Brian Rice urges Hamilton to stay grounded after moving off bottom spot win win
Last updated on .From the section Hamilton
Hamilton Academical cannot "get carried away" after Saturday's win over Hearts, insists head coach Brian Rice.
Accies' first win since September lifted them off the foot of the Scottish Premiership.
Rice's side host St Johnstone - who are a point ahead of 11th-placed Hamilton - on Boxing Day.
"The confidence you get from winning is evident about the place on a Saturday night, on Monday morning but we've got to be careful," said the head coach.
"It's only one win. It's about trying to get a balance. I look at all the positives even when we lose, but winning is everything.
"It's great to get the win. I think the boys for what they've been through the last seven or eight weeks for their performances, which have been good apart from the St Mirren game, they deserved the win on Saturday."
At one stage on Saturday against Hearts, Alex Gogic was Accies' oldest player on the pitch at 25.
"Some of the players in the first team at the minute at 22 or 23, it's all new to them," Rice explained. "The Will Collars, boys like this. Everything is a learning curve and the best way to learn and gain experience is on the field.
"I see it every day in training. I see what they can be. Confidence has maybe taken a bit of a knock, with competing so well in so many games and not picking up the points, but I'm hopeful that Saturday will give them that wee bit more confidence to go and express themselves."
Should Hamilton beat Saints on Thursday, it would be their first back-to-back wins since March 2018.
"I think it's very important when we're playing teams in the same area as we are in the league that we try and pick something up," added Rice, who could have Adrian Beck and Blair Alston back in his squad.
"It's a big test for us."
