Accies 1 St Johnstone 1: 4 September 2004

Bell's League Division 1

New Douglas Park, Hamilton, 4 September 2004

Report by Gilbert Mowat

Accies missed out on a great chance to climb up the table on Saturday when they allowed a poor St Johnstone team to escape New Douglas Park with an ill deserved point. Allan Maitland had made a few changes for the game, with Ricky Waddell relegated to the bench and Brian Carrigan relegated to the stand. The visitors featured former Accies man Michael Moore up front.

Accies really took the game to the visitors in the first part of the game with Brian McPhee unlucky to see his chip from the touchline tipped over the bar by Alan McGregor. Accies played some great passing football in the opening quarter of the game but didn't create too many chances. David Hamilton was in good form on the right side of midfield, but it was clear that the whole team benefited from the return of Derek Ferguson, who had missed the last 3 games. Fergie added some composure and determination to midfield and he also made those around him raise their game. Unfortunately, he seemed to fall out with the referee, who penalised Ferguson for almost every tackle he made. In fact, the player was extremely fortunate not to be yellow carded just before the interval when he needlessly tripped a Saints player on the half way line.

If Accies had been the better team for most of the first half, it was the visitors who came closest to scoring. As with many of the events in this game, it followed a refereeing decision that went the way of the visitors. This time, it appeared that Michael Moore handled the ball in the middle of the Accies half. He got away with it and prodded the ball wide to a team-mate. When it was sent into the area it was knocked down towards McConalogue, whose downwards header was tipped up and onto the crossbar by Dave McEwan. The same player also beat two defenders before clipping the top of the crossbar with a fine shot from an acute angle. So at half time it was probably about right that the scores were still level.

Allan Maitland made a good change at half time, with Ricky Waddell replacing the Australian Scott Tunbridge. Playing in an unfamiliar left wing-back role, Tunbridge had struggled in the first half. The change really paid off right after half time when Accies took the lead with a well worked goal. Ricky Waddell won the ball on the left and played it forward to Ryan Blackadder, who brilliantly skipped past one of the Saints defenders. He now had to choose between passing to Mark Corcoran on the left of Brian McPhee on the right. Surprisingly, he gave the ball to Corky and the youngster made a terrific job of drawing the 'keeper before tucking the ball low into the far corner.

The goal was celebrated with great pleasure, but the Saints soon destroyed the mood when they equalised within a minute. Mark Baxter ghosted in on the right to chip the ball over Dave McEwan and into the far corner. It could well be that this goal was also the result of Accies' half-time substitution, with Baxter being allowed to run unchallenged through a gaping hole in the left side of the Accies defence.

Accies really got stuck in after this and were very unfortunate not to collect all three points. The best two chances came from great crosses from the left. First of all, Ricky Waddell got to the touchline and fired over a magnificent ball towards Brian McPhee. The Bee rose high and sent in a classic downward header, which McGregor in the Saints goal was fortunate to block with his feet. The ball spun into the air and The Bee headed it goalwards again, but he couldn't get any power into it and McGregor collected the ball easily. The other outstanding chance came when Mark McLaughlin charged forward on the left and swung over another great cross. This time it was met by the forehead of Pat Keogh, but the big man's header was a couple of feet too high.

The visiting goalkeeper was definitely the busier man but Accies just couldn't find that extra bit of composure to find a way through. The St Johnstone attacks were sporadic and pretty feeble, with moaning Michael Moore completely controlled by Mark McLaughlin and Steven Thomson. His one chance came in the second half but his finish was woeful. The rest of the time he dived about trying to con the referee into taking action against Accies players.

Towards the end of the game there was the usual round of substitutions and it appeared that Pat Keogh and Mark McLaughlin sustained injuries. Let's hope they weren't of any great consequence.

So it was ultimately a disappointing result but a reasonably good performance by Accies. But this will not be a kind league and they will have to learn very quickly how to kill teams off.

Best for Accies were the returning Todd Lumsden on the right, the central pair of Thomson and McLaughin and derek ferguson and David hamilton in midfield. Further forward Brian McPhee and Mark Corcoran were excellent, with Corky getting match sponsor David Equi's nod as the man of the match.

Hamilton: McEwan, Lumsden, McLaughlin, Thomson, Tunbridge (Waddell 46), Hamilton (Fyfe 70), Ferguson, Blackadder, Corcoran, Keogh (Aitken 83), McPhee. Subs Not Used: Walker, Jellema.

Booked: Ferguson.

Goals: Corcoran 46.

St Johnstone: McGregor, Anderson, Maxwell, Rutkiewicz, Kevin Fotheringham, Baxter (Tait 72), Hannah, Sheerin, McCann (McManus 81), Moore, McConalogue (Hay 89). Subs Not Used: Hardy, Cuthbert.

Goals: Baxter 47.

Attendance: 1,904

Referee: C MacKay

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