DOUGIE IMRIE admits Hamilton are struggling to adapt to their hat-trick of January departures after they crashed to another Premiership defeat.

Accies are without a win in their last nine matches, with new boss Martin Canning still searching for his first triumph in the dugout after a 1-0 defeat to St Mirren.

The high-flying New Douglas Park squad lost player/manager Alex Neil and top scorer Tony Andreu to Norwich within days of each other, while Mickael Antoine-Curier quit the club and has since joined Burton Albion.

A tumultuous few weeks has had a major effect on Hamilton's form as they have scored just one goal in eight games, but forward Imrie knows they must pick themselves up sooner rather than later.

He said: "We've lost goals with Tony and Mikael leaving, and you've got to add the old gaffer, Alex, to that. He was a great player for the team and did his job really well when he played.

"There is three players we've lost who were influential in the first part of the season. Losing them isn't good, but we've got to knuckle down and put that to bed and get points.

"I think people underestimated what we lost in Alex. His all-round attributes and game intelligence ... you probably wouldn't get better in the league - and I'd say that about Celtic as well.

"The position he played, I don't think there was anyone better in the league. To lose that was a kick in the teeth. Plus you saw what he did as a manager in the first bit of the season.

"Like I say, we can't dwell on that or use it as an excuse. We've got to go forward with the boys we've got."

Boss Canning cut a dejected figure in Paisley after Steven Thompson's second-half strike condemned his side to another defeat.

Accies remain fifth in the table, but are just three points clear of seventh-placed St Johnstone.

Imrie said: "We've got to keep plugging away. We're disappointed as a group, we know it's not good enough, but we've got to keep going and get points on the board."