HAMILTON boss Martin Canning today told his players they must redouble their efforts if they want to end their eight game winless run.

The New Douglas Park club crashed to a 4-0 defeat to Scottish champions Celtic in an SPFL Premiership game at Parkhead yesterday.

The Lanarkshire side haven't won since they defeated St. Johnstone in a top flight match at McDiarmid Park way back on January 4.

But Canning reckons his side has an opportunity to triumph with games against St. Mirren, Ross County and Motherwell looming in the weeks ahead.

But he has warned his charges, who are hoping to finish in the top six that they must keep applying themselves in training and matches.

He said: "The run we have been on has not been ideal and we knew it was going to be difficult going to Celtic Park and getting a result.

"It isn't the sort of place that you go to try and get a result and get your season back on track. But I thought we did well for an hour.

"Listen, I would rather be on a better run than the one we are on. But all we can do is work even harder than we have been doing.

"That is one thing this group will always do - regardless of whether they have won, lost or drawn - and that is work hard. It is true."

"We know have a run of fixtures where I believe we can pick up points. We must apply ourselves in training and in matches to do that."

Canning added: "It was difficult against Celtic. But I thought for the first hour we did what we set out to do and frustrated them. And in the second half we actually started really well.

"I told the boys to have more belief in themselves. I thought we had lacked quality when we were on the ball. I wanted us to work our way back into the game.

"But we lost the ball cheaply in the middle of the park and we were punished for that as a result of the quality that Celtic have got.

"From there, it became difficult. They are a good side and they are capable of picking you off. But I didn't think it was a 4-0 game."