Martin Canning wary of Kris Boyd threat
Hamilton travel to Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock on Saturday
Hamilton boss Martin Canning knows exactly the task his Hamilton defence are facing in attempting to keep Kilmarnock's in-form striker Kris Boyd quiet on Saturday.
The 34-year-old has returned to top form this season, scoring 20 goals so far during the Ayrshire club's resurgence under Steve Clarke.
Former defender Canning claims the striker is "up there'' among the best he faced during his career, which started at Ross County and ended at Accies, and he knows how difficult it will be for his men to stop him at Rugby Park.
"Kilmarnock have been in great form since Steve Clarke has come in,'' said the Hamilton manager, whose side are in ninth place, eight points ahead of bottom side Ross County.
"They are a good side, well organised and work very hard and they have a threat at the top end of the pitch as obviously Kris Boyd has found his goalscoring form again, banging in goals pretty much every game he plays.
"I played against Kris a few times. He certainly knows where the goal is.
"He is 34, a bit younger than me and it is great to see him back enjoying his football and scoring goals but hopefully not tomorrow.
"I wouldn't say he is the best player in every game he plays but he finds a way to put the ball in the back of the net and that is so important.
"In open play at times he wouldn't do a lot but when the ball went wide he was a different animal in the box.
"You can feel that you are defending well and then out of nowhere a ball comes in and he is standing by himself in the middle of the box and scores.
"His movement is excellent. People call it luck when the ball seems to fall to that player all the time but it is not luck, they anticipate all the time, they see things a bit quicker than others.
"When you have that natural eye for goal it is about maintaining your fitness and finding a manager and a team that plays in a style that suits you and that's what he has got just now and that gets the best out of him.
"It is up to us to stop that and hopefully tomorrow he has an off day.
"We know it will be a difficult game but we will look to take three points.'