Carl McHugh relishes rough-and-tumble victory over Hamilton

Motherwell's Carl McHugh admitted there was no chance of their high-pressure Lanarkshire derby producing a classic football match - especially on Hamilton's "terrible" pitch - but he claimed their 1-0 victory was exactly the sort of game he enjoys.

Well moved three points above Accies in the Ladbrokes Premiership and saved themselves from automatic relegation after Louis Moult's untidy header looped into the top corner following Elliott Frear's free-kick midway through the half.

The ball soared over the wet artificial surface for much of the game and Kevin Clancy handed out 10 yellow cards as both sides battled to avoid the play-off position ahead of the final two matches of the season.

Both sides had a couple of first-half chances and it always looked like one goal would win it. And Moult came up trumps with his sixth goal against Hamilton this season after visiting goalkeeper Russell Griffiths produced an excellent stop from Alex D'Acol.

Stand-in defender McHugh said: "Hammy (Steven Hammell) threw a ball back to me in the first half and it took a bobble and nearly skipped away from me so after that I wasn't going to take any chances.

"We know it's a difficult pitch and there was a bit of swirling wind. It's just about reducing the risk and playing in the other team's half as much as you can and hoping we can nick something at the other end, which we did.

"I don't think I made a pass, I just headed it and kicked it. But needs must. The pitch is terrible. How you are playing on a pitch like that at this level, I don't know.

"It's just about results at this stage of the season, no one is going to remember the performance. We have played good football in the last few weeks at home and got nothing from it.

"It's a results business so we will take it and move on.

"There's a lot on the line but at the same time when there's lots on it and there is that pressure, these are the games you want to play in. When you come out of it and you win them, it's a great relief."

McHugh admitted there was plenty left for Motherwell to do ahead of the visit of Kilmarnock on Tuesday night, while Hamilton face Ross County in Dingwall.

Manager Martin Canning bemoaned the loss of their fifth goal from set-pieces in three matches but insisted they would keep fighting to stay in the division.

"We need to beat Ross County and we need to beat Dundee on Saturday ad hope that's enough," he said. "It's going to be an uphill battle now to get back up above Motherwell, and Tuesday is now huge. Every game becomes bigger.

"We have to keep fighting. That's what we've always done here but we still believe we can do it. We just need to pick everybody up."

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