Martin Canning determined to take three vital points from Dundee
Hamilton stopped second-placed Aberdeen in their tracks this week but Martin Canning believes taking three points from bottom side Dundee will be more important.
The Dons' six-game winning run came to an end at the SuperSeal Stadium thanks to an Alex D'Acol penalty as Accies recorded a much-welcome Ladbrokes Premiership win after three draws.
The Lanarkshire club, in eighth place, are five points ahead of the Dark Blues having played a game less and Hamilton's player-manager recognises the impact another win would have on the table.
"They (points) are more important against Dundee," said Canning, who should have experienced midfielder Massimo Donati back after he missed the Aberdeen game with a back problem.
"It is almost like six points. You stop them from gaining three and you are getting three so for us, it is a more important game for us to win.
"We will approach it the same way and if we get the same level of performance then there is no reason why we can't win the game.
"You want to win as many games as possible. We have talked all season about the importance of three points.
"We have picked up a lot of points from draws but three points really do make a difference in terms of moving up the league.
"For us it is a huge game and we need to try to win it."
Canning empathises with Dens Park boss Paul Hartley, whose sixth successive defeat was a 2-0 reverse at home to Partick Thistle on Wednesday.
The Taysiders are looking for their first win since beating Ross County 3-1 on the opening day in Dingwall.
"It is always difficult when you are not getting the results," said Canning.
"You need to continue to work hard and I am pretty sure he will be doing the same.
"We have all been through it, we all go through it.
"Paul is a good manager, he has proved it over the last couple of years with Dundee so I know it will be a really difficult game for us.
"We came up (into the Premiership) with Dundee, there is little bit between the teams as well so it is always a competitive game.
"We know, regardless of form, it will be a hard game and we make sure we win the battle first and hopefully then win the game."
Dundee manager Paul Hartley has urged his players to battle for three points after admitting concern over their lowly league position.
The Ladbrokes Premiership bottom club slipped three points adrift on Wednesday night when they lost 2-0 at home to Partick Thistle - their sixth consecutive defeat.
Dundee have not won since the opening day of the campaign and Hartley admits they will have to end that wait the hard way if they do so on Saturday at the SuperSeal Stadium.
"It's one of the toughest away fixtures so we have got to pick a team that can fight and scrap and try and get a win," he said.
"Sometimes forget ability, it's all about the attitude and trying to dig a result out from somewhere.
"We are on a losing run just now, we have got to worry where the next win is going to come from. We have got to find it from somewhere and we have got to find it quick.
"You've got to produce on a match day and we are not producing. We are making individual mistakes and it's costing us."
Dundee were booed off following their midweek defeat at Dens Park and Hartley accepted the fans' ire. But he has called for them to get behind the players from the start in Lanarkshire.
"I can see their frustration because of the performance," the former Scotland midfielder said.
"Supporters pay good money and they have the right to have their opinion, but we need them just now, we are on a bad run.
"We have got to stick together and try to fight and try to get a result."
Source: PAR
