Accies are still fighting
Banned Hamilton Accies boss, Brian Rice, watched on from the stand as his team kept up their fight to avoid relegation. Ross Callachan set them on their way to the win at St Mirren.
ST MIRREN 1
McGrath (71)
HAMILTON ACCIES 2
Callachan (28), Moyo (57)
“Never, ever write off Accies” – the radio teaser for this game was introduced by a breathless clip from one of Hamilton’s great escapes in their seven years in the top flight.
And here amid the sunshine and showers at St Mirren Stadium, the wisdom behind one of Scottish football’s universally held truths was underlined in timely fashion.
Brian Rice’s side went into this match three points adrift at the foot of the Premiership table and without a win in their last nine games.
With just two matches remaining following the trip to Paisley and skipper Brian Easton out injured, their situation was parlous.
However, as they have done time and again, the Lanarkshire men dug deep to deliver a win that gives them genuine hope of avoiding the drop.
The result leaves them two points behind Kilmarnock, who they play on the final day of the season, and three behind Ross County who they tackle next.
Given the situation, this was never going to be one for the faint hearted and so it proved.
Both sides got stuck in from the off with St Mirren players, who have places in next Sunday’s Scottish Cup semifinal to fight for, every bit as committed as their opponents.
Saints it was who were first to properly threaten with
Jay Henderson forcing Kyle Gourlay to dive out to smother what was a dangerous low cross into the area.
Minutes later, it was their keeper, Jak Alnwick, who had a nervous moment when a mix up with his defender Daniel Finlayson almost let Accies in.
If he was unhappy with his defender for putting him under pressure on that occasion, Alnwick had reason to be grateful to Connor McCarthy for getting a block on what was a fierce drive from Hakeem Odoffin.
He had no answer, though, to the opener.
Lee Hodson drove down the right and picked out Ross Callachan who had darted into the box.
The midfielder had plenty to do but was up to the task and angled a shot and across the goal into the far corner.
While Accies were value for their lead, at the interval it could by no means be described as comfortable.
They needed another goal to settle themselves and got it through a score that was lucky but none the worse for it.
David Moyo sprung his fellow striker Bruce Anderson in behind the Saints’ defence and then kept running forward.
Either he would have been looking for a cross or a rebound, what he got was a shot straight at him.
With no time to think, he managed to get a contact on the ball and then watched in delight as the deflected effort rolled slowly past Alnwick and into the net.
St Mirren were not done yet, though, with Jamie McGrath, one of three subs introduced at 2-0 by boss Jim Goodwin, firing home to give his side what was ultimately just a consolation score.
“I felt as if too many were on 70 or 80% and you can’t have that at this level.
“Hamilton are too good for that. They punished us,” admitted the Saints boss.
“I’m disappointed with the goals we conceded.
“The first we could have defended better then the second took a lucky deflection.
“Overall this season the performances have been good and we’ve taken our standards to a new level.
“But we dropped down and that reality check can sometimes be good going into a game like the semi-final.”