Scott McMann admits Hamilton have not reaped the fruits of their labour during recent battles with the Old Firm, but he still believes they can savour the sweet taste of success against Celtic on Sunday.
In the seven years since making his Accies debut, only once has the defender come away with a positive result – the 2-0 win over Rangers at Ibrox back in November 2017.
This season has been particularly frustrating. Steven Gerrard’s team dished out a 5-0 drubbing in Govan in November and then hit back after Lewis Smith had equalised to claim a 3-1 victory eight weeks later.
Against Sunday’s opponents Celtic, the margins have been even tighter.
A 1-0 Foys Stadium loss back in September was followed by the cruellest of defeats at Celtic Park two months later when the Hoops allowed Marios Ogkmpoe to equalise in the 90th minute only to then race up the pitch and snatch a winner through skipper Scott Brown.
But for all those disappointments, McMann has never stopped believing his side are capable of shocking the Glasgow giants and that will be his mindset as Neil Lennon’s champions visit this weekend.
He said: “My record against the Old Firm hasn’t been great.
“I was in the team that beat Rangers at Ibrox and I think that’s it as far as results go.
“We’ve had a lot of good performances against both of those clubs over the years but we’ve just not been able to take them.
“We have played well against the Old Firm this year. We’ve always given them a good game, especially at our place, and we’re looking forward to Sunday as we think we can get something from it.
“The way the game at Parkhead ended was terrible.
“Just when you think you’ve got the point, they take it away from you in the last minute. But that’s what champions do – they go to the end.
“I’ve had a few bitter experiences against the Old Firm but that one was right up there.
“For the work we put into that game, to have it taken away in those circumstances was devastating.
“But it’s not hard to keep the belief that you can get something from the games against the big two.
“Apart from the one at Ibrox this season, we’ve been in the games until the last kick of the ball, near enough.
“So I definitely think we can get something against Celtic. We just need to apply ourselves and make it hard for them.”
Hearts’ victory over Rangers last week is proof the Old Firm can be toppled. But McMann insists it did not set alarm bells ringing after Daniel Stendel’s men closed to within a point of Accies at the bottom.
“We were under no illusions of the situation we’re in,” he said. “Regardless of the result on Sunday, we already knew we were in a dogfight.
“It doesn’t change anything for us. We still know we need to put points on the board.”
