Dark Blue clouds gather over Hartley
DEFIANT Dundee manager Paul Hartley was last night refusing to crumble amid stinging criticism in the wake of his team’s seventh straight Premiership defeat.
With the Dens Park side dropping into the precarious relegation play-off spot as Hamilton chalked up their first away win of the season, pressure continues to mount on Hartley.
The possibility of facing rivals Dundee United in an end-ofseason play-off has already been a topic for discussion within the City of Discovery and the odds on that prospect shortened with this result. Dundee capitulated once more as Alex D’Acol’s penalty midway through the first half and Michael Devlin’s 84th-minute header piled yet more misery on the Tayside club.
“It’s a major blow for us,” Hartley conceded. “We’re trying to find a way to win a game and we’re not doing it just now. We’re not quite good enough.
“I can understand the fans booing. If you’re on a run like we are the first person they’ll come for is the manager. I’ll handle that though. It’s part and parcel of football. It won’t affect me. Do I like it? No, but it’s just the way it is.
“Of course we’re concerned. I’m not lying. It’s alarming times and I’m not painting a picture to say everything is great. When you’re losing games it does affect players. But they have to be brave and fight for their survival and for the football club.”
Dundee made a positive enough start. Faissal El-Bakhtaoui set Marcus Haber free down the right but the Canadian couldn’t pick out a team-mate with his cross.
A few moments later, Haber got clear of Hamilton skipper Devlin but his low shot was saved by Remi Matthews in the visiting goal.
Accies’ first glimpse of goal came in 11 minutes when former Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati tried his luck from 25 yards, only to see his effort fly over Scott Bain’s bar.
But after 17 minutes, the hosts ought to have given themselves some breathing space. Tom Hateley’s cross seemed perfect for Haber but the striker seemed to misjudge the flight of the ball and failed to make contact with the goal at his mercy.
Hamilton duly went ahead after 22 minutes. Hateley was judged to have brought down Dougie Imrie and referee John Beaton immediately pointed to the spot. Up stepped D’Acol who calmly sent a well-taken penalty into the corner of the net.
The second half started with El-Bakhtaoui firing a low shot towards goal which Matthews did well to hold at the second attempt.
However, Hamilton sealed victory after 84 minutes to leave Dundee just five points ahead of bottom club Inverness.
Substitute Danny Redmond’s deep corner was met by Devlin and he stooped to plant a header past Bain from a few yards out.
“It’s a huge three points,” said Hamilton manager Martin Canning. We spoke about the away record during the week although I don’t normally discuss things like that. We’ve drawn far too many games and sometimes we’ve conceded late but that’s the importance of the second goal.
“The only criticism is that we could have scored a couple more.”