Brian Rice wants his Hamilton players to visualise victory as they prepare for their relegation battle against Ross County on Wednesday night.

With two fixtures remaining, Scottish Premiership bottom side Accies are two points behind Kilmarnock and three behind the Staggies.

The Hamilton boss is determined to take the fight to the last day of the season on Sunday and wants his players to have only positive thoughts about the trip to Dingwall.

“It comes down to nerve sometimes, individual feelings”, said Rice, who hopes to have skipper Brian Easton fit again following a knee injury.

“But you are a footballer, you have to handle these things. It is the same thing with cup finals, it is how you handle it on the day.

“As long as you prepare properly, you know your job and give it everything you’ve got then you will be OK.

“If you dread it and fear it, fear making a mistake, you’ve got a bit of a problem.

“If you look forward to it, dream about scoring a winning goal, making a big save, scoring a penalty, whatever it may be.

“Visualising doing well in the game, it helps you. It definitely helps you.

“As long as it is positive thoughts. That has been my message all along. Just be positive.

“It is a game we know we have to take something out of. If we take something out the game it goes to Sunday. Simple as that.

“We will try to go and get three points and take it into the last game. That is the objective and that is what we will try to do.”

Rice, who will be in the stand again as he serves a touchline ban, is taking encouragement from the recent 2-1 win over St Mirren but knows John Hughes’ side will be just as keen to secure the win.

He said: “The way we played, the way we went about the game, the positivity and the performance, the way we started the game and kept it going.

“And even when we were under pressure the last 15 minutes, the way we handled it.

“The mindset was fantastic and that’s what we will be looking for again.

“I am expecting a Ross County team to go and win the game. John doesn’t set up to try and draw games or sit in.

“He always sets his teams up, as I do, to try and win the game. I expect a team well-coached, everyone knowing their job, the same as us.

“There is not a lot between all the teams outside three or four of them, it is about who performs on the night.”