utilise the squad. We have small squad and we have to make sure there's no knocks.
"Steven has got a tight groin - that's why he came off - so we don't want to push him too far. Barry [Maguire] is coming back in after having a tight groin.
"It is a game we are looking forward to and primes us for a long season."