Cameron helps get the job Dun
DUNDEE 2 Cameron (29), McCowan (90)
A first-half goal from Lyall Cameron and substitute Luke McCowan’s stoppage-time effort gave Dundee a deserved win over lacklustre Hamilton.
The Dens Park men are just a point off the top four and boss Gary Bowyer said: “I’m delighted to come here and win, it’s not an easy place to come, though we should have been out of sight.
“I thought we played really well, at the start of the game especially and scored a good goal.
“Lyall has got this brilliant habit of getting opportunities, but if I was him I would be disappointed I hadn’t got a hat-trick.”
Ryan Fulton comfortably scooped up Jordan McGhee’s header as the visitors threatened for the first time.
Cameron should have done better when he met McGhee’s cross two minutes later, but his header sailed over the crossbar.
Much of Dundee’s threat was coming through McGhee and Cameron, and both passed up further chances before the opening goal on 28 minutes.
Yet again, Cameron played a pivotal role, latching on to Joe Grayson’s pass before smashing home his first league goal for Dundee.
Hamilton had been second best throughout the first half, though they finally managed their first effort on target on the stroke of half-time when Matthew Shiels’ long-range shot was easily handled by Adam Legzdins.
The opening stages of the second half brought some familiar action as Cameron came agonisingly close to turning in Paul McMullen’s cut-back and McGhee then failed to find the target from the rebound.
Tyler French burst out of defence brilliantly to create a chance that was scrambled away desperately by the Accies’ backline and only a last-ditch tackle by Dan
O’Reilly denied Josh Mulligan a scoring opportunity soon after.
After somehow managing to remain in the contest, O’Reilly headed on to the top of the Dundee goal before Andy Winter’s superb strike rattled the crossbar.
John Rankin’s men flooded forward in search of a leveller, but they were punished on the break in the final seconds when McCowan, sent through on goal by McMullan, coolly lifted the ball over the keeper and into the net.
Boss Rankin said: “If you give me that second-half performance, I’ll take that all day long.
“I felt it was a challenge for the players at half time, I don’t think we performed at all in the first half and I was really disappointed at the way we conducted ourselves.
“The players have to believe, continue to work hard, continue to create chances and eventually one of them will drop, but we can’t continue to have these conversations every Saturday night – we need to be ruthless.”
ACCIES:
(4-4-1-1) – Fulton 5; Doyle 5, Shiels 6, O’Reilly 6, Easton 5; Martin 5, Zanatta 5 (Pierre Tiehi 60, 4), Mimnaugh 5 (L.Smith 69, 3), Winter 5; Lawson 5, One 5. Subs not used – J.Smith, Ngandu, Brown, Owens, McGinn, Forsyth. DUNDEE:
(4-3-3) – Legzdins 6; Kerr 6, French 6, Ashcroft, McGhee 6; Cameron 7 (McCowan 86, 2), McGowan 7, Grayson 6 (Williamson 45, 5); Mulligan 6 (Anderson 75, 4), Robinson 6 (Rudden 74, 3), McMullan 7. Subs not used – Sharp, Marshall, McCowan, Robertson, Sheridan, Strachan.