Hamilton manager Brian Rice praised his side’s character after moving out of the Ladbrokes Premiership relegation zone with a late 1-0 win over Kilmarnock.
Accies made it back-to-back victories following their shock midweek triumph at Rangers and results elsewhere ensured they remained ahead of Hearts while moving beyond St Mirren into 10th place.
Despite going down to 10 men with Mickel Miller sent off in the 78th minute, Accies displayed their fighting spirit to grab a win courtesy of Marios Ogkmpoe’s injury-time penalty.
Rice said: “I’ve had worse weeks. It’s fantastic to get two clean sheets, at Ibrox and again today. That’s the sign of the team working hard as a unit, the victory today was a team performance.
“The conditions were horrendous with the wind. I keep saying the wind ruins games and even though we won today, the wind ruined the game. We were phenomenal, they keep digging in. The spirit and determination not to lose was magnificent.
“All season we’ve been battered by all different things. This week we’ve carried a wee bit of luck but I think the lads deserve it with everything they put in each day.
“I ask a lot of them but we don’t feel sorry for ourselves with red cards or last-minute goals. If you keep doing the right things and keep training properly then it will turn.
“I probably would have taken a point after Mickel was sent off, four points from the two games would have been really good but six points is a lot better.
“This week has been absolutely brilliant for us, we’ve done all the right things and we’ve performed properly.”
The ascendancy seemed to be with Kilmarnock when Willie Collum brandished a second yellow card to Miller 12 minutes from time. The substitute, returning from injury, needlessly fouled Chris Burke after earlier picking up a booking for a tackle on Stephen O’Donnell.
But the visitors failed to capitalise on their man advantage and conceded a controversial spot-kick when Kirk Broadfoot was adjudged to have fouled Ogkmpoe.
Laurentiu Branescu valiantly got a hand to the Greek striker’s penalty but the ball found the top corner to compound Kilmarnock manager Alex Dyer’s disappointment.
“It was there in our grasp to win the game, we wanted to win the game,” he said.
“In hindsight it’s easy to say it would be nice to take a point but the way the game was, it was there for us to win it.”
