Source: Team_Talk
Reid thrilled as Thomas proves worth
illy Reid was delighted to see Joel Thomas fulfil his goalscoring promise as the Frenchman scored twice in Hamilton's 4-1 win over Hibernian.[LNB] The on-loan Colchester striker came off the bench to secure three points with his first SPL goals.[LNB]Thomas curled home a stunning 25-yard effort midway through the second half and rounded Graham Stack to complete the scoring.[LNB]Having returned to New Douglas Park in January, he had only netted once in 36 previous games for Hamilton, in a Co-operative Insurance Cup tie against Clyde.[LNB]Reid said: "He has threatened for so long to do things at this club and never really achieved it. We sold him on and I brought him back and maybe there were a few raised eyebrows - that's the reason why I brought him back.[LNB]"His two goals were sensational, one a strike and the other he dummied the goalkeeper.[LNB]"We see it in training every day but he has never managed to do it, he's the type of player who has hit the post or it's hit someone and it's not happened for him. But today he had the full package and what an introduction."[LNB]Thomas looked hungry for goals as soon as he entered the fray, with Martin Canning wrestling the ball off him as he tried to take Hamilton's second penalty of the game.[LNB]Simon Mensing dispatched the 60th-minute spot-kick as clinically as he had the first, to cancel out Colin Nish's headed equaliser.[LNB]"I don't know where that came from," Reid said. "Simon Mensing is an expert at penalty-kicks, as he proved once again. When I saw big Joe getting the ball, I had a chuckle, but that's big Joe."[LNB]Reid added: "We started really well and for 20 minutes we controlled the game and got the penalty. But we switched off and allowed them to play. They were the better side for 20 minutes but we responded magnificently and the second half was absolutely brilliant.[LNB]"I have said we wanted to get above Aberdeen and we have done that, but they have a game tomorrow and we keep our feet on the ground."[LNB]Hibs manager John Hughes agreed with much of Reid's assessment and felt the second penalty, when Ian Murray felled Dougie Imrie, was the turning point.[LNB]"That's seven penalties we've conceded in the last 12 games, I think there has to be a reason for that," Hughes said. "We can't defend the way we've been defending and expect to win football matches."[LNB]Hibs have won just twice in 13 matches and could enter the split behind Motherwell if the Lanarkshire side add to Celtic's woes on Tuesday with victory at Parkhead.[LNB]Hughes said: "As a manager, I've been looking at it for a while now and maybe we're not as good as we think we are. Maybe I have to set them up to be hard to beat, maybe we're too expansive.[LNB]"We're going to have to play a lot better than that if we want to win matches in the top six. Maybe I frightened them talking about a European spot, maybe one or two have not got that mindset."[LNB]
