Queen's Park clash will show how far Hamilton Accies have come, says boss John Rankin

Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin says today’s Championship clash against Queen’s Park will show him how far his side has come.

Owen Coyle’s side have won both previous league encounters 2-0 and 4-0, and Rankin says the latter of those was probably their worst performance of the season as the Spiders racked up the emphatic score-line before half-time.

Rankin says his players are now holding each other accountable and there’s a real spirit in the dressing room that wasn’t there earlier this season.

And he says focus is strong on their task at hand, reiterating that he doesn’t look at league tables.

Rankin said: “We know it will be a tough game – Queen’s Park have got the better of us in the two league games already this season.

“The last game at Hampden wasn’t one of our best days. It was probably our worst this season, if I’m being honest, finding ourselves 4-0 down at half-time.

“If we can get three points, like game in this league, we’ll have to work hard for them.

“They’ve got good players, they’re a quality side, and it’s a chance to go and test ourselves against the team that’s on top of the league.

“We go in with a bit of confidence, because we’ve won games recently.

“I feel just now there’s a real spirit amongst them.

“On Tuesday night when we got pegged back, the dressing room was quite flat at half-time, but I put that down to expectations, now, more than anything.

“They’re leading now, which is a huge, huge thing, and they’re holding one another accountable and responsible for what’s happening and not happening.

“That’s a credit to the leaders that we have in the dressing room, and it will be a comparison to see how far we’ve come.”

When asked if climbing off the foot of the league table gave the club a boost,