Hamilton boss Martin Canning hails attitude of sub Bloomfield
The substitute's goal just three minutes from time helped Accies overcome Livingston 1-0.
Martin Canning praised the attitude of Mason Bloomfield after the substitute fired Hamilton to a dramatic 1-0 victory over Livingston in the Ladbrokes Premiership.
Bloomfield's winner arrived just three minutes from time in a match that had ebbed and flowed, with boss Canning singing his praises on the day he grabbed his first senior goal.
“Mason hasn't had a great deal of opportunities to play but he deserves all the credit because his attitude has been spot on,” Canning said.
“This is a little lesson to everybody because it just shows that regardless of where you are, if you get your head down and get the opportunity then it shows what you can do.
“I'm sure Mason feels a million dollars and deservedly so because he's done great to get us the three points.”
Accies' first victory since August was made even more remarkable by the fact they had just been reduced to 10 men when Bloomfield struck.
Mickel Miller saw red for two bookable offences, with Canning having no real complaints over referee Alan Muir's decision.
“I can see why it was given,” he admitted. “I'm asking the guys to be competitive and fight for every ball but when you've been booked you maybe need to think about what you're doing a little more.
“There wasn't a great deal in the game and certainly not a lot of quality.
“Livingston did what they've done well all season. They make you defend your box. They put a lot of balls in there and you've got to defend well if you want to beat them. Thankfully we did that here.”
Livingston manager Gary Holt blamed his side's defeat - just their second since he took charge - on their inability to convert clear-cut chances.
Scott Pittman, Dolly Menga and Bobby Burns all missed gilt-edged opportunities as the West Lothian side slipped to their third league defeat of the season.
“We've got to take our chances,” Holt said. “It's not just half-chances, it's opportunities that have got to be goals.
“And then we've got to be more clever and streetwise late in the game. If they're breaking and you've got to take one for the team then you need to do that.
“If you've got a point then you can't hand the initiative to your opponents and I think we weren't streetwise in that position and it has cost us a point."