Aberdeen aiming to build on Well win as they host Hamilton
Aberdeen defender Mark Reynolds feels the festive schedule has taken on even greater significance this season.
The Dons host Hamilton on Tuesday aiming to build on their 3-1 victory over Motherwell on Friday.
Second-placed Rangers reopened a seven-point gap on Aberdeen the following day and Reynolds knows they need to record another victory to make sure next month's winter break does not leave them wondering what might have been.
Reynolds said: "It's another huge game for us. When you go into Christmas and so many games are coming thick and fast, you just want to put points on the board and climb up the league.
"Operating at the top end of the league, you want to keep on picking up points and go into the break in a comfortable position in the league.
"December is always a big month and it's even bigger this year with the winter break coming up. We have a three-week break where you want to be sitting nice in the league.
"You don't want to be sitting for three weeks looking at the table and thinking that you are not where you want to be."
Aberdeen lost at the SuperSeal Stadium earlier this season and Reynolds knows they need to be on top form to stop Hamilton frustrating them again.
"They are a strong side, they are fit and well organised and they know how they want to play football," the former Motherwell centre-back said. "They know how to get results and they know how to get results against every team in the league. It's always a tough fixture if you don't go into it 100 per cent.
"If we don't turn up and play the way we want to and let them impose their style on the game then it can be difficult.
"We have always just worried about ourselves and make sure we put in performances we are capable of."
Darian MacKinnon has expressed his growing frustration with Hamilton's form and insists Accies need to finish the year with four points from six.
The 3-0 defeat by Premiership leaders Celtic - who played most of the second half with 10 men after midfielder Callum McGregor was sent off for picking up two yellow cards - left Martin Canning's side with one win in 15, with eight draws in that run.
Hamilton are above bottom side Inverness on goal difference only and MacKinnon stressed the importance of finishing 2016 on a high.
The 31-year-old midfielder said: "It was Christmas and we were beaten 3-0 by 10 men so we can't be happy with that.
"You don't want to keep on going on with this drawing and losing because it is starting to get annoying. I am really getting annoyed with it.
"You just want to start picking up points because it is really frustrating.
"We really need four points out of six, the next two games. We need at least a draw up there and we need to beat Motherwell.
"We don't want to get cast adrift with this winter break coming up so hopefully we can get a few points on the board."
MacKinnon is hoping a healthy crowd at Pittodrie will give Accies a lift.
"They are a good side but it is probably an ideal game for us, after a big crowd against Celtic," he said.
"Sometimes you have a wee dip after big games so it will be another big game and we really need to take something."
Canning was booed and jeered by some Accies fans at the end of their defeat to Celtic.
And after losses to Rangers and the Hoops, twice, and with Aberdeen and Lanarkshire rivals Motherwell to come before the end of the year, he is ruing so many draws earlier in the season.
"This run of games was always going to be difficult for us, we spoke about that," Canning said.
"The frustrating thing for me is that we didn't pick up the points we should have earlier in the season because this was always going to be a difficult run in which to win games.
"Now we have to go to Aberdeen. We beat them here and believe we can beat them again up there."
Source: PAR
