Partick Thistle draw is painful but break can help Hamilton Accies be at full strength for Arbroath showdown, says Scott Martin

Scott Martin admits Hamilton's late collapse against Partick Thistle was painful for the whole squad but reckons a fortnight break from action can help them lick their wounds and put everything into their final day showdown with Arbroath on May 5.

A Dan O'Reilly double after Brian Graham had given Partick a 28th minute lead looked to have won yesterday's clash for Accies, but Steven Lawless struck in stoppage time to leave Accies joint-bottom of the Championship with Cove Rangers on goal difference, having played a game more.

Hamilton's destiny is out of their own hands as things stand but a defeat on Friday night for Cove when they play leaders Dundee in the game they have up their sleeve would ensure Accies go to Arbroath on the final day with a big chance to avoid automatic relegation.

And Martin says the squad have to focus on that and use their time on the sidelines to boost their reserves for one last push.

He said: "The boys are gutted. That's the last two games we've lost a late goal.

"It's not the situation we want to be in but we will knuckle down again.

"We have a bit of time to recover after a hard schedule so I think a bit of downtime could do us the world of good.

"This result will hurt all of us but we just need to pick ourselves and go again, we can't just mope about.

"We need everybody to get behind us again. I know it is tough but the boys are giving everything and so are all the staff."

Martin joined Accies in 2018 after starting out at Hibernian so knows what survival means to everyone involved at New Douglas Park.

And he insists he and the rest of the squad will do everything they can to keep the club in the division.

He added: "I've been here five years and the club means an awful lot to me.