Gutted John Rankin admits he will be pouring over his side’s dismal defending that cost them in their narrow defeat to Queen’s Park.
The Accies boss looked on in horror as Jack Turner was given the freedom of Hampden Park to take a touch at the back post and fire home unmarked in the only goal of the 1-0 defeat.
Hamilton had chances themselves and will look back on Daire O’Connor’s late volley as a huge opportunity missed to take a share of the spoils from their first trip to the national stadium in almost two years.
However, they were sent packing after Turner’s strike inflicted their fourth defeat of the Championship campaign and saw them slide down the table to seventh.
Rankin sighed: “I said to Daz [MacKinnon, the assistant manager] just after the second half started ‘There’s one goal in this game’, and that’s how it’s gone.
“We are disappointed to lose it because I don’t think there is a lot between the two teams. I think we both tried to play but, ultimately, when it comes down to it we had really good opportunities and never took them, while they had some good opportunities and took the best one they had.
“We need to solve how there’s a guy in the middle of our six-yard box able to take a touch and finish. That is extremely disappointing.
“When I look at the chances that we actually created, where we were in on the goalkeeper, we’ve got to make more of those opportunities. I don’t think there is a lot between the two teams over the piece.
“I am gutted at losing the game. Coming away with a point would have been a fair result.”
On O’Connor’s late chance, he added: “Daire’s opportunity was the best one we had and, with how close he was, he’s got to do better.
“He knows that himself, he must hit the target. I’m disappointed with that but we had other opportunities where we’ve got to hit the target or make the goalkeeper make a save.”
Accies were unable to build on last week’s 1-0 win at home to Partick Thistle, but Rankin said he was still pleased with aspects of the performance.
He added: “I thought we started the game pretty well. We were on the front foot and I thought we dominated the first 15 minutes of the second half until they got their goal.
“Then it became a case of staying in the game and trying to get back into it, which we never did against Livingston a couple of weeks ago [in a 3-0 defeat].
“So we are learning, making a fight of the last 10-15 minutes to give us an opportunity to get back into it.
“We are still developing as a team and the leadership groups on the pitch are passing on that information and making sure we are still in the game, because I thought at the end we were making a fight of it.”
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