Darian MacKinnon today backed Hamilton team-mate Shaun Want to bounce back from the penalty controversy that cost Accies dear at Tynecastle at the weekend.

Want’s 81st minute challenge on Sam Nicholson was deemed illegal by referee Craig Thomson even though the Hearts sub appeared to be off balance when the tackle was put in.

Despite the fierce Hamilton protests, Hearts were given the chance to forge a crucial 2-1 lead and Jamie Walker duly stroked home the spot kick to turn the match on its head after Ali Crawford had given Accies the advantage.

MacKinnon said: "Shaun won't let his head drop. The young kids here are excellent. You saw that with him when he came on, for a young boy to come on in that environment, I thought he was excellent. He'll learn maybe not to dive in next time, even though I don't think it's a penalty.

"I can't say too much but I was talking to Sam after the decision and he's said Shaun hasn't touched him. I don't want to say he's dived and I don't want to say he's cheating because he might just have been off balance or something. I think we've been done by one there."

Accies had been under the cosh for much of the first half as Hearts racked up a dozen shots on goal without reward.

But Martin Canning’s men defended stoutly and upped the ante just after the break when Crawford smacked in a tidy volley to give the visitors the lead.

The introduction of Nicholson gave the home side fresh impetus, though, and after he had crossed for Walker to head in an equaliser, the Hearts sub then earned the penalty that changed the match.

Dougie Imrie had his own penalty appeal waved away as the Accies tried to salvage something from the encounter but Nicholson’s crisp strike in injury time wrapped up a third successive win for the Capital side.

MacKinnon added: "After the first ten or 15 minutes we thought it was going to be a tough afternoon but we got a wee foothold in it and got our goal and I thought we did really well.

“Obviously they've stepped it up a bit in the second half but like I say, I thought a draw would've been a fair result."

Hamilton now face a Lanarkshire derby with neighbours Motherwell this weekend and MacKinnon, 30, is confident Accies can get back to winning ways.

He said: “That's the kind of game you want after a defeat. If we can take our performances from recent weeks into that I'm pretty sure we'll get a positive result.”