Thumbs down
Hamilton took only a point from their Betfred Cup Group F opener against Queen’s Park at New Douglas Park on Saturday.
The League Two side then won the penalty shoot-out 6-5 to take a bonus point away from Lanarkshire.
David Galt, Cammy Clark, Kieran Moore, James Grant, Alfredo Agyeman and Thomas Block all scored for Queen’s.
George Oakley, Aaron Mcgowan, Ciaran Mckenna, Marios Ogkmpoe and Scott Mcmann scored for Hamilton.
There was a controversial moment when, with the score at 5-4 in Hamilton’s favour, referee Nick Walsh ordered Agyeman to re-take his penalty, after judging Owain Fonwilliams to have been off his line as he saved; the former Motherwell star made no mistake at the second attempt.
The first half was something of a dull affair. Queen’s Park had a couple of flurries, and the best chance of the half in 14 minutes.
Hamilton didn’t really threaten until the closing stages of the half and even then they weren’t potent enough.
Hamilton created a few more chances in the second half but still didn’t do enough to threaten, as the game moved into a penalty shoot-out for the extra point.
The amateurs created the first real chance of the game in 14 minutes when Salim Kouider-aissa pounced on an error by Brian Easton and rounded Fon-williams, but the big defender got back in time to block.
A full 20 minutes later the Spiders tried their luck again when Willie Mortimer made his way down to the right bye-line and his cut-back reached Kouider-aissa, but Mckenna made the block at the near post.
Hamilton were struggling to impose themselves on this match and the best they had to offer was in 40 minutes when Easton tried his luck from 19 yards or thereabouts, but it sailed over the top left corner by a few yards.
As the half came to a close, Johnny Hunt’s free-kick was headed over by George Oakley, and Ronan Hughes had a shot blocked on the line.
Hamilton came out for the second half with renewed vigour and three minutes in a Hunt corner from the right was headed past the far post by Mckenna.
Accies tried again in 52 minutes when Hughes did well to earn a corner on the right and Hunt’s set-piece was headed well by Mckenna, but William Muir took it under his crossbar.
In 59 minutes Scott Mcmann’s cross from the left was met with a diving header by Oakley, but his effort flew over.
Substitute Marios Ogkmpoe went on a promising run only to be cynically brought down by Mortimer in 81 minutes, who was lucky to escape with just a booking.
Blair Alston stepped up and smashed the 25-yard free kick towards the top left corner, only for Muir to get a hand to it and divert it over.
Okmpoe then headed a Mickel Miller corner over the bar as it all fell a bit flat.