Bell's Cup Round 1
Saturday 2 August 2003, New Douglas Park, Hamilton
Hamilton Accies 2 St Johnstone 3 (aet)
Accies lost their first competitive game of Allan Maitland's reign on Saturday when they were beaten by an impressive looking Perth side. Of the 14 players used by Accies, no fewer than 11 of them were making their first team debut - which may well be some kind of record. New loan signing Barry Forbes came in at left back, which allowed John Fitter to take over from Andy Whiteford on the right. Otherwise, the team was along familiar lines to the major pre-season friendlies. St Johnstone had plenty of experienced and talented players in their side, with Mixu Paatelainen making his debut up front alongside Keigan Parker. Their new signing, Simon Donnelly, was on the bench.
The game got off to the usual start, with Accies taking a couple of minutes to find their feet. It was the diminutive figure of Brian McLaughlin who had the first chance for the Saints, but his shot didn't trouble Dave McEwan. Accies got their first real chance after 4 minutes when a lovely through ball gave Stevie Convery the chance to run at the defence. He broke clear but was pulled down just outside the area by the last defender, Forsyth. Stuart Dougal's red card was inevitable and Accies were to have a one man advantage for the rest of the afternoon.
The Accies midfield started to play really well, with Brian Carrigan looking very impressive with his display of clever passes and neat footwork. One bit of ball juggling followed by a pass must have been regarded by the visitors as show-boating, as he was practically "halved in two" by an outrageous foul by Mark Reilly. He was booked by Dougal, but I think he might have been sent off had his teammate not already left the pitch. The visitors came close to opening the scoring shortly after this when McEwan saved well from a one-on-one with, I think, Keigan Parker. Within seconds, Paatelainen had a good chance with a header but didn't manage to force a save out of McEwan.
Accies took the lead after 38 minutes with a superb goal by Chris Aitken. The ball broke to him 20 yards out and his left foot volley was in all the way. As it dipped behind the static Kevin Cuthbert in the visitor's goal, the Accies fans rose to their feet in celebration. Shortly afterwards, Saints boss Billy Stark made his second tactical substitution of the day, introducing former Celtic starlet (and Sheffield Wednesday failure) Simon Donnelly into the action.
The loss of the defender didn't seem to be hampering the Saints too much. Keigan Parker was in great form and he generally gave Barry Robson a bit of a roasting. Parker was booked for an alleged dive into the penalty area after a Robson challenge. Another ref might have given the award the other way. Accies were possibly a bit fortunate to be ahead at the break, although they had played pretty well. (Even in defeat, they look a much more capable side then their predecessors).
St Johnstone got the equaliser they probably deserved just before the hour. Parker took the ball on a great run, turning Forbes inside and out, before sending a high cross over the back post, where Mixu Paatelainen was lurking. His powerful downward header gave McEwan no chance. Worse was to follow a few minutes later, when neat play gave Keigan Parker the chance to run in on McEwan. His low finish just inside the post gave the visitors the lead and all of a sudden things were going pear-shaped for the hoops. Accies started to exert more pressure and really get stuck into the game.
By this time, Brian McPhee, Brian Carrigan and Mark Corcoran were playing really well, although very few scoring chances were being created. The best effort wouldn't have counted anyway, when Mark Corcoran fired a thundering shot against the crossbar from 20 yards out. Unfortunately, Brian Carrigan's corner had swerved out of play before Corcoran's shot. (Um, kinda basic!!)
Accies boss Allan Maitland made a few changes during the second half, with Barry Forbes being withdrawn after his demolition by Keigan Parker. Ryan Maxwell replaced him, with John Fitter. That steadied things a bit, although Todd Lumsden also struggled to cope with Parker. Fitter himself received an injury and was replaced by Andy Whiteford. Derek Ferguson came on for Jim Sherry and looked to be capable of fitting into the Accies side without any trouble. For a while, Accies seemed to be playing too many short square passes in the midfield, but perhaps there weren't people in space for anything more constructive. At one point late in the game, Ferguson hit a ball wide for Fitter but mishit it, presenting the ball to Paatelainen. The chance came to nothing, but Ferguson was on the receiving end of some "advice" from captain Steven Thomson. Ferguson took exception to this and the pair had to be pulled apart and given a reprimand by Stuart Dougal. (It must have been interesting in the dressing room afterwards.)
Accies did their best to get back into the game and it wasn't long before they got the equaliser they deserved for their effort, with Brian McPhee looping home a brilliant header from a great cross by Corcoran with 12 minutes left. Accies nearly won the game with a fine shot by Brian Carrigan that must have shaved the post with Cuthbert beaten.
So the game went into extra time and I think it was at this stage that the superior fitness of the St Johnstone team really became evident as they took control. They took the lead with a scrambled goal by Simon Donnelly after 13 minutes of the first period and never really looked like loosing. Stevie Convery tried his luck with a shot from a narrow angle and immediately pulled up with what looked like a groin injury. By that time, Accies had used all their substitutes so he just had to play on.
Chris Aitken, Mark Corcoran and Brian McPhee all looked to be struggling towards the end and the Saints were fairly comfortable winners by the end.
It was a decent performance by Accies which once again showed that they are a capable side. It's to be hoped that the injuries weren't too serious, as the loss of Fitter and Convery would be a major blow going into the Forfar game. It would have been nice to have had a good run in the competition and taken the scalp of St Johnstone, but the league is far more important. Fortunately, they're not going to have to play against the favourites for the Division 1 title every week.
Accies : McEwan, Fitter (Whiteford), Forbes (Maxwell), Thomson, Lumsden, Sherry (Ferguson), Carrigan, Aitken, Convery, McPhee and Corcoran
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