Bad neighbours
Rough and tumble derby leaves Martin Canning’s side in play-off danger zone
THE most important Lanarkshire derby for years was bad tempered, controversial and ever so slightly bonkers.
So exactly what you would have expected given what was riding on the result. Motherwell won which, with two games remaining, means it will now most likely be Hamilton – unless Inverness can defy the odds – in the play-offs against either Dundee United or Falkirk to stay in the Premiership.
In the other apparent contest of the day – which side would pick up the most bookings – the Accies won six to four. It was that kind of match.
“That’s a huge win for us,” said Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson. “We were well aware of the consequences of not picking up a point and what the benefits of winning were, so psychologically it’s massive for us and we need to follow it up on Tuesday night.
“This game was about making sure it was in our hands for the last two games and it very much is now.
“We can’t go down automatically and if we get the same support we did today – the fans were superb – then we can be safe if we put a performance on.”
Michael Devlin, the Hamilton captain, was unhappy at some of the comments directed at him as he walked off the pitch.
“I understand the fans’ frustration but we are playing for our livelihoods, so nobody cares more than us,” said Devlin. “Some of what was said was unacceptable. My family were there, my sister came up from London for the game, and she sees her brother getting that.”
It was never going to be a classic for the purists. The opening was full of fouls, niggles, free-kicks and it was a surprise that it took 10 minutes for a player to be booked – Hamilton’s Devlin had no complaints after his hack on Elliott Frear.
Dougie Imrie then cynically and quite deliberately took out Motherwell’s Ben Heneghan in the air, which referee Kevin Clancy bewilderingly didn’t view as a booking. The incident provoked an exchange of pleasantries between the managers.
The first chance came after 19 minutes when Motherwell’s Frear did well to get down the left, his cross wasn’t cleared, and Louis Moult laid the ball back to Craig Clay who put his shot wide from 18 yards. He should have hit the target.
It was Hamilton’s turn to miss next when Ali Crawford sent his effort from inside the box into the Motherwell fans with the goal right there in front of him.
Clay saw another shot fly wide on 26 minutes and it was a better effort, but this was more about bad temper than good football.
Imrie earned a final warning for dumping Lasley on the ground and, to the annoyance of the home fans, Crawford was booked for an obvious foul on Chris Cadden, while Scott McDonald then went in the book for a dive followed by his captain Lasley who less than politely questioned the call.
Accies’ best moment of the match came five minutes before the break when Crawford’s fine cross-field pass picked out Imrie, who controlled on his chest and with back to goal got a scissor-kick on target.
Motherwell’s Carl McHugh and Allan Campbell took it to half-adozen bookings before half-time.
Hamilton came agonisingly close to a goal on 56 minutes. Danny Redmond’s shot from the D was blocked, the ball fell to Alex D’Acol whose first-time effort was heading for the top corner until Motherwell keeper Russell Griffiths pulled off a superb save. At this point it seemed an age since we had a booking, so good on Accies keeper Matthews for running miles out of his goal to kick the ball into the stand after it had gone out of play, time-wasting early with half an hour to go.
The breakthrough came on 67 minutes. A Frear free-kick was met by Louis Moult, Hamilton switched off, and his header looped into the net off his shoulder which sparked wild celebrations behind the goal.
Motherwell have now scored six goals against Hamilton this season. Moult has got them all.
David Templeton made his
Hamilton debut and almost scored with a shot deflected over. He was on long enough to be booked, as were Greg Docherty and Darian MacKinnon for the hosts.
“It leaves us in the same position in that we needed to win two games before and we still do,” said Hamilton manager Martin Canning who came in for some abuse himself. “It does leave us with an uphill battle to finish above Motherwell and every game becomes bigger.
“It will be difficult to lift them before Tuesday [they face Ross County], but we will fight because that’s always been part of the club.”