DARIAN MacKINNON has urged his Hamilton team-mates to up the tempo when they face Lanarkshire rivals Motherwell on Saturday.
MacKinnon admits that Accies have a Jekyll and Hyde nature – when they’re good, they’re very good, but when they’re bad, they can be awful.
This point was highlighted with a win over high-flying Hearts prior to the international break, followed by a 4-1 humiliation at the hands of St Johnstone last weekend.
“When we go into games with our high energy and pressing we’re a good side but, as we saw in Perth, once we drop that we’re rubbish,” he admitted.
“So we need to make sure that we’re bang at it on Saturday. It’s hard to flick that switch if you don’t start properly.
“I think the international break killed us. In the weeks leading up to it we were flying during training but, when we came back after that gap, it was a bit flat on the Monday and Tuesday.
“Wednesday was a wee bit better but it still wasn’t the way it had been. Even so, I still didn’t see that performance against St Johnstone coming.
“However, I’d like to think that our display against Aberdeen means that we’re back on track. It was night and day compared to the St Johnstone game, when we were absolutely terrible.
“It’s good to bounce back with a derby. We know that if we work hard and play well then we’ll win more than we lose and, after losing 4-1 at St Johnstone, we knew we had to turn in a performance - we didn’t want to be turned over 4-0 or 5-0 at Pittodrie.
“You need to work hard to give yourself a chance in any game. Hopefully, we all turn up on the day against Motherwell and get the result we want.”
MacKinnon was buoyed by Accies’ midweek performance, and he says he will be fit to help his team-mates continue their resurgence on Saturday after coming off with an ankle knock at Pittodrie.
“We were excellent at Aberdeen,” he said.
“I had to come off due to injury but, to a man, we were terrific.
“Fortunately, I’ll be fine for Saturday. It was just inflammation of the ankle, which was all down to me forgetting to put my strapping on before the game.
“I’d been strapping my ankle for ages but it felt okay before the game on Tuesday so I didn’t bother. It was fine during the game but then I dummied a pass for Grant Gillespie and I must have jarred it.
“Then I tried to run and I just couldn’t. So it was my fault. In any case, the gaffer said I was running about like a headless chicken so he would have had to take me off anyway!
“At least it allowed young Greg Docherty the chance to come on at a great place to go and play.”
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