23 October 2020

Hakeem Odoffin knows Hamilton need to start stronger to improve their chances

23 October 2020

Hakeem Odoffin admits Hamilton have to be quicker out the blocks to give themselves a chance in games.

October has been a difficult month for Brian Rice’s team so far with one victory in five games, a 2-1 Betfred Cup win over Ayr United.

A 3-2 defeat by Hibernian and an embarrassing 3-1 loss to Annan in the Betfred Cup was followed by a 5-3 defeat to St Johnstone and a 4-2 beating at Aberdeen on Tuesday night, and in all those encounters they gave their opponents at least a 3-0 start.

Accies are bottom of the Premiership and ahead of the match against second-bottom St Mirren on Saturday, defender Odoffin said: “It is hard to put it down to one thing but it is something we have to look at.

“We are showing attitude and fight more so in the second half but we want to show that from the beginning of games. We don’t want to be having to fight back every game.

“So yes, the onus is on us to have that intensity from the start throughout the whole 90 minutes.

“But we definitely show enough in games to see we have the ability, the players, the mentality to fight against all these teams we are playing. So it is just on us to do it from the beginning.

“We are not happy with the amount of goals in the last few games but a positive is we are scoring a few more in the other end.

“So we are all in agreement that if we can shore up the defence a little bit, concede less, we are definitely scoring enough goals to win games.”

Ironically, the 22-year-old defender, who joined Hamilton from Livingston in the summer, is Accies biggest attacking threat this season and has three goals so far.

The former Northampton player said: “It is something that I have always wanted to bring to my game so I am happy that I have been able to contribute in that sense.

“I don’t mind who gets on the scoresheet to be honest, I am happy that more boys are getting goals now.

“As long as it is getting points on the board, that is the main thing.”

St Mirren are above Hamilton on goal difference and won 1-0 in Lanarkshire in August.

Odoffin said: “It was very tight and even in that game we were creating the chances.

“The chances are always being created, which is important because when you are not creating chances, that’s when you start to worry.”

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