Hamilton Accies players repaid fans for snow clear up with best display of my reign, says John Rankin

Boss John Rankin says his Accies players repaid the heroic efforts of fans and staff to get Saturday’s game on by going out and producing the best display of his reign.

Fans and players alike awoke from their slumber to snow covered scenes in South Lanarkshire on Saturday morning, but a call on social media for supporters to come and clear the pitch at New Douglas Park paid off in empathic fashion as Accies went on to thrash Queen of the South 5-0 and go top of League One.

Accies were the only side in the whole division to get their game on and John Rankin challenged his players to repay those efforts with a performance – and they duly delivered.

A brace from Kevin O’Hara plus strikes from Lewis Smith, Reghan Tumilty and Connor Murray earned all three points against 10-man Doonhamers, who had Kyle Doherty sent off in the final few minutes.

It puts Accies two points clear of title rivals Falkirk, having played a game more, and Rankin hailed the efforts of all involved in getting them there.

He said: “When the players see the effort from not only the fans, but the owner of the football club (Seref Zengen), the chairman (John Brown) and the director of football (Gerry Strain) and the football staff all out there, that puts an emphasis on how hard people were prepared to work for them.

“After that commitment and efforts, it was only right that the players were able to put on a good performance that justified those efforts.

“The players rose to the challenge of that request and they were really ruthless in getting the three points.

“There was excitement within the dressing room that we had the opportunity to go and get three points after waking up thinking the game was probably going to be off.

“In the first half that was the