Challenge Cup Round 2
Victoria Park, Dingwall, 30 August 2005
Ross County 0
Hamilton Accies 1
Neil 45
Report by Bruce Wares
On a balmy late summer evening in Scottish Football's northern outpost, Accies produced a professional, skilful and hard-working performance that league leaders Ross County simply could not match. Accies' passing and movement was at times excellent and the whole team played well as a unit.
Accies gave debuts to Derek Fleming, who frequently combined well with Carrigan, Tunbridge and Neil, and Adrian Gonzalez, who showed some nice touches early on. How well Accies learned from the league match ten days ago in which Ross County had dominated the final 15 minutes and man of the match Dave McEwan produced several vital saves. Tonight, big Dave was a spectator for long spells of the game and County mainly relied on long range efforts that failed to test the keeper.
The foundation of this victory, which propels Accies into the quarter finals of the Bell's Scottish League Challenge Cup, was built during a powerful first half performance in which Accies bossed the home side around on their own park. It was fitting that the first 45's man of influence, Alex Neil, should win the match when he timed his run to perfection to meet Carrigan's cross from the left hand corner with a sweet header. His goal came on the stroke of half time but Accies had plenty of near things prior to that. They twice had the ball in the net in the first half but the referee had spotted infringements in the lead up play.
County also had a 'goal' chalked off though the whistle had clearly blown earlier. In 24 minutes Tunbridge was unfortunate not to finish off a sweeping three man move, begun by McEwans' intelligent throw out to Fleming on the left. A County defender got back in time to clear Scot's effort before it reached the goal line. Eleven minutes later, brilliant footwork from Neil in the heart of the penalty area was negated by his overhit cross. County, for their part, were attacking mainly on the break and the unfortunate Nuclowski, who sustained a groin injury and, later on, a head knock that required him to wear a bandage for most of the match, was agonisingly close on one heart-stopping occasion with a low drive that swerved past the left hand post.
However, Accies should have been given a free kick earlier for a clear foul by County. Rankin also produced a good save from McEwan in the 39th minute when his strong free kick was tipped over. The second half saw less action in and around the penalty box but Accies continued to dictate the match. However there were still goalscoring opportunities and Tunbridge was put clean through on goal early on and, somehow, Garden saved brilliantly to deny the Aussie. In 72 minutes a darting run from Neil right up to the edge of the penalty area ended when he lost his footing at the critical moment. Accies nearly doubled the lead twelve minutes from time.
Carrigan's brilliant twisting volley dipped just over the bar. Thereafter, County were reduced to the long ball and Burke twice had efforts that went well wide but Accies won fairly comfortably in the end. Accies' band of supporters, about 30 in number, applauded the team off the park and the players reciprocated.
Man of the Match : difficult to choose with so many candidates but I'd pick Alex Neil.
Footnote: even the sheep in the field adjacent to Victoria Park were sporting a natty red stripe tonight!
Ross County : Garden, McCulloch, Djebl Zadi, Webb, Canning, Tiernan (Higgins), Rankin, Taylor (Niven), Burke, McGarry (McKinlay), Nuclowski. Subs Not Used: Winters, Malin. Booked : Djebl Zadi.
Hamilton Accies : McEwan, Robertson, Hodge, Thomson, McLaughlin, Neil, Gonzalez (Hardy), Wilson, Tunbridge (Buckley), Fleming ( Ferguson), Carrigan. Subs Not Used: Balmer, Jellema. Booked : Gonzalez, Wilson.
Att : 1,024
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