Magic from Mayo ensures Jags close gap at the top
PARTICK THISTLE 1 Mayo (57) HAMILTON ACCIES 0
Partick Thistle recorded their sixth consecutive clean sheet and closed the gap on league leaders Kilmarnock to two points courtesy of Lewis Mayo’s winner.
Now only two points separate the top five and Jags boss Ian McCall declared: “It’s the most pleasing result of the season so far. It was really hard and we weren’t able to play the way we normally want to play.
“It’s a horrible pitch to play on and I don’t blame anyone for that, but it’s certainly not conducive to how we want to play football.
“It was a horrible game of football and on days like today, it’s only the result that matters.
“I’m honestly absolutely delighted.” Clear-cut chances were few and far between in the first period, with the best chance of the first-half falling to Hamilton’s David Moyo, who dragged his effort wide of the target after latching on to a fine ball over the top from Shaun Want.
It was a rare piece of goalmouth activity in the first-half but things livened up on the restart with both sides showing more attacking urgency.
The visitors started positively and nearly took the lead after 51 minutes when Lewis Smith connected with Kieran MacDonald’s cross from the left wing.
However, his header drifted narrowly wide.
Thistle responded well and broke the deadlock on 57 minutes with their first shot of the game as Kyle Turner’s corner was met by Mayo who headed emphatically home, giving Accies keeper Joe Hilton no chance.
The Jags made a tentative penalty claim shortly after when Brian Graham appeared to be brought down inside the box by Mihai Popescu, but referee Euan Anderson remained unmoved.
Then Cammy Smith almost doubled the hosts’ advantage with an incredible volley from 25-yards which thundered back off the underside of the crossbar.
There was a moment of controversy midway through the second-half as Regan Mimnaugh went in fullblooded for a tackle on Scott Tiffoney, and after consulting with his lineman, Anderson only brandished a yellow card.
Hamilton pushed numbers forward in search of an equaliser, with their best chance falling to on-loan Hearts defender Popescu in the dying embers. But his looping effort went well over the bar after Jamie Sneddon failed to hold on to a free-kick from the left.
McCall added: “I said at half-time that it was going to be a horrible game but when you’ve got Kyle Turner delivering balls like that you’ve always got a good chance.
“We’ve lost one goal in seven league games and that was against Hamilton when we were six-nil up. It’s very impressive and long may it continue.”
Accies counterpart Stuart Taylor said: “I thought we competed well and you could tell by their reaction at fulltime – the way they celebrated – that it was a big one for them in terms of how we played.
“I don’t think we did enough to win the game but I also think we didn’t do enough to lose the game. It had 0-0 written all over it.”