Hamilton Accies boss Stuart Taylor says he warned his side they were facing a basement battle against Dunfermline today before their 2-2 Championship draw.
But Taylor says he was really pleased for his side for the way they responded to twice conceding goals against John Hughes' side, and that they're showing mental toughness as the season progresses.
David Moyo struck twice to cancel out Coll Donaldson's superb opener and again in the second half to level Steven Lawless' penalty.
Taylor said: "I think it’s exactly what we expected, going into the game, that it was going to be an absolute battle.
“You could tell there was a lot of anxiety about the stadium and it was a case of going out and making sure that we keep in the game, keep at it and keep fighting.
“I thought the players responded really well to going a goal down twice, and in the last 15-20 minutes of the game I felt we were the team on top and I thought we were going to go on and win it.
"I'm really happy with the way we finished the game but I did say to them before they went out that it was going to be hard-fought game and it might take 60-70 minutes before they can get the ball down and play, and be the team on top.
"Credit to them for that, the response was really good from them to losing goals.
"It was a big improvement from earlier on in the season, because people said that when we went a goal down we found it tough, and I think we responded in the right manner there.
"I think as the season has gone on the players have shown that they're a lot mentally stronger and proven any critics in that sense, but we still have a lot to work on."
The result leaves Hamilton seven points clear of bottom side Dunfermline, and Taylor says their penalty was of the 'soft' variety.
He said: "You always want to go and win games, we speak about 'no disappointments'. I've seen their second penalty back on the video and I think young Ellis got beat by 'experience and cuteness' where if you are caught on the wrong side, the man falls down and brings you with him, then it's going to look like you've given the foul.
"It's a tough call for the referee, it leaves it open to that happening, but it's experience from him and he will learn from it.
"It's up to the rest of the lads to go and dig him out of a hole and we did that, we responded really well."
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