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Sport
Andy McGilvray

Hamilton Accies are kicking off huge four-game run, admits boss Stuart Taylor

Hamilton Accies boss Stuart Taylor says Dunfermline is the start of a run of four games that could be pivotal to his side's chances of landing a play-off slot in the Championship.

Accies follow up the visit by the Pars with trips to Partick Thistle and Ayr United, either side of a visit by Queen of the South, and Taylor wants as many points as he can get.

Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Kilmarnock left Taylor's side eighth in the Championship table going into the clash, seven points above their visitors, who have a game in hand.

The Accies head coach says he's looking at the teams above him, though, rather than what lies beneath.

Hamilton are on the same points as Morton, who are seventh on goal-difference, with Ayr United one above them, and Taylor says Accies' next few games can make a huge difference to them.

He said: "We have a run over the next four games, we've got Dunfermline and Partick Thistle, Queen of the South and Ayr United, so four big games.

Taylor says Dunfermline kicks off a run of vital games (SNS Group)

"Even if we did win on Saturday. it's four games that are as big today as what they would have been last week before we played the Kilmarnock game.

"When teams are about you, everyone talks about a 'six-pointer', and we've got Ayr United in a couple of weeks' time who are a point ahead of us at this moment in time, so that's a big game.

"Even if we win our next few games and they lose their next few games they're still going to be close round about us.

"But every game is massive. We take great pride in what we do and in how we go and play, and try and achieve the win.

"Every game is a must-win game. It's about pride, it's about going out and representing the football club, the area of Hamilton, and that's exactly what we are and what we're all about.

"A win would get us closer to the teams above us, which is really important, and that's the way we look at games.

"How can we get further up the table, to get closer to the teams that are above us, or on the same points as us, and that's our approach to every game.

"I've never spoken about the league table. What we're all about is preparing right for games, working hard at training and trying to get the best performance and result on Saturday.

Hamilton fell to a 2-0 defeat at Kilmarnock on Saturday (SNS Group)

"But that was a big frustration for us on Saturday; if we had won we would have gone five points behind Inverness Caley, four behind Raith Rovers, and they're meant to be having a fantastic season and all that. That was our disappointment on Saturday, that we didn't close that gap."

Hamilton and Dunfermline each have a home win and a 0-0 draw from earlier this season and Taylor says it's important that they establish dominance.

He said: "We'll go and implement our style of play straight away, we'll have a little bit of what we're about, in terms of having a fast start and a positive impact on the game as early on as possible, and go and dictate the game, dominate the game and try and get the three points at the end of it."

Taylor reports that striker Andy Ryan should be fit for Saturday's game, despite colliding with a post at Kilmarnock. Miko Virtanen has taken an anti-inflammatory injection on an Achilles injury, but isn't expected to make the Dunfermline game, and Marley Redfern is still out with a hamstring injury, but midfielder Adam McGowan has returned to training.

Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on Twitter via @LanLiveSport, like us on Facebook or find us on Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video.

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