Relief for McCann as Dundee get first points
hamilton accies 0 dundee 2 Boyle (38), Madianga (90)
Dundee boss Neil McCann hopes his team found a turning point in their season at Hamilton. The Dark Blues recorded their first league win of the campaign and avoided racking up eight successive defeats. It looked like McCann would be heading for the exit door unless his team took something from their trip to Accies. The wild celebrations at full-time merely confirmed the manager’s belief that his squad has never been anything other than unified. He said: “I am really pleased for the guys. I have been saying for a number of weeks that I had belief in them to get a result. “The coming weeks will tell us how high the confidence will soar. “There have been questions asked if the dressing-room was together in these dark times but today showed the togetherness. “It showed I have a bunch of boys who love being in each the company of each other. “I hope this is a turning point and I believe we can carry on from here. “We have a tough game next weekend at home to Kilmarnock but I told them to enjoy today because it has been a long time coming.” While Dundee showed their desperation to finally get a win, you’re just never sure what Hamilton Accies will produce in a match. One passage of play just before halftime summed up the rollercoaster nature of their form. Less than a week after being given a standing ovation by their fans for thumping St Mirren, they were roundly booed when the ball was passed back to the keeper. The home side should have been full of confidence on the back of a convincing win but there was little evidence of that. With Dundee also low on morale, it led to a game full of tentative passing in triangles but little in the way of positive attacking. It wasn’t too much of a surprise when the first goal came from a set-piece. Calvin Miller delivered a free-kick from the right and Andy Boyle headed Dundee into the lead for the first time this season. This was new territory for the Dark Blues and staying ahead was the big challenge. They might have gone further ahead but an Innis shot was well saved by Wood and Nabi fired over when he should have done better. Accies rang the chances and introduced attacking players like James Keatings, Rakish Bingham and Mason
Bloomfield. There were a few nervous moments at the back for Dundee. Elliot Parish didn’t make a save of note but the home side should have really scored. The keeper didn’t cover himself in glory when he punched the ball straight to Boyd but the midfielder sent a weak shot wide. The visitors were clinging on by their fingertips when Bloomfield sent a header against the bar in added-on time. Just the sight of that effort bouncing to safety was enough to delight the 435 Dundee fans but they were then celebrating a second goal. A well-worked passing move was lashed in by Madianga after Deacon went jinking past a defender to set him up. Neil McCann celebrated with great gusto and who could blame him. He said: “It wasn’t relief for me personally – it was elation because I know my team has got what it deserves. “It was sheer joy as it killed the game for us and I knew we were getting the three points. “I’m really pleased about getting Roarie Deacon back in because he’s only had 45 minutes of football all year. “He turned the ball beautifully and had the composure to pick the pass.”