Arbroath 0 Hamilton Accies 2 (Jose Quitongo 2, Chris Aitken 63)
Gayfield, Arbroath, 14 February 2004
Report by NDP Kid on the Block
I think this is what you would call a good 3 points for Accies coming after Tuesday's midweek defeat by Stenny. After the team changes in midweek, probably deserved to be fair, it was changed again today, back to the 'normal' team, and we got, well, the normal win! Jose scored in the 2nd minute to put us ahead and we always looked like dominating from then on. I think if you had offered Arbroath a draw at half time they would have taken it, but we were not in a mood to offer! Aitken added a second goal midway through the second half, Arbroath had their moments, big Davy had his usual good saves, there were one or two knocked off the line, some soft penalty appeals on either side, a booking for Sherry, but Arbroath couldn't mount anything realistic against us and it was a well and hard earned victory.
We began brightly, to match the day in Arbroath - no gale blowing in off the North Sea, and a pleasant view on our side with a lady lineswoman too! And, on her, I thought she was fine. She attracted more attention than normal, but also you hardly noticed her either, so she didn't upset anybody! McPhee and Arbuckle combined well in the opening exchange which saw us get a corner. Carrigan swung it in, it broke to Thomson on the edge of the box who turned and hit a shot which was turned in at the back post, a few yards out, at the 'LeisureLand end', by Jose Quitongo for a goal. And the cartwheel followed!
The first penalty claim came in the 11th minute when King may have handled a Carrigan header. Jose had a great chance to extend our lead shortly after when he ran on to a Bee pass and his shot seemed netbound before being turned out for a corner inches form the line. Robert walker sent in a dangerous cross which was headed out by Miller and from the corner the game was held up for a few minutes after the Arbroath goalie, Mark Peat, got clattered by about everybody!
Arbroath then had a soft penalty claim of their own when Diack's header seemed to have been touched by walker but the ref again saw nothing. Arbroath then had an amazing miss in the 24th minute when Diack got the benefit of a rebound off Jim Sherry and he swung a cross in from the left which McGlashan, under pressure from Lumsden and McEwan, sent just wide. McEwan did well holding headed attempts by Rennie and Diack, while McPhee crossed for Aitken whose shot was knocked out from close in too. Jose got injured before half time, after a heavy challenge on the left, and Corcoran replaced him in 43 minutes. Corcoran then had a header held by Peat.
In the second half McEwan again did well to deny McGlashan, clutching confidently under pressure, and then he had to look lively diving to his top right as McMullen unleashed a long range drive, then MacLean moved in too but was denied again by the inform Accies keeper.
But after the home team had their spell of pressure, Chris Aitken extended our lead. Just inside the box he fired home after Carrigan crossed in. A nice wee goal, 2-0 Accies and you could see the Arbroath heads going down. We continued to defend well, and Hodge cleared an effort off the line as well. Hodge also had to knock a Miller shot out, while near the end we brought on Blackadder and Gribben for Sherry and McPhee, Corcoran, Carrigan and Gribben all worked well together in the closing stages as we held on for a deserved win which maintains the pressure at the top.
McEwan, Walker, Hodge, Thomson, Lumsden, Arbuckle, Carrigan, Quitongo (Corcoran 43), McPhee (Gribben 84), Sherry (Blackadder 82)
Ref Cammy Melville
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