Same old predictable story from sloppy Hibs
HAMILTON 1
Cunningham (pen, 58)
HIBS 1
Mallan (22)
An invigorated Brian Rice extolled the fighting spirit in the Hamilton dressing room after the manager’s legion fought back to salvage a point against a struggling Hibernian side.
If truth be told, the Edinburgh side dominated the match but the Lanarkshire club’s combative qualities matched their manager’s belligerent rhetoric.
“You have seen what Hamilton means to those players,” Rice eulogised.
“They give everything for that jersey out there and don’t leave anything on the pitch.
“I couldn’t ask for any more in terms of effort and commitment.
“We don’t have the best players in the league but we’ve got a spirit and a desire.
“We went to Tynecastle and came back from 2-0 down to get a point. We went behind against Livingston but came back and won, and came back to draw today.”
The visitors desperately needed three points to ease themselves away from the Premiership basement and launched straight into the action, spurning a glorious chance to open the scoring after ten minutes.
Joe Newell played a superb cross to the back post for an unmarked Daryl Horgan, only for the Irishman to fail to hit the mark as an open goal flirted provocatively with the unfortunate winger.
A loose pass in defence allowed Marios Ogkmpoe his first chance to run at the Hibs rearguard but the striker elected for an early effort on the half-volley which needed a protractor to work out how woefully wide of the mark the effort fell.
Accies were not defending crosses well, as yet another centre from Newell evaded the home defence. The ball fell perfectly into the stride of an onrushing Stephen Mallan who let rip with a blistering half volley in line with the corner of the 18-yard box, leaving Owain Fon Williams with no chance.
Mallan was looking inspired every time he touched the ball and Accies were living on a razor’s edge as the playmaker drilled in a low cross that flashed along the goal line, evading everyone in the box.
Mallan unfortunately influenced the game at the wrong end of the park for the Hibees, as the playmaker cut in front of Blair Alston in the box with referee John Beaton ruling the Accies player had been impeded.
Barely on the pitch, substitute Ross Cunningham was charged with dispatching the spot kick, electing for pace over precision, smashing the ball past Chris Maxwell.
Again, Hibs pressed and left-back Scott McMann tested Chris Maxwell with a hybrid of a shot and cross that almost caught out Williams, but strong wrists prevailed to deflect the attempt.
Christian Doidge managed to bundle the ball across the line with three minutes remaining but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Substitute Florian Kamberi almost snatched an injury-time winner with a rasping drive that was destined for the top corner only for Williams to again pull off a stunning save.
There was precious little insight from Hibernian manager Paul Heckingbottom on how to arrest his side’s fortunes with a sense of déjà vu offered by the Englishman.
“Just replay the last three times I have sat in front of you, replay the same quotes, write the same things, same story,” Heckingbottom stated.
“And that’s probably what’s frustrating me more than most. Some real good play, especially in the first half, and we could not put the game to bed.”