Ross County simply do not know when they are beaten.
The Staggies were not at their best in Lanarkshire, but they kept plugging away until the end and equalised two minutes from time through Brian Graham to secure a point.
Although the Dingwall outfit have not won in the Premiership since September 21 their resilience continues to see them pick up points which have taken Stuart Kettlewell and Steven Ferguson’s men to sixth in the table, with Livingston the only side below County in the league to have beaten them so far this term.
Kettlewell said: “I felt that we should have managed the game better here after scoring early on.
“There’s a little bit of disappointment there.
“Yes, we’re heartened by scoring another late goal but we can’t keep putting ourselves in positions like this.
“There are easier ways to see yourself through games.
“In the second half you could see quite clearly that Hamilton threw everything at us.They used two physical strikers and tried to play off knockdowns and that tested us.
“I just feel we could have passed the ball better at times, especially when I look at our second goal – you won’t see a better one this weekend in terms of the number of passes and the quality of the finish.”
Co-managers Kettlewell and Ferguson made four changes to the team which lost 4-0 at home to Rangers last Wednesday.
Tom Grivosti dropped out of the squad with injury while Sean Kelly, Graham and Joe Chalmers were subs.
Michael Gardyne, Billy Mckay and Keith Watson were restored to the line-up and Lee Erwin came in for his first Staggies start.
The 24-year-old striker arrived in Dingwall in July from Iranian side Tractor, but had made just one sub appearance prior to Saturday, with issues over international clearance and then ankle and hamstring injuries limiting his playing time.
Ross County couldn’t have made a better start taking the lead after 37 seconds.
Accies dithered in possession on the edge of their area and gifted the ball to Erwin.
His low strike from the left side of the box was parried by former Inverness Caley Thistle goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams and Mckay tapped in the rebound from six yards.
After their shaky start Accies did improve, but rarely threatened in the first half with visiting goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw untroubled.
Aside from their goal and a close one from Gardyne, Staggies didn’t create a great deal in the first period.
As the interval approached, Erwin demonstrated his quality with an inch-perfect slide-rule pass into the area for Ross Stewart, but with Fon Williams advancing he stabbed a shot just wide of the front post.
Hamilton manager Brian Rice sent on striker Steve Davies at half-time as he looked for more from his side in the final third.
The substitute went close just five minutes after the restart with his long-range free kick curling wide and in the 52nd minute Accies did equalise. Scott Martin’s pass found Lewis Smith in the box, he twisted inside Richard Foster and shot into the top right corner.
The contest continued to be scrappy, but Hamilton hit the front in the 64th minute when the impressive Smith threaded a pass into former Caley Thistle striker George Oakley and his early shot from 16 yards flashed into the bottom left corner.
In response Kettlewell and Ferguson rang the changes. Graham had come on just before the second Hamilton goal and Josh Mullin and Celtic loanee Ewan Henderson were introduced soon after.
The substitutions paid dividends for County as they equalised two minutes from time.
Graham’s neat touch set Gardyne away down the left flank, the experienced winger beat Shaun Want and reached the by-line before producing the perfect cutback for Graham to side-foot home from 12 yards.
The Staggies were galvanised after the leveller and went close to snatching all three points forcing a number of corners and free kicks in the four minutes of injury-time.
From the last of them Stewart’s header was saved by Fon Williams and the rebound just evaded Liam Fontaine.
That came after Martin received a straight red card after a head-to-head clash with Mullin.
Kettlewell added: “Brian Graham will be disappointed not to have started but you see the impact he has when he comes on and scores.
“It’s testament to him and his approach when he came on says everything about his attitude.”
