HAMILTON assistant Stuart Taylor today predicted the return to form of Marvin Andrews will boost the New Douglas Park club's top flight survival bid.
Accies remain just one point off the bottom spot in the SPL after their 2-0 defeat at home to St Johnstone on Saturday.
However, player-coach Taylor, who came on in the second half of the loss, was pleased with the performance of former Rangers centre-half Andrews.
The defender deservedly picked up the sponsors' man of the match award after a fine display alongside Martin Canning in the heart of the Hamilton rearguard.
And his team-mate believes the hugely experienced star, who helped the Gers land the SPL title and League Cup in 2005, gives gaffer Billy Reid much-needed strength in depth.
He explained: "Big Marv has got a tremendous attitude to the game. He really looks after himself and is an example to all of the other players in the squad.
"He is the type of professional that we want at this club. He gave his all and put in some excellent performances in reserve games when he wasn't featuring.
"He is the kind of character we want here. He is a quality player, too, and gives us a lot of options at the back. We will need that during the course of a long, hard season.
"As well as Mark, Martin and Marvin we have also got David Elebert who is a quality player and who just missed out on the game on Saturday."
Many Hamilton Accies fans questioned the wisdom of signing Andrews during the summer after his calamitous first appearance last month.
The 33-year-old was substituted after less than an hour in the opening game of the campaign against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park as his team lost 3-0.
However, the 100-times capped Trinidad and Tobago internationalist had only returned from World Cup duty with his country and was heavily jet-lagged.
Taylor believes his vastly improved display against the Saints in tandem with Canning at the weekend is a taste of things to come from Andrews.
He explained: "Marvin turned up at Rugby Park with his suitcase from his trip to play for his national team. That is how tight it was for him to play in that game. With hindsight, he perhaps shouldn't have featured.
"I think we saw at the weekend a performance which was far more like it from him. We have four first class centre-backs to choose from this season."
Andrews was helpless to prevent Steve Anderson heading St Johnstone in front just before half-time after Martin Hardie had headed on a Liam Craig corner. And nobody could have done anything about the 25-yard thunderbolt Danny Grainger rifled home with five minutes left to sew up all three points for Derek McInnes's team.
Reid's men, who take on Dundee United at Tannadice on Saturday week, could desperately do with finding a little bit of inspiration up front themselves.
The Accies boss said: "I can't fault the application and endeavour of all of my players, but we really need to start taking our chances up front when they come our way."