Head coach John Rankin was disappointed to see his Hamilton Accies side concede a late goal for the third game running, but says there are plenty of positives to take after for mixing it with Championship title hopefuls Partick Thistle.
Serving a one-match touchline ban after his red card in last week's 1-1 draw with Morton, Rankin had to watch from the stands as Accies edged in front a Firhill after a Jack McMillan own-goal just before the break.
However, just as they did in recent games with Ton and Queen's Park in the Premier Sports Cup, a late goal saw victory escape Accies, with Brian Graham netting seven minutes from time to salvage a point for Partick.
It did stretch Hamilton's unbeaten to five games under Rankin and he was pleased by his side's overall play.
He said: "That's us five games unbeaten and that is a major positive.
"A lot of people have been tipping Partick for the league and for us to go to Firhill and play the way we did, it shows the belief in this team.
"The main teams everyone is speaking about is Partick and Dundee.
"We went to Dundee in the cup and came off the back of a 3-0 defeat, so the challenge was we are going to a team that is similar in stature and strength so can we do a lot better and put up a challenge - and I felt we did that yesterday.
"We gave them the respect they deserve, but we didn't sit off them and we were in their faces.
"In this league it is so competitive and you can see that from the results yesterday.
"You are never out of any game. It's about keeping yourself in it or giving yourself breathing space so that one mistake doesn't cost you.
"Yesterday we never did that and it becomes frustrating from our perspective because we've done so well in the first part of the game."
Accies had to contend with a barrage from Thistle in the first half, but Rankin was delighted with how his defence stood up to that.
He added: "Thistle put us under a bit of pressure just before half-time but we dealt with it really well, and then we got the goal.
"It came against the run of play at the time but fair play to the boys that they came up trumps in that respect.
"They didn't look flustered by all that pressure and the goal changed the momentum of the game.
"In the second half I didn't think there was anything in the game at all.
"I thought both sides huffed and puffed, never really created many chances but obviously to concede the goal at the time we do is disappointing.
"I felt there was a clearance before it where we could have squeezed up on it but we didn't.
"We brought the danger upon ourselves. That comes from us trying to feel safe within ourselves, rather than doing our jobs right and us dictating."
Brian Potter took charge in the dugout for Accies, but he was in constant communication with Rankin, who felt his staff handled the situation well.
He said: "It was different. I had to rely on the guys about me but they were great.
"Everybody stepped up and it was a bit of an achievement for us as a staff to deal with it relatively well.
"But I want to be beside them and help them going forward."
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