Stuart Kettlewell accepted results had not been good enough after being sacked by Ross County immediately after their 2-0 home defeat to fellow strugglers Hamilton.

The 36-year-old was relieved of his duties following full-time with County now four points behind second-bottom Hamilton and without a win in the Premiership since September.

Kettlewell, who took charge in March 2018 with co-manager with Steven Ferguson, admitted the decision was a “sore one” for him but said he bore no hard feelings to the club.

“It is a sore one as I want to fight and scrap and do the best I can for the football club,” he said.

“I have done that for a long period of time but results aren’t good enough and we find ourselves bottom of the table and cut ourselves adrift on the back of the result today.

“I understand football and there is no ill feeling from me towards the football club or the chairman.

“I am grateful for the opportunity, there has been a lot of high points.

“It is a bad day for me and the football club. I wish them success moving forward and where they go next and hopefully somebody can get a tune out of them and get to a situation where they are not sitting at the foot of the table.”

Ross County have only won three games this season, with their last victory in the Premiership being a 1-0 win over St Johnstone on September 19.

Accies made the breakthrough midway through the first half when Ross Callachan connected with a left-wing cross to fire a low drive past goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw from 18 yards.

Hamilton doubled their advantage midway through the second half when Scott Martin picked up the ball in the midfield, charged into the box and drilled a low drive into the bottom left corner.

Manager Brian Rice said it was a vital win for his side before Christmas.

“It’s a fantastic result and I thought a really good performance, a strong performance – typical Hamilton,” he said.

“It was a Hamilton-like display and I asked for that before the game. Let’s get back to being ugly, aggressive, in their faces and let’s get a clean sheet.

“We did all of those things today and scored two really good goals.

“I know the strengths of Ross County. They get wide and get really good balls into the box.

“We knew we had to defend the box really well today and we all did that – and I include our goalkeeper in that.

“We knew what was coming but I also felt we would get chances at the other end, and so it proved.”