Hamilton hat-trick hero sets sights on high-scoring Airdrie in play-off final

Hamilton striker Andy Winter wants to write his own history by keeping the club in the Championship, and warned rivals Airdrie he’s set his sights on them.

Winter’s first ever senior hat-trick helped Accies to a 5-3 aggregate win over League One club Alloa, and says Dario Zanatta, who scored a brace in the same game, is also targeting a treble in the play-off final first leg at New Broomfield on Wednesday night.

High-scoring Airdrie, who ended their League One campaign on 82 goals before beating Falkirk 7-3 on aggregate, will be no push-overs, but Winter says the desire is strong to keep Accies in the second tier.

The 21-year-old said: “It will be a good game, but you’re always looking for more, and I could be sitting here, buzzing with the hat-trick – but the job’s not finished yet and we’re only halfway done.

“Airdrie will be an even tougher game, so we’ve got to go and get prepared for that one, now.

“We’re still fighting for our lives, it’s two big games, but those are the games that you want to play in, as football players, with the high stakes. That’s when it really shows.

“Keeping us in the Championship means everything.

“I’ve been here since I was 10 years old, so I’ve been here for a long, long time, and the club is a Premiership club in my eyes – it was when I was coming through.

“We’ve still never lost a game that I’ve scored in, so hopefully I can get a few more goals in the final and we won’t get beat.

“I was in the academy here for the play-off finals before, so if I can write my own history and us in the changing room can do it, that would be brilliant.

“Even though we’re in a tough situation now, we’re more than capable of getting ourselves out of it.”

Winter took his tally for the season to 10 and left