Liam Polworth believes the greatest pressure will rest on Hamilton Accies’ shoulders tonight as Caley Thistle seek to end a three-month wait for a Scottish Premiership victory.
The bottom-of-the-table match tonight pits together two teams grappling with poor form, separated by a single goal, but acutely aware of the six-point swing inherent in the New Douglas Park showdown.
Polworth, preparing for a return to what has proven a happy-hunting ground in the past, believes the Highlanders’ luck has to change soon after a spate of setbacks and fitness troubles.
Caley Thistle may have gone 11 games without a league win, dating back to late October, but they have won six and drawn one of the last seven trips to Hamilton.
Polworth netted a dramatic 90th-minute leveller in the 1-1 draw away to Accies back on October 1.
In late December last season, the Scotland under 21 cap netted a match-winning double in a 4-3 victory at the same venue, including another last-gasp finish.
The 22-year-old from Inverness said: “New Douglas Park just seems to be one of those places where I get a bit lucky. If I hit it, it seems to go in.
“I got a couple of goals there last year and then one earlier this season. It makes up half my total.
“But we’d settle for a bit of luck in the game. That was another instance at the weekend where things went against us when we had a couple of players up all night being sick.
“Sooner or later, surely, we’ve got to get just a little bit of luck – something dropping for us kindly in front of goal, something that can spark us.
“Hopefully, we can get that against Accies.
“I would think Hamilton would feel the pressure a little bit more than us, playing at home and with us right on their tails.
“Neither team will be playing at its most relaxed. Sometimes you’re not even thinking about it but it is still there in the background.
“But I’d imagine they would be a little more anxious than us, pushing for the win. But obviously we still need to go there and take three points. Maybe that will play into our hands.”
Gary Warren and Greg Tansey took injections to play in the scoreless draw with Partick on Saturday after a night of vomiting and further sickness before the game and at half-time.
Carl Tremarco was also excused training yesterday as the illness spread in the camp.
All three are expected to play but Polworth said: “I’m just trying to avoid any close contact with the lads who are suffering.
“Training hasn’t been too bad in terms of numbers. We’re starting to get a couple back and, to be fair, a couple trained while they were ill.”
