Hamilton Accies John Rankin says his strikers must keep believing the goals will come after defeat to Dundee made it back-to-back losses in the Championship without scoring.
Lyall Cameron's first league goal of the season and a strike from substitute Luke McCowan with the final kick of the ball saw the Dark Blues claim all three points and send Accies down to ninth spot in the table.
With just one win in eight games, Hamilton's wasteful finishing is taking its toll and Rankin knows that has to change fast with numerous second half chances against Dundee going abegging.
John-Pierre Tiehi spurned a huge opportunity to equalise when 16-year-old Ryan One's defence-splitting pass put him through one-on-one, while Andy Winter hit the bar with a fine strike in 80 minutes. Tiehi also went close twice in the final moments before Dee wrapped up the win in stoppage time.
It left Rankin frustrated once again as they gave themselves too much to do after a dismal first half showing.
But the New Douglas Park gaffer says his player must keep the faith that their fortunes will turn.
He said: "I don't think we performed at all in the first half, it was really disappointing.
"Second half we were much better. We were in Dundee's faces, we were trying to play forward passes, we were having shots on target.
"We had a good effort off the bar. I think we must score when we are through one-on-one.
"Over the piece did we do enough to win the game? I don't think we did.
"Dundee scored with their two efforts on target, which is hugely disappointing.
"The rub of the green at the moment is they are through on goal in the last minute when we are pushing for an equaliser.
"Fults makes a save but it comes off the underside of his elbow and flies into the top corner. The flip side of that is that when we are through, the goalkeeper makes a save and it goes for a corner.
"That's the side of our game at the moment that is not falling for us. The players have to believe that will change.
"We will continue to work hard and eventually one of them will drop, but we can't keep having these conversations every Saturday night.
"That we are creating these chances and we are playing good football - because we need take them, we need to be ruthless.
"Just now it is not falling for us and we need to put the ball in the back of the net.
"We need to believe that we will eventually get one, make it count and take three points from a game."
It took 14 minutes for either side to carve an opening and the first opportunity fell to the visitors when Paul McMullan dug out a cross to the back post. Dee skipper Jordan McGhee ghosted in unmarked but his bullet header was well saved by Ryan Fulton down low.
Three minutes later Cameron headed over from six yards when he really should have scored.
In 29 minutes Dundee's pressure finally paid off. Josh Mulligan and Joe Grayson combined to feed Cameron inside the box and he drilled a low strike past Fulton into the far corner for his fifth goal of the season in all competitions.
But Accies should have levelled when a stunning through ball from Ryan One put substitute John Pierre Tiehi clean in on goal but his effort was straight at Legzdins.
Two minutes later Cameron had the chance to kill the game but hit the side netting after Zach Robinson's inch-perfect cross picked him out at the back post unmarked.
Andy Winter arrowed a strike towards the top corner in the 80th minute and only the crossbar came to Dundee's rescue with Legzdins beaten.
The hosts kept ranking up the pressure and Smith's ball across goal was a whisker away from finding Tiehi late on before the Frenchman also fired over moments later.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time McCowan sealed the points on the counter attack, racing on to McMullan's through ball to net with the final kick of the game.
Accies have mustered just seven goals in their eight outings, with defender Dan O'Reilly their top scorer in the league with two goals.
But Rankin has belief in his strikers to come good.
He added: "John-Pierre going through, he's got to take the chance, let's be honest about it.
"He has to score and that is disappointing, but at the same time, he is in that position in the first place and we need to encourage these players - John-Pierre is only 20 - to continue to get into these areas for them to progress, so that eventually these chances go in.
"I am fully confident that I see Andy Winter finishing, I see John Pierre finishing, I see [Lewis] Smith finishing.
"I see them do it on a daily basis so we know they can do it, it is just a case of when it gets to a Saturday it is just not happening right now.
"I do believe in them and I think they will score goals.
"The good thing is we are continually creating chances but we are giving away opportunities at the other side."
Accies are back in action next Saturday when they travel to Cappielow to face Morton.
HAMILTON: Fulton, Shiels, Easton, O'Reilly, Doyle, Mimnaugh (L Smith 69), Martin, Lawson, Zanatta (Tiehi 60), Winter, One.
Scorers:
Bookings: Zanatta
Subs not used: J Smith, McGinn, Owens, Brown, Forsyth, Ngandu.
DUNDEE: Legzdins, McGhee, Kerr, Ashcroft, French, McGowan, Cameron (McCowan 86), Grayson (Williamson 46), Robinson (Rudden 75), McMullan, Mulligan (Anderson 75).
Scorers: Cameron 29, McCowan 90+4
Bookings:
Subs not used: Sharp, Marshall, Robertson, Sheridan, Strachan.
Ref: Matthew MacDermid
HT: 0-1
Att: 1,642
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