Report by Gilbert Mowat
Accies got their promotion campaign back on track with this convincing win against a lacklustre Queens side. With new management team of Ian McCall and Stevie Morrison in charge, the travelling fans came in hope that this was to be the dawning of a new era. As it was, the visitors did give Accies occasional cause for concern but it was clear that Accies were the superior side from start to finish. With strikers Pat Keogh and Scott Tunbridge fighting for space in the packed treatment room, manager Billy Reid opted to give young striker Paul McLeod only his second starting appearance of the season.
The move paid off well when Paul McLeod got Accies off to a dream start with a fine goal after just 5 minutes, when he headed home superbly from an inswinging Derek Fleming corner. Accies played very well for long spells of the half but were lucky not to lose an equaliser when Derek Lyle thumped the ball home after Dave McEwan had spilled a long range shot. Happily, however, the linesman decided that he had been in an offside position and the goal was ruled out. Accies were dealt a further injury blow after 23 minutes when Brian Carrigan left the pitch with an achilles injury. Mark Gilhaney come on in his place.
More goals seemed inevitable and the game was really settled as a contest when Accies scored two further goals in a five minute spell before the break. First of all, Paul McMullan was trying to dribble his way into the area when he was clearly tripped just inside the box. Referee Toner pointed immediately to the spot and Derek Fleming made an expert job of the spot kick. Just five minutes later and Accies were awarded a free kick midway inside the Queen's half following a foul by Brian McColligan, who was yellow carded. The ball was chipped into the area where it was volleyed goalwards by Paul McLeod. Colin Scott did well to save but he could do nothing to prevent Paul from bundling home the rebound to make it 3-0.
Accies should have scored a fourth goal just before the break when the ball came to Brown Ferguson on the edge of the 6 yard box. A goal seemed inevitable but Colin Scott somehow got across his goal to make an excellent save. The visitors gave the scoreline a false sheen of respectability when John O'Neill cracked home a superb penalty after Brown Ferguson had been harshly adjudged to have fouled Eric Paton.
The visitors made two changes at the interval but it made no real difference to the flow of the game. Accies grabbed a fourth goal after 53 minutes when Paul McMullan won the ball right on the touchline and then fired the ball into the far corner of the net over the head of Colin Scott. It was his first goal for the club and certainly one to remember. Queens did show some fight when they again reduced the leeway just before the hour. this time it was down to the generosity of the Accies defence, who allowed John O'Neill to run onto a simple pass through the middle and fire it past the exposed McEwan.
However, any hopes the Doonhamers had of mounting a comeback were scuppered after 64 minutes when Brian McColligan received his second yellow card of the game for tripping Alex Neil. There was to be only one further goal in the game and it was a strange one. A Queens player knocked the ball back towards Colin Scott, who picked it up. Normally, free kicks are not awarded for this type of offence but on this occasion Accies were given an indirect free kick about 8 yards out. With the entire Queens team on the goalline there seemed to be no way through. However, Brown Ferguson was somehow unnoticed standing at the side of the goal and the visitors had obligingly left a nice wee gap at the post. The ball was passed straight to Brown and he tapped it home to make it 5-2.
That was to be the end of the scoring and it was a fine way to finish. Accies thoroughly deserved to win this game and it was great to see the goals being shared around. With so many key players unavailable, this was an excellent performance and result. Paul McLeod was deservedly named as the man of the match - let's hope it's the first of many for the talented young striker. There were no failures for Billy Reid's team and they will be really looking forward to next week's trip to Paisley to face the league leaders.
Hamilton: McEwan, Robertson, Fleming, McMullan, Hodge, Neil, Ferguson, Wilson, McLeod (McArthur 72), MacKenzie, Carrigan (Gilhaney 23). Subs Not Used: Balmer, Stevenson, Jellema.
Queen of the South: Scott, Paton, Burns, Wood, McColligan, Thompson, Payne (Carr 46), Bowey, Lyle (Robertson 70), O'Neill, Gibson (McNiven 46) Subs not used: English, Barnard
Att: 1,475
Ref: K Toner
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