Hamilton Accies have taken the lead in eight of their nine league games so far this season. Only once have they come away with the three points.

That is a statistic that manager Martin Canning is desperate to turn around, with the Accies boss all too aware how much of a difference three points can make in a league as tight as the Scottish Premiership.

While he is pleased with the performances being put in by his players, he has hammered home to them the importance of being able to hold on to leads after putting themselves in winning positions.

“At the start of the season I spoke about how important three points will be this year, it’s just a shame we can’t seem to get them!” Canning said.

“We can be pleased we have put ourselves in a winning position eight times as there were games last season when we never looked like doing that.

“The work rate and effort is there but we are just not seeing games through. We need to start seeing games through. We also need a bit of luck as well.

“We are not getting ripped apart or crumbling when we go ahead. 95 per cent of what we are trying to do is there. We just need to find that extra five per cent to get over the line.

“The one thing that isn’t lacking is belief. Players know when they are not playing well but that is not the case.

“We know we are capable of getting a result against anybody if we perform well.”

Canning knows that his side will certainly have to perform well to get a result this evening against Derek McInnes’s buoyant Aberdeen side as they welcome them to Lanarkshire.

He expects the Dons to be flying after booking their place in the BetFred Cup final just three days ago, rather than being too physically affected by their recent exertions.

“I watched most of the Morton game and obviously they are a good side,” he said.

“That’s them in another cup final so they are going to be high on confidence.

“You never know how they are going to feel physically as games like that can take a lot out of you emotionally, but I would expect they would come here full of belief.”

A home record that boasts just two league wins in the calendar year would be a cause for concern for most managers, but Canning is confident that they can start putting that right tonight.

“It is not something we talk about or think about to be honest,” he said.

“Obviously we want to win more games at home but our performance levels have been good.

“I think if we keep performing the way we have done then the results will come and we will start to win games.”

Hamilton striker Alex D’Acol has meanwhile told Accies supporters that they will now see the best of him after he got his first league goal for the club against Inverness.

"I am quite happy as I scored two goals in the cup and have now scored in the league, and the first goal is the hardest one,” he said.

"My confidence levels are up and I am happy with my performances. I feel that I am helping the team.

"I want to score more goals and there is a lot more to come from myself.”