Canning sees red over Skondras’ sending off

EVERY point is going to count in this season’s battle for survival in the Ladbrokes Premiership, but for Hamilton manager Martin Canning the reward for his side’s battling performance against Ross County could have been even greater had it not been for a controversial refereeing decision.

Accies defender Ioannis Skondras was dismissed by referee Steven Mclean with seconds remaining until the half-time whistle after the Greek full-back brought down Ryan Dow as he charged through on the counter-attack.

At the time the home side led 1-0 thanks to Massimo Donati’s wonderful early opener, but they were pegged back in the second half and eventually succumbed to Craig Curran’s leveller in a fraught relegation battle at the SuperSeal stadium.

The point was enough to lift Accies out of the relegation play-off spot and above Lanarkshire neighbours Motherwell, but Canning was frustrated at the decision that saw his side reduced to 10 men for the second game in a row.

“It was never a sending off,” he said. “Giannis has come across and slid to try to win the ball and the boy has nicked it beyond him. It was a foul, of that there is no doubt, but because they are going at speed the referee thinks it’s worse than what it is. It is a big decision which I feel has gone against us, it’s one I’ll look at and I think we will appeal.”

Accies came flying out of the blocks and were rewarded with only three minutes on the clock when veteran midfielder Donati, returning to the starting line-up in the place of the suspended Darian Mackinnon, swept in a delicious 20-yard shot.

Things almost got better for the home side when Alex D’Acol thundered in a half-volley from range four minutes later, only to be denied by a flying Scott Fox.

County grew into the game as Tim Chow scooped a shot over the bar from close range early on, before Michael Gardyne’s rasping long-distance effort flew narrowly wide.

But with a minute to go until the break and both managers mulling over their team talks, the game’s complexion was changed entirely as Skondras saw red.

The defender’s late challenge was deemed reckless enough for a dismissal by referee McLean, much to the anger of a vocal home crowd.

Jim McIntyre’s side began to pile pressure on the depleted hosts after the break as Dow smashed a shot off the bar from outside the box and Martin Woods saw his curling free-kick beaten away by Remi Matthews in the Accies goal.

But with almost an hour gone, Hamilton’s resistance was broken. The Accies defence failed to clear their lines from a corner and Curran was on hand to bury a low shot home from close range.

Despite growing pressure from the Staggies, it was Accies who came closest to nicking the three points, with Scott McMann and Dougie Imrie having late chances before substitute Alex Gogic squandered a golden opportunity in stoppage time by firing over with the goal gaping.

“For me the last two games have shown we are up for the fight, we’ve got a fire in our belly and shown we’re prepared to put our bodies on the line and work as hard as we can to get points even in adverse circumstances,” Canning reflected after the game.

“That’s us moved up a spot, we were rewarded for digging deep and working hard and results have gone in our favour. We’re a point better off today with other teams not winning around us.”

Only time will tell how vital that point will turn out to be.