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Martin Canning backs James Keatings to provide more 'magic' for Hamilton

:Headline: Martin Canning backs James Keatings to provide more 'magic' for Hamilton: ID:343343: from db_amp
The striker inspired Hamilton to a crucial win over St Mirren on Saturday.

Hamilton manager Martin Canning is confident James Keatings possesses the ability to produce moments of magic that will be vital to their survival hopes.

The striker inspired Hamilton to a crucial win over St Mirren on Saturday as he claimed two assists and his first Ladbrokes Premiership goal in their 3-1 victory.

Hamilton now face bottom club Dundee at Dens Park on Wednesday night and, with Keatings now over the injury problems that have dogged his recent career, Canning knows they have a match-winner in their ranks.

Last season David Templeton provided the spark required to haul Accies away from danger and Canning feels Keatings can perform that role this term.

Canning said: "James adds a bit of quality to what we've got, in the big moments he can produce that quality.

"On Saturday he had two fantastic deliveries for our first two goals and then he had his moment for his own goal, which was brilliant.

"You need those type of players in your team if you are going to win games. Hopefully we can keep him fit and keep him on the pitch because we know he's got the quality to hurt teams.

"James works extremely hard. David Templeton came in last season in a similar situation to James, he'd been struggling with injury. But the physios and sports scientist here work them hard and they are dedicated in their programme.

"James and David are different types of players but James has got the same level of quality and a bit of magic in his boots. Every team needs those sort of guys at the top end of the pitch where in one moment they can win you a game.

"James has that and if we can keep him fit he can add that to the team."

Tenth-placed Hamilton have the chance to open an 11-point gap on bottom club Dundee.

Canning, however, claims their focus is not on what they could achieve but to make sure they reproduce the heights they hit against St Mirren to give themselves a chance of back-to-back wins for the first time since March.

He said: "It's a massive game. It's difficult to win games in this league at the best of times and to get back-to-back wins would be fantastic for us.

"But if we turn up and think it's going to happen because we've had one positive result, it's not. We need to make sure we're at it tomorrow.

"When you start looking too much at what could be and what can be, you take your eye away from what's the most important thing to go and make it happen. For us that'll be our full focus to win the game.

"You need to go again. You need to produce the same work-rate, the same effort in this game."

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