Templeton’s late strike enough to send Jags into danger zone
Hamilton Accies 2 Rojano (11), Templeton (90) Partick Thistle 1 Sammon (9)
David Templeton scored a dramatic stoppage time winner for Hamilton to lift them out of the relegation play-off zone and subject Partick to their second defeat in successive weekends to last-gasp goals.
Yet, the Jags, who now sit in 11th place, started so well and took the lead early in the game.
But they couldn’t hold on and it was Antonio Rojano who equalised.
Accies’ boss Martin Canning felt his side were due a piece of luck, but his opposite number Alan Archibald was visibly deflated at full-time as he was exasperated with his players for losing late again on the back of the defeat to Dundee at Firhill.
Archibald was also disappointed that a Kris Doolan “goal” was ruled out for offside. The striker was marginally onside and that would have made it 2-1.
Canning said: “A huge three points for us and every point is vital at this stage. David Templeton showed his experience and composure for the winning goal, yet I was wanting him to snatch at the ball when the rebound fell to him, I was shouting ‘shoot’.
“He has been great for us and I also thought Lewis Ferguson was excellent once again this afternoon. We got that wee bit of luck today that I don’t always think we get our fair share of. It’s sweeter to win with a goal in the final seconds because it’s happened to us recently.
“I also have to praise Gary Woods and he made a magnificent save to stop them from scoring for an equaliser. It would have been a real sickener for us if we had lost a goal after going 2-1 ahead.”
The game started with a bang and finished with an
explosion. In between it was a damp squib.
It burst into life with two goals inside 10 minutes. The visitors took the lead in the eighth minute when Georgis Sarris was penalised by referee Nick Walsh for fouling Danny Devine as a corner came over.
Conor Sammon took the kick and slotted it away, low to the keeper’s right-hand side. It was the former Kilmarnock hitman’s eighth goal in eight games.
The lead lasted only two minutes when Dougie Imrie’s inviting corner kick to the front post was brilliantly met by Rojano and his glancing header flew past Tomas Cerny and into the top corner of the net.
After that the game had its moments – most of them forgettable. Hamilton showed a strong desire to win and were willing to do so at all costs.
As the game looked to be heading for a draw, Ferguson found Rojano with a lovely piece of skill and his shot was superbly saved by Cerny. He clawed the ball out but only into the path of Templeton. He took a touch, skipped past a Jags’ defender and slammed the ball home from four yards.
And then, true to Accies style, they allowed Chris Erskine a free header with the last tough of the ball but he was denied by a wonderful save from Woods when he flew to his top right-hand corner to