SUCH was Alex Neil's high stock when he left for Norwich City last season, any slippage at Hamilton Academical was likely to be judged in a harsh light.

In that regard, inexperienced successor Martin Canning was on a hiding to nothing as Hamilton's phenomenal top-flight form until that point disintegrated into a dismal run of 13 games without victory.

It said much of the club's board that they held their nerve and refused to hang player-manager Canning out to dry.

Inevitably, though, many predicted the New Douglas Park outfit were prime candidates for the drop at the start of the current campaign, a criticism which appears to have added resolve to Canning's dressing room.

"We kind of use that to our advantage to try and push on," Louis Longridge, who scored late on after coming off the bench on Saturday, said. "We know that in every game we are written off, but it was the same last season.

"We had a strong finish – ending up seventh – when everybody had predicted we would go down.

"But we know now, through experience, that if we put in the hard work and perform each week we have the quality to beat teams at this level. We know we will always create chances and it's just about being clinical."

As well as producing two fine goals, Hamilton's defensive strength in an Inverness-dominated second half supports the view that Canning is tactically astute and has learned well from the likes of Neil.

Two wins and a draw from the opening four matches amounts to a defiant statement. "People forget that when the gaffer took over we lost Tony Andreu and Mickael Antoine-Curier," Longridge said. "Everybody focused on the managerial change, but we had lost two key players who scored most of our goals.

"It was quite a difficult period and we went through a sticky patch, but each week we worked harder. Since we got that first victory, the 2-0 win against Motherwell in April, we've pushed on. We're on a good streak of form now."

Longridge scored with a fine, angled strike on the counter-attack – his welcome first in the Ladbrokes Premiership. Carlton Morris, the impressive young Norwich loanee, had neatly tucked away the 18th minute opener.

"I didn't actually think a substitution was going to be made. A few of us on the bench were trying to get on the park for a win bonus!" Longridge admitted. "At least I can now say 'earned'. It's my first goal in the Premiership having scored 12 in the Championship and several in the League Cup.

"I didn't doubt myself as such, as I've got quite a strong mind-set. If I was setting them up, I felt I was still doing my job.

"But as a forward player you do need to be scoring, so it's good to get it out of the way. We're just looking to finish as high up as possible. Last year we felt we should have finished higher than seventh. There's no reason why, this year, we can't push for the top six."

Such buoyant optimism was contrasted by Inverness supporters, some of whom jeered a team victorious in the Scottish Cup final less than three months ago. Ravaged by seven significant injuries, without a recognised goalscorer and without a win in seven attempts since those jubilant Hampden scenes, these are trying times for the Highlanders.

Ryan Christie, the young attacker linked repeatedly with a big move to England lately, sought no excuses and was blunt in his assessment. "It wasn't good enough," the 20-year-old stated. "We started the game alright but they got the goal and, from then until half-time, we seemed to dip for some reason.

"We dominated the second half without finding the necessary killer instinct and they finished us off at the end. Maybe it will be a lesson to us for next week. You have to take your chances.

"But everyone knows there are a lot of changes that need to be made. It is still early in the season but we need to find form sooner, rather than later."

Christie, reportedly scouted by Swansea City and Liverpool of late, refused to be critical of fans who made their feelings known. "You could say it is harsh so soon after last season's successes, but I can understand the frustration watching that," Christie stressed. "I know we've achieved a lot but this is a new season and we've got to set our targets high.

"We knew at the start of the season it would be hard to replicate the previous success, but we wanted to do better than what we have so far.

"We're not saying it is desperate measures right now but we need to rally and go again next week."