Alex D’Acol insists that the Hamilton players are fully behind manager Martin Canning after fans appeared to turn on the Accies boss following the home draw with 10-man Motherwell.

A goal from D’Acol after the break looked to be enough to claim bragging rights for the home supporters in the final Lanarkshire derby of the year.

But Louis Moult’s headed equaliser deep into stoppage time robbed them of that right, leading them to turn their anger on Canning.

It was the latest in a long line of winning positions surrendered by Hamilton this season, and the frustration of the punters boiled over as they watched their side enter the winter break with just two wins to their name.

D’Acol has pleaded with the supporters to back Canning though, just as the players do, as he is certain that his manager can turn things around.

"When results are not going well then every fan in the world is going to be angry,” D’Acol said.

“We just have to keep working hard to give them the three points they want.

"We have to stand by the manager. The first target anywhere you go in the world where things are not going well is the manager. But we don't need to put that in our heads. The gaffer knows he is experienced and he will keep working to put this right.”

D’Acol was at a loss to explain just how he and his Hamilton teammates had let another victory slip from their grasp in agonising circumstances.

He accepts that a failure to kill Motherwell off when they had chances to do so had cost them yet again, and that the struggled to cope with the pressure they invited onto themselves.

"I have no words other than to say that we are frustrated,” he said. “They have scored a goal in the last second and it was everyone's fault.

“We played really well but when that happens and you don't get what you deserve then you feel frustrated.

"It definitely feels like a defeat. It doesn't feel like we got a point today. It feels like we lost three.

"I don't believe it ended like that. Nobody did. We worked so hard to win. We can’t just accept that this happens in football. We have to put it right in our next game.

“I think when you get to the end of the game and they are putting the ball in the box it's natural to be under pressure. We were trying as hard as possible not to concede the goal. We also should have killed the game but we didn't do that and Motherwell got the result. For us, it feels like a loss.”

The winter break leaves Hamilton with plenty of time to lick their wounds following the disappointment of the weekend, but D’Acol is hoping it will give them a chance to regain their focus.

And he fully concedes that they must start turning draws – they have 11 from 21 games so far this season – into wins if they are to stay in the division.

“I hope the break is good for us and we can come back stronger,” he said.

"We have to keep working and doing our best and play football and try to forget the psychological stuff. We need to stay together, stay strong and stand by each other.

“We need to win. We have to start worrying about getting points because every match is a new day for us. We need to start getting three points soon because draws won't be enough.”