THIS was Motherwell's moment to banish the nightmares that were ingrained into them back on January 1.

That was their last short trip to New Douglas Park, when a 5-0 hammering was handed out to them by a rampant Hamilton Academical.

Almost five months on, those mental scars have perhaps healed, but this 2-0 defeat could prove to be even more painful in the Fir Park club's fight to keep their three-decade run in the Scottish-top flight alive.

Heading into last night's match in 11th place and six points adrift of Ross County and seven off Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle, a victory would have gone a long, long way to reeling at least one of them in.

Instead, the 2,000 Motherwell supporters who witnessed this defeat will be watching on nervously this afternoon as County and Jags meet in Dingwall while Killie travel to St Mirren.

Goals from Jason Scotland and Ali Crawford did the damage to deliver Martin Canning's first win in 14 games in charge of Hamilton, but in truth, it was a game both teams had the chance to grasp in a fraught first half.

There were early shouts for a penalty from the home support. Just seven minutes were on the clock when right-back Josh Law misjudged his jump to floor Dougie Imrie. Referee John Beaton saw no infringement as Michael Devlin choked the follow-up.

It was a scare that briefly brought Motherwell to life as they came agonisingly close to taking the lead five minutes later through Lionel Ainsworth. The ball was neatly worked along the edge of the box to the winger on the right for him to drill a low off Louis Longridge, with Michael McGovern reacting brilliantly to claw it away from the far corner.

It was an opportunity that would soon come back to haunt them as Accies took the lead on 21 minutes.

A hole in the centre of the Well defence was capitalised upon by a great pass from Crawford, which sent Scotland through to slot low into the left corner from the edge of the box.

The game then entered a bizarre spell where the ball hit the upright three times in the space of 10 minutes as the game raged from end to end.

Straight after going behind, a knock-on header from Motherwell forward Scott McDonald played in Lee Erwin, but his composure deserted him as his rushed volley skimmed off the bar from 12 yards.

Two minutes later at the other end Michael Devlin's looping header cannoned off the bar and back out from a Crawford corner before Motherwell's Marvin Johnson cut inside to bend a 15-yard strike off the crossbar with McGovern at sea.

Despite Darian MacKinnon for Accies and Erwin and Ainsworth for Motherwell having chances, the hosts went in at half-time with a slender lead against their local rivals who knew nothing but a win would really do.

Within seven minutes of the restart and the writing was on the wall as Hamilton doubled their lead.

Slack play on the left at the halfway line allowed Imrie to pounce and drive forward. The midfielder cut across the park, drawing defenders out of position before playing a sublime through ball to Crawford ghosting in on the far side.

The winger took one touch to steady himself at the edge of the box before then smashing a low shot across George Long and into the far bottom corner.

Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough threw caution to the wind as his team's hopes of catching anybody above them began to ebb away.

Dom Thomas and John Sutton were both introduced and combined well, with the latter almost connecting with the former's cross with 15 minutes left to play, but his outstretched leg couldn't connect.

Erwin would go through on goal yet again only for his poor effort to be caught under McGovern.

It was no more than Hamilton deserved as Canning's team bossed the second half to ensure their manager finally got to savour a victory.

It is a feeling Motherwell surely must experience consistently from now until the end of the season if the relegation play-off, which now looks inevitable, is to be avoided.