Hamilton focused on taking points off likely bottom six rivals

Player/manager Martin Canning wants Hamilton to forget their impressive opening-day draw against Rangers and concentrate on getting results against the Scottish Premiership sides likely to be closer to them in the league table.

Accies earned deserved plaudits for their performance in the 1-1 draw at Ibrox last Saturday on an afternoon when the home side unfurled the Championship flag and were expected to get off to a flier on their return to the top flight.

However, the feelgood factor disappeared on Tuesday night when they lost 2-1 at home to Championship side Morton in their Betfred Cup tie.

Canning highlighted the need for wins against Saturday's visitors Kilmarnock - who finished below Hamilton last season in the relegation play-off spot before beating Falkirk to ensure survival - and in the following games against Dundee and Ross County.

"Everybody talked about Rangers in the first game but for me you are looking at the three games afterwards as the games we need to do well in," said Canning, still eight weeks away from being available as he recovers from a fractured cheekbone.

"Those are the ones we are going to be judged on come the end of the season.

"I didn't even analyse the Rangers game, I wiped it from memory from the players' point of view. Let's forget about it, it's done.

"For us this season, the games against the teams who could potentially be down about us in the league will be big games.

"So we need to make sure that games against Kilmarnock, maybe Dundee, Ross County, Inverness; teams who everybody will say will be bottom-six teams if you like, if that is what we are going to call them, then they going to be huge games for every team involved.

"So Saturday becomes a massive game for us. It is only early in the season but it is still a huge game for us and we have to make sure we are ready to go.

"We know this is now a big period for us, a busy period. We have to look at Kilmarnock first, take care of that first, try to win that game and focus on the next game after that."