Hamilton must take positives from Celtic game into battle with St Mirren, says Brian Easton

Brian Easton says Hamilton can take positives from their 1-0 defeat at home to Celtic – but only if they maintain that performance.

Accies ultimately succumbed to a fourth-minute strike by James Forrest, but defender Easton says the players can take a lot of heart from their performance against the champions, with many observers feeling they were maybe unlucky not to take a point.

With a crunch clash at St Mirren looming on Saturday, Easton knows those standards need to be upheld in Paisley.

“There are a lot of positives to take from the game, but we need to get a balance of it,” said Easton.

“We’ve obviously played well and worked ever so hard, but you can’t just do that against Celtic, we can’t let it drop next week.

“The moment you let a performance like that drop, any team in this league is able to turn you over.

“The manager won’t let that happen, and the boys won’t let it happen. As long as we get a good week’s training we will be ready.”

Easton added: “We’re disappointed to lose 1-0 to Celtic, and I think that sums the place up just now.

Easton says boss Brian Rice brought him in to be a leader, and he intends to do that, whether he's captain or not (Marcus Nash)

“Losing an early goal was disappointing, but as the game went on I felt, especially at the back, that we were more and more comfortable throughout the game and it didn’t feel like they cut us open much or had many clear-cut chances, and you felt that they’d maybe get a wee bit frustrated.

“In the second half especially we did get in behind them a few times, had a couple of half-chances, and you felt, as the game went on, that we would get something.

“It’s disappointing in that sense, but there were a lot of positives to take from it.

“The boys should be proud of the effort they put in.”

With Darian MacKinnon on the bench for the games against Hearts and Celtic, Easton has been installed as captain, but he all-but brushed that off.

“I’ve taken up that role a couple of times because Daz wasn’t playing,” he said, “but it’s not a huge thing for me, having the armband.

“It’s a wee bit of an honour, but I think with or without it I’m expected to be a leader – that’s one of the things the manager brought me in for, so with or without the armband, I’m going to do that.”