bETfREd Cup gRoup g
hAMILtON AccIES 2
D’Acol (22), Longridge (55)
LIvINgStON 1
Matthews (og 42) MARTIN CANNING praised Alex D’Acol for scoring a fine goal to help Hamilton qualify for the last 16 of the Betfred Cup.
This victory allowed Accies to top their section and showed strength of character to bounce back from their opening-game defeat to Ayr United to win three straight ties.
In what was a decent 90 minutes, the home team just about deserved their victory in this game against the League 1 side, and they will find out their opponents in the next round this afternoon when the draw is made.
Accies boss Canning said: “To top our section is great. I thought we played well in the first half and scored with a great strike from Alex D’Acol. He is a really good striker and I’m hoping he can go on a run. He knows where the goal is and I’m expecting him to do well this season.
“We now move on from this and focus on the league game against Rangers at Ibrox next weekend. We know that’s going to be a tough game but I can see us improving with every game.”
Accies – who gave a debut to Greek defender Georgios Sarris – took the lead in the 22nd minute through D’Acol. The striker hit a powerful shot from 23 yards and it flew past Liam Kelly into the net. It was a good shot but the keeper may feel he should have saved it.
Livi levelled three minutes before the interval. Joshua Mullin’s freekick was met by the head of Sean Crighton and his effort came back off the crossbar, rebounded into the body of Remi Matthews and over the line. It was an own goal and the keeper was blameless.
Kelly, again, will feel he should have stopped the second goal from the home team 10 minutes after the break. From a well-worked set-piece, an Ali Crawford free- kick
found Louis Longridge at the back post and he drilled a shot from 14 yards through the body of the keeper.
To their credit, Davie Hopkin’s side never gave up. Indeed, Nicky Cadden forced Matthews into a brilliant save to deny him with a 25-yard free-kick.
The impressive onloan Norwich keeper then denied Scott Pittman.
With seven minutes remaining, Liam Watt should have scored but his effort from 18 yards was two yards over.
Manager Hopkin was disappointed with the chances his players wasted, and said: “We didn’t deserve to lose as we controlled most of the game, creating five or six good chances. We’ve paid the price for not taking them. But we are a young team and we are learning all the time.”