In the lunchtime kick off live on Sky on Saturday we went down 1-0 to Dundee at Dens, a first half goal counting, while skipper Dougie Imrie missed a very late penalty or us.
Martin McConnell’s take on the game…
Ladbrokes Premiership
Dens Park, Dundee
Saturday 5th May 2018 at 12.30pm.
Dundee 1 Hamilton Academical 0
We narrowly failed to get the result that would almost have secured our hopes of Premiership football for next season. The first half Holt strike now leaves us in tenth place, three points behind Dundee and three ahead of Partick Thistle. Accies now have two games left against St. Johnstone and Motherwell to maintain Premiership football.
Accies boss Martin Canning said afterwards, “After coming in at the break we changed our shape and we then created opportunities. We get the late penalty which we’ve got to take, we don’t take it and miss the chance to keep ourselves above Dundee. But that’s football, Dougie has been great all season for us and that’s the first he has missed this season I think. It’s part of the game and you score some and miss some. But what we do is like we always do, we stick together and go again Tuesday.”
The sides showed why they’re both fighting off the spectre of relegation, with a completely uninspiring display in which Dundee came out marginally on top but with the benefit of a half time lead. The goal came after 18 minutes when Wighton cut the ball back from the bye line for Kevin Holt to strike home.
Hamilton made a far better start to the second half, with Rakish Bingham impressing with a free kick striking the upright, then crossing for Darian MacKinnon to hit wide. Then with five minutes left of play, Dougie Imrie’s quick thinking unleashed Ogkmpoe into the box where he was fouled, a spot kick was awarded and missed, as was the chance for a precious point.
Accies made three changes to the side that beat Ross County last week, with Rakish Bingham, Danny Redmond and Xavier Tomas replacing David Templeton, Lewis Ferguson and Georgios Sarris (all injured). Crawford and Gogic were still out. The hosts made a couple of changes too, with Darren O’Dea coming in for Kusunga and Roarie Deacon replacing Moussa.
The opening 15 minutes or so was a scrappy disjointed affair, despite both sides attempting to get the ball forward, the lack of a quality ball in the last third meant that both keepers remained untested. Then on 18 minutes and seemingly from nowhere, Craig Wighton cut the ball back for Kevin Holt to strike a deflected shot home from 15 yards.
The game continued to be littered with loose balls and more than a few meaty challenges, chances were almost non-existent, other than headers by Ogkmpoe and Murray that both flew wide of target. A couple of dangerous free kicks right outside the Accies penalty area gave fans something to worry about if only momentarily, both eventually came to nothing.
The Dens Park men had a couple of decent half chances as the first 45 minutes drew to a close, Steven Caulker getting the jump on Xavier Thomas from a corner kick to head over the cross bar. Then Captain Paul McGowan, an ex Accie, tested Gary Woods with a speculative 30 yarder that proved to be bread and butter for the Accies keeper.
Both sides made changes at half time, when Ryan Fulton replaced Gary Woods in goal and Lewis Spence replacing Mark O’Hara. Accies almost levelled with five minutes left of play when Bingham struck the outside of the post from a 22-yard free kick, then moments later the big striker crossed for MacKinnon to shoot just wide from the edge of the penalty area.
Rakish had another effort on the hour when played on by Darian MacKinnon, he had lots to do from wide and forced a corner when Parish turned the effort round the post. Dundee then countered when Kerr made a lung busting run right in to the heart of the Hamilton box, fortunately his lungs gave out as he tumbled to the ground short of the six-yard line.
A final chance fell Hamilton’s way late on in the game when Ogkmpoe was unleashed inside the box from a quick Imrie throw in. Jeffries brought the striker down and the referee was quick to point to the spot. Dougie Imrie stepped up to the mark and struck low and to the centre, Parish saved then beat Dougie to the rebound and the lifeline was gone.
Dundee: Parish, Kerr, Holt, Caulker, O’Dea, Kamara, O’Hara (Spence 45), Murray, McGowan, Deacon (Jeffries 74), Wighton (Scott 90). Subs Unused: Ferrie, Leitch-Smith, Aurtenetxe, Wolters.
Goals: Holt 18.
Cautions: Murray, Deacon.
Accies: Woods (Fulton 45), Jenkins, Tomas, Imrie (c), Redmond (Rojano 67), van der Weg, Bingham (McMann 77), MacKinnon, Lyon, Want, Ogkmpoe. Subs Unused: Scott, Hughes, Cunningham, Breen.
Cautions: van der Weg, Want, Jenkins, Redmond.
Referee: Steven MacLean. Assistants: Graeme Stewart & Alistair Mather. 4th Official: Don Robertson.
Attendance: 5195 (205 Accies)
