Hamilton and Dundee are two teams going in the right direction against many odds

Even with so many games still to be played, it's obvious that neither are going to be anywhere close to being relegated.

Martin Canning was supposed to flop at Hamilton and there were a fair few – puts hand up – who believed that he would not be in the job for long as the club would have to do something sooner rather than relegation in an attempt to keep the team in the Premiership.

While the job Paul Hartley is doing and has done at Dens Park is quite remarkable. Even with some key players out injured, his side were able to come away from New Douglas Park just two points off third place, a point and position behind their weekend hosts.

Indeed, after this game Hartley spoke about operating under the radar and “long may that continue” and he’s quite right. Not many plaudits are thrown the way of Dens Park and that’s an injustice.

Canning should be proud of the way he personally recovered from a sticky start following Alex Neil’s departure to mould together a fine team with huge potential. The Accies are in fine shape.

So where is this all going to end for two teams who seem well set to go places?

Imrie said: “We’re delighted with where we are just now. Our aim is always to stay in the league and we’ve got off to a great start, as we did last season. It’s all credit to the management team for the way they set us out and the players for carrying out the instructions.”

Dundee’s Thomas Konrad, who was involved in one of the game’s flashpoints, the sending off of Hamilton’s Darian Mackinnon, has his eyes on a place where Dundee did finish in not so long ago, during a time that can only be described as ridiculous when Claudio Caniggia led the line.

Konrad said: “I think we have done well so far. We are in the top six, a good position in the league. We want to do better than last season, when we were sixth, we want to do better this year and we have a chance of doing that.

“We will see if it’s a European place. So fifth or even fourth would be good.”

A draw between these two should not have come as much of a surprise, although the action itself had plenty of twists and turns. The home side were the better lot from start to finish and yet they were happy to get away with just a draw.

Dundee had taken a lead just after half-time through a goal which took a silly deflection off Hamilton striker Carlton Morris or else the shot from left-back Kevin Holt was never beating Michael McGovern.

Imrie, who was excellent all day, in fact he’s always good, scored the equaliser with a few minutes left on the clock, after a good run and cross from the impressive Hamilton right-back Ziggy Gordon set up his team-mate for a simple chance.

The result was better for the Accies because on the hour, Mackinnon got involved in an incident that had nothing to with him and whether he meant it or not, aimed at a kick at a place on Konrad’s body that should never be kicked.

“I won the ball and was fouled. Then I just saw someone kick me between my legs. It wasn't sore. It also happened after the whistle. He did not hit me 100 per cent so I’m okay,” revealed the injured party to everyone’s relief.

Imrie enjoyed his goal so much that he ran the length of the pitch screaming his head off and even had a pop at the Dundee bench, something Hartley’s right hand man Gerry McCabe took exception to.

The Hamilton man said: “I enjoy scoring any goal but my emotions got the better of me and I have to apologise for that. I didn’t mean anything bad by it - I was just delighted to score the equaliser in those circumstances.

“I didn’t say anything to him but I won’t do that again. I just went over the top with the celebration because I was so happy. I apologised to Gerry, it was silly and we move on.”

And the way Hamilton and Dundee are going, they will both move on to better things.