Hamilton vs Kilmarnock Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

Preview

Jon Tait Dec 17, 2015 @ 07:09 pm

Hamilton boss Martin Canning slammed his side’s defending as like a ‘pub team’ after their 4-0 defeat by Dundee last weekend and he’ll be expecting much better against a Killie side without a win in seven games.

Big Canzo was watching through his hands from the sidelines as the Dark Blues netted four in the opening 26 minutes at Dens Park, with Kane Hemmings rattling in a hat-trick.

That defeat saw Accies drop down into eighth spot and they’ve conceded seven in the last two games since their narrow 2-1 victory over basement side Dundee United, which put the skids on a run of five games without a win.

Visitors Kilmarnock aren’t fairing much better at the moment with 15 goals conceded during a nightmare run which has only been brightened by a goalless draw at leaders Celtic – which has proved something of a false dawn.

There could be goals aplenty in this one with both team’s backlines about as effective as a chocolate fireguard in the run up to the encounter. With Hamilton shipping 29 and Killie 36 so far this term, they’re among the leakiest defences in the Ladbrokes SPL.

And with Motherwell starting to pick up points, Killie boss Gary Locke will be desperate to keep pace with the Steelmen and not get cut adrift in second bottom spot while Canning has worries of his own and Accies will be looking nervously over their shoulders with Inverness Caley Thistle and ‘Well just a point behind them.

Never mind the season of goodwill, neither side will want to gift three points in this important lower table clash and it could produce a real Christmas cracker for the fans. But whichever boss loses this game will find the pressure heaped on their shoulders as the battle to avoid the play-off relegation spot picks up pace over the hectic festive period.

The game will be a real test of the player’s metal and mental toughness as well as proving a drain physically on pitch made heavy by the rain that has been dropping on Scotland. It’s too early to be talking about relegation six-pointers in December, but both gaffers will be well aware that defeat in this one will suck them right into trouble.

Accies won at Kilmarnock earlier in the season and they’ve got the better scoring record with 22 goals compared to Killie’s 19, so they’re favourites to take the points with the bookies. And after the blasting that Canning will have dished out to his side after the embarrassing showing last time out, they’ll be keen to keep their places ahead of the January transfer window. The onus is on them to come out and bounce back from that heavy defeat and the manager will want to see a huge improvement.

The responsibility for breaching the Killie back line will fall on Dougie Imrie’s shoulders for the hosts who top the charts with just five returns while Killie’s top scorer is Josh Magennis with seven and he’ll be providing the main threat at the other end.

But both bosses will want to see a bigger spread of goals throughout their respective sides as they look to battle to mid-table safety.

Hamilton Acies Stats W6 D4 L8

Recent Form LLDWLL

Kilmarnock Stats W4 D5 L10

Recent Form LDLDLL

Head-to-Head record:

26/09/2015 Kilmarnock 1 Hamilton Accies 2

02/05/2015 Kilmarnock 2 Hamilton Accies 3

07/02/2015 Hamilton Accies 0 Kilmarnock 0

27/12/2014 Kilmarnock 1 Hamilton Accies 0

20/09/2014 Hamilton Accies 0 Kilmarnock 0

Possible Line-ups

Hamilton Accies (4-1-4-1) – McGovern, Gordon, Garcia Tena, De Lima, Kurakins, Gillespie, Imrie, MacKinnon, Docherty, Crawford, Morris.

Kilmarnock (4-2-3-1) –MacDonald, Barbour, Connolly, Balatoni, Findlay, Hamill, Smith, Magennis, Splaine, Kiltie, Boyd.

Injuries/ Suspension

Hamilton Accies: none.

Kilmarnock: Johnston (inj), Higginbotham (inj), McKenzie (inj).

League Positions