Weak ace in a multiway pot (6-max)

[ludo72]

Hello, I have been lurking around here for a while already but haven't made any posts yet. The truth is I come up with lots of hands I'm not really sure what the right play is but I'm planning on posting these hands here in the future :-)

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) converter

saw flop|<font color="#C00000">saw showdown</font>

Button ($3.50)
SB ($7.65)
BB ($15.70)
UTG ($4.55)
<font color="#C00000">Hero ($14.70)</font>
<font color="#C00000">CO ($2.20)</font>

Preflop: Hero is MP with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero calls $0.10, CO calls $0.10, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: ($0.40) 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">CO bets $0.3</font>, SB calls $0.30, BB folds, Hero calls $0.30.

Turn: ($1.30) 4[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $0.8</font>, CO calls $0.80, SB folds.

River: ($2.90) Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, CO checks.

Final Pot: $2.90

My usual play is to bet the flop but this time I thought of trying something different. My thinking was that if I check-call the flop I might keep in some hands that I beat while I won't lose that much to a better ace, but I'm really not sure how well I accomplished any of these goals. I will post the results later.

EDIT: Villain had sit at the table just a while ago so I had no real reads. This far he had been stealing a few small pots and bet with marginal hands like a small pocket pair with two overcards on the flop.