Martin Canning allays fears over an injury to Hamilton defender Lucas Tagliapietra

Hamilton player-manager Martin Canning has allayed fears over an injury to defender Lucas Tagliapietra.

The 25-year-old was carried off on a stretcher after suffering a neck injury against Kilmarnock at New Douglas Park.

Tagliapietra was taken to hospital for an X-ray, but Canning believes the situation is not as bad as he feared.

"He is away to the hospital for an X-ray on his neck, but I think it is just a precaution," said Canning following his team's 1-0 defeat.

"I think he will be fine, it was just a nasty fall.

"It is a worry when someone goes down with a neck or head injury, especially when they came off on a stretcher, but thankfully, as I say, he is going to be okay, they are not too concerned with it."

Meanwhile, Canning claimed Tope Obadeyi's goal for Killie, when his volley from a Josh Magennis cross bounced on the artificial surface before looping over keeper Michael McGovern, was in keeping with his side's luck at the moment.

"He could do it another 50 times and he wouldn't score it," Canning said. "He hit it into the ground and lobbed Michael from three yards, it just dropped over his fingers.

"It was one of those days when the ball does not go in for us, but seems to go in for them."

Kilmarnock counterpart Gary Locke has challenged his team to build on the win over Accies, after they opened up a 10-point gap with bottom of the table Dundee United.

Locke insists he is not fretting over his position, but concedes Killie have to find some consistency in the Scottish Premiership.

"I didn't feel under any extra pressure," he said. "I'm well aware we haven't won enough games recently, but hopefully that is the monkey off our back.

"That is the response I was looking for. Let's hope we can now show it on a more consistent basis.

"That's been the story of our season. We are so up and down it's not true."