Misfiring Accies endure exit despite shoot-out victory
HAMILTON manager Martin Canning admitted his misfiring side blew it in the Betfred Cup after tumbling out despite a penalty shoot-out win over Airdrieonians.
Accies were booed by their fans after a Rakish Bingham opener was cancelled out by a late leveller from visiting substitute Joao Victoria.
And even though they secured an extra bonus point after Gary Woods had saved spot-kicks from Ryan Conroy, Sean Crighton and Dale Carrick, Canning accepts that finishing third in Group F wasn’t good enough.
‘There has been a big turnaround in players and it will take time to settle, but losing to Annan away put us on the back foot,’ said Canning. ‘No disrespect to the teams in the group, but we should be qualifying from it.
‘We are still looking to add the three or four key players that we need.’
Bingham passed up an early opportunity for the home side when he headed a Scott McMann cross straight at goalkeeper Scott Gallacher.
However, for the remainder of the first half, it was the visitors who enjoyed the best of the chances.
With 25 minutes gone, Carrick found Darryl Duffy on the left and the far-travelled striker really ought to have done better than sending a low, angled effort wide.
Moments later, Duffy came even closer. His header from a Josh Edwards cross bounced down off the underside of the crossbar and hit Woods — with the Hamilton goalkeeper reacting quickly to hook the ball behind.
Lennard Sowah, later taken off, then had to clear the ball off the line after Woods had allowed Duffy a header on goal.
You did sense the League One side would regret failing to capitalise on that pressure and, sure enough, the seeds were sown for their exit from the competition with Bingham’s goal on 63 minutes.
A slack kick-out from Gallacher was pounced upon by Steven Boyd, who fed the ball to Mickel Miller on the left. He squared it to Bingham who shot past Gallacher.
Even so, Accies were unable to build on that. Shortly after coming on, Victoria collected a Duffy knock-down and buried a low shot past Woods.
Kieran MacDonald blazed an effort wide from a good position as the home side clung on.
Bingham scored the penalty that clinched the shoot-out after Adam Phillips and Sam Kelly had scored.
‘The boys are gutted as we took an established Premiership side all the way,’ said Airdrieonians boss Stevie Findlay.