Munro and Co follow Templeton template
DAVID TEMPLETON has walked a mile in Kyle Munro’s boots. A fresh-faced phenomenon at Stenhousemuir and Hearts, Templeton has been that kid breaking through to the senior ranks; fearless, emboldened by youth and swiftly setting tongues wagging.
Now 31 years of age and having been around the block in this game — for better and worse — Templeton is adapting to his role as a senior sounding board in the Hamilton dressing room, helping to shape a new generation of talent.
By his own admission, he remains a little irascible and impatient, but his pride after watching Munro embrace his pre-match advice and write his name into the headlines was palpable.
‘I said to Kyle before the game that if he gives the ball away, not to worry about it. Just try to do the right things,’ said Templeton of Saturday’s match-winner against Livingston.
‘It’s still strange being the one giving out advice before games. I’m still really moany on the pitch, so I’m learning to make that constructive and help the boys along.’
Munro, on loan at Clydebank in the Junior ranks as recently as last season, was making his maiden start for Accies. The latest name added to a list including Greg Docherty, Lewis Ferguson and the two Jameses —
As soon as it left his head, you know it was going in. It was a great header. I’m delighted for him
McArthur and McCarthy. And how he embraced the opportunity to deputise for the suspended Scott McMann at left-back, turning in a solid defensive showing before popping up with 85 minutes on the clock to head home Templeton’s deep free-kick.
It was enough to secure a hardfought, come-from-behind 2-1 triumph at a venue which, until this season, has been something of a fortress.
Livvy lost only three times at the Tony Macaroni Arena in 2019-20, against Rangers twice and Aberdeen. They have already been defeated twice at home this term.
‘I’m delighted for him — Kyle is a young kid who works really hard in training,’ added Templeton. ‘I’m sure that’ll give him plenty of confidence going into games in the future.
‘I was just trying to put the ball in a good area. I don’t think Kyle was initially coming up for it. It was Ross Callachan who actually said to him: “Go in at the back post”. And as soon as it left his head you knew it was going in. It was a great header.’
However, as Templeton was quick to emphasise: ‘There are loads of talented kids here’.
One of them, captain Shaun Want, was the man who inadvertently gave Livingston the lead after 29 seconds, turning an Alan Forrest cross into his own net.
Want, it should be said, responded manfully and was otherwise excellent along with Hakeem Odoffin in the heart of the Accies defence. Another Hamilton academy graduate, Reegan Mimnaugh, was superb throughout and it was his corner kick which caused havoc in the Lions’ box after the break. Odoffin headed against the woodwork before Templeton rattled home the rebound to level.
Scott Pittman somehow endeavoured to strike the underside of the bar from all of six yards in a frantic finale after meeting a Craig Sibbald knockdown, later lamenting: ‘We need to take our chances, especially the one I’ve missed at 1-1.
‘I was just trying to smash it and it’s come back off the bar — but I’ve got to score that.’
That opened the door for Munro’s magic moment.
Albeit early days in the Premiership, Brian Rice’s side are just one point off the top six with a game in hand over the majority of sides above them. The familiar refrain of ‘Hamilton’s luck will eventually run out’ and ‘this is the season Accies will go down’ continues to be music to their ears.
‘I think the club is used to being written off and we’ve always thrived on that,’ noted Templeton. ‘The more they do, the more we want to shut people up and keep ourselves in the league. Results like Saturday show that we are up for the battle.’
Livingston, by contrast, are in a pickle. They are joint bottom of the table, ahead of Motherwell only on goals scored, and, in addition to looking wobbly on their own patch, Gary Holt’s side are uncharacteristically porous.
They have kept two clean sheets this term and have shipped two or more goals in four of their seven games.
This is a Livingston side in name only at the moment. They are displaying none of the laudable traits which have made them one of Scottish football’s success stories in the past three years, namely aggression, organisation, and efficacy in both boxes.
‘We need to start keeping clean sheets again,’ Pittman stated bluntly. ‘That’s what our success has been built on for the last couple of years. We keep losing soft goals. I’m not sure what the big difference is but we’ll work on that in training and try to stop it.’
LIVINGSTON (4-2-3-1): McCrorie 6; Devlin 6, Ambrose 5, Guthrie 5, Serrano 5; Bartley 6, Holt 5 (Sibbald 60); Forrest 7, Pittman 5, Robinson 6 (Kouider-Aissa 85); Lokotsch 5 (Tiffoney 60).
Subs not used: Stryjek, Taylor-Sinclair, Lawson, Crawford, McMillan, Poplatnik. Booked: Guthrie, Holt.
HAMILTON (4-4-1-1): Fulton 7; Martin 6, Odoffin 7, Want 6, Munro 7; Collar 6 (Trafford 80), Callachan 6, Mimnaugh 7, Moyo 6; Templeton 8 (Fjortoft 85); Ogkmpoe 5 (Winter 75).
Subs not used: Gourlay, Hamilton, Smith, Meikle, Owolabi, Johnson. Booked: Mimnaugh, Templeton.
Man of the match: David Templeton. Referee: Don Robertson.