Hamilton 4-0 Dundee: Victory a boost for play-off final - Martin Canning

Canning celebrates with opening goalscorer Rakish Bingham

Manager Martin Canning is urging Hamilton to take confidence from their biggest win of the season into the Premiership play-off final.

Accies thrashed Dundee 4-0 to finish one point above relegated Inverness Caley Thistle and set up a two-legged showdown with Dundee United.

"It was a fantastic performance," said Canning. "We got what we deserved.

"We need to take that into next week now, approach it with confidence and play with a similar tempo."

It was just a seventh league win for Accies, with first-half goals coming from Rakish Bingham and Giannis Skondras. Dougie Imrie and Ali Crawford were on target after the interval.

The first leg of the play-off final is at Tannadice on Thursday, with in-form United unbeaten in 10 games, while the tie will be settled in Lanarkshire next Sunday.

United, who finished third in the Championship, will represent a stiffer challenge than Dundee, who offered very little.

'Total control'

"All over the pitch everyone won their battles," Canning added, delighted to end a sequence of four consecutive defeats in time to head off a late charge from bottom club Caley Thistle.

"The aim was to get the ball down and play because we had to score goals and thankfully it worked today.

"It is frustrating we have ended up in this position but we have got another positive performance, as we did during the week [a 3-2 defeat at Ross County].

"That was probably one of our best performances of the season, and it is pleasing to get that under so much pressure.

"The third goal was important. From there we were in total control and that meant we could save a bit and not use so much nervous energy.

"We could keep something in tank and that's going to be huge in the next two games.

"Dundee United are on a high, they're a big club and we'll give them 100% respect. But we need to go there with the belief we can win the game."