Stirling Albion v Hamilton: Accies sweat on fitness of key players ahead of TV clash

Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin admits he will be sweating on the fitness of two key players for tonight's televised clash with Stirling Albion.

The League One title hopefuls, who are currently second behind Falkirk, travel to Forthbank looking to build on a thumping 5-2 win away to Edinburgh City last weekend.

But that result came at a cost with defender Jackson Longridge and forward Kevin O'Hara both hobbling off in the second half, so they could miss the game, which is being shown on BBC Alba.

Rankin, who has seen skipper Scott Martin ruled out for the season and has goalkeeper Ryan Fulton sidelined, said: "There is a possibility Jacko and Kev will miss the game.

"In Jacko's case it will depend how the swelling has come down and Kev has been there before this season where he's had a knock and has great will power to get through it, whether it be strapping him up or getting the Deep Heat on to get him out there.

"That resilience is what we are looking for, but we will just need to see how he feels.

"Both players took knocks in the first half of the Edinburgh game.

"Jacko's was quite a heavy challenge on him. We got him to half-time and we thought he could keep going, but we quickly realised he couldn't.

"Rather than letting him go any further, we took him off.

"With Kev, it was more about his landing in the first half. He was starting to stiffen up in the second half so we took him off as a precaution.

"They are big players for us, so it is a blow having lost Scott Martin, Ryan Fulton and Lee Kilday in recent games."

Accies face a Binos side they battered 5-0 last time out at New Douglas Park in November, but Hamilton were held to a 2-2 draw in the previous Forthbank meeting in September, having been 2-0 up, so Rankin