Scottish cup 4th round replay: Hamilton Accies 0-1 St Mirren
Danny Lennon paid tribute to Hamilton after his side edged the Scottish Cup fifth round replay at New Douglas Park, writes Matthew Harold.St Mirren secured a tie with Ross County after Graham Carey’s first half strike claimed victory over Hamilton Academical.
The Accies almost forced extra-time with the woodwork denying Dougie Imrie in the dying minutes, and Lennon was a relieved man to have steered the Paisley men into the next round.
“We’re
delighted to be in the next round and we knew it was always going to be
a very difficult challenge coming here," said Lennon.
“We didn’t get as fluent a rhythm as we would have liked throughout the game, although we had a lot of possession particularly in the first half.
"Hamilton came out and they offered a different dynamic, got about
and put a bit more pressure on us towards the end of the game.
“I felt we could have handled that pressure a bit better in terms of
getting the ball down and playing, but as I said we are just delighted to
be in the hat and keep the dream alive, and keep a clean sheet.”
Lennon paid tribute to Dougie Imrie for his audacious effort and to Hamilton for their youth policy.
“I felt we could have handled that pressure a bit better in terms of
getting the ball down and playing, but as I said we are just delighted to
be in the hat and keep the dream alive, and keep a clean sheet.”Lennon paid tribute to Dougie Imrie for his audacious effort and to Hamilton for their youth policy.
He continued: “It was a great strike from
Imrie and he has that in his locker and it was incredible.
"I must give
Accies great credit. They’ve got a fantastic set up here and are good at
producing young kids - a few who were on show tonight - and that stands
them in good stead for the next few years.”
The Buddies boss also was full of praise for his scorer Graham Carey, but he wants to get more from the youngster.
The Buddies boss also was full of praise for his scorer Graham Carey, but he wants to get more from the youngster.
He said: “Graham has great
quality and I wish he would give us that in longer spells within games,
but it was a terrific strike. He is a terrific striker of a ball and is a
great talent.”
With First Division leaders Ross County up next for the Paisley side in the Scottish Cup, Lennon isn’t taking anything for granted.
With First Division leaders Ross County up next for the Paisley side in the Scottish Cup, Lennon isn’t taking anything for granted.
“We
are delighted with a home tie against a club that’s flying at this
minute in time and are top of the most competitive league in Scotland,
but we’ve got a few difficult games before then and we want to get back
to picking up points in the league.”
After being held to a stalemate in the first game, the visitors found the First Division outfit just as tricky, as Billy Reid’s side looked to soak up the pressure and catch their opponents on the break.
Danny Lennon’s side were nearly the makers of their own downfall within the first ten minutes, as keeper Craig Samson failed to properly clear a pass back and the poor effort landed at the feet of Jim McAllister just outside the box, but the former Morton winger’s strike sailed wide of goal.
That was the wake-up call that the Buddies needed as they made their overall dominance and possession pay as Paul McGowan found Carey, who from 25 yards out unleashed a low strike beyond the helpless Tomas Cerny in the Hamilton goal to open the scoring.
Although the visitors had the vast amount of the ball they couldn’t double their advantage and it was Hamilton who had the best efforts before the half time whistle, as McAllister had two more long range efforts, one of which sailed over the bar, while the other was comfortably saved by Samson.
Hamilton looked to get more of the ball in the second half and were nearly rewarded straight away with a goal as Dougie Imrie stepped in from the right wing and fired a shot towards Samson’s goal, but fortunately for the Buddies stopper the ball went just wide.
The SPL side were forced to rely on free kick efforts from Carey, with the former Celtic youngster going close with two attempts, the first from the left wing that Cerny had to react well to in order to put out for a corner, while the second one, from the opposite side was eventually caught by the keeper at the second attempt.
With less than five minutes on the clock and his side desperate for an equaliser, Imrie decided to take matters into his own hands, as he took the ball from the right wing, inside to the middle of the park and unleashed an incredible strike from nearly 40 yards out, which smacked off of both the bar and Samson and eventually away to safety.
Hamilton boss Billy Reid was distraught to lose the tie, feeling his side deserved at least to take the tie into extra-time.
After being held to a stalemate in the first game, the visitors found the First Division outfit just as tricky, as Billy Reid’s side looked to soak up the pressure and catch their opponents on the break.
Danny Lennon’s side were nearly the makers of their own downfall within the first ten minutes, as keeper Craig Samson failed to properly clear a pass back and the poor effort landed at the feet of Jim McAllister just outside the box, but the former Morton winger’s strike sailed wide of goal.
That was the wake-up call that the Buddies needed as they made their overall dominance and possession pay as Paul McGowan found Carey, who from 25 yards out unleashed a low strike beyond the helpless Tomas Cerny in the Hamilton goal to open the scoring.
Although the visitors had the vast amount of the ball they couldn’t double their advantage and it was Hamilton who had the best efforts before the half time whistle, as McAllister had two more long range efforts, one of which sailed over the bar, while the other was comfortably saved by Samson.
Hamilton looked to get more of the ball in the second half and were nearly rewarded straight away with a goal as Dougie Imrie stepped in from the right wing and fired a shot towards Samson’s goal, but fortunately for the Buddies stopper the ball went just wide.
The SPL side were forced to rely on free kick efforts from Carey, with the former Celtic youngster going close with two attempts, the first from the left wing that Cerny had to react well to in order to put out for a corner, while the second one, from the opposite side was eventually caught by the keeper at the second attempt.
With less than five minutes on the clock and his side desperate for an equaliser, Imrie decided to take matters into his own hands, as he took the ball from the right wing, inside to the middle of the park and unleashed an incredible strike from nearly 40 yards out, which smacked off of both the bar and Samson and eventually away to safety.
Hamilton boss Billy Reid was distraught to lose the tie, feeling his side deserved at least to take the tie into extra-time.
“The players are absolutely gutted and I was gutted for them as I don’t think we deserved to lose in 90 minutes," he said.
"We set up to frustrate them and we had the best chance early doors through McAlister and you’ve got to take chances like that against good sides.
“We said Carey, McGowan and the young lad McLean are threats and you have to shut them down at the edge of the box but we didn’t do it for once and that’s what happens against players like that, the balls fired into the bottom corner.”
Reid though was full of praise for full back Stephen Hendrie, saying of the youngster: “I thought we had some great performances; we’ve got two boys that are 17 playing. Stephen Hendrie, who only turned 17 the other day, was absolutely brilliant. I think he’s going to be a super player.”
The Accies boss is desperate to hang on to Dougie Imrie, who has been linked with a move to Dundee United, but acknowledges Hamilton may not be able to turn down a bid.
“We said Carey, McGowan and the young lad McLean are threats and you have to shut them down at the edge of the box but we didn’t do it for once and that’s what happens against players like that, the balls fired into the bottom corner.”
Reid though was full of praise for full back Stephen Hendrie, saying of the youngster: “I thought we had some great performances; we’ve got two boys that are 17 playing. Stephen Hendrie, who only turned 17 the other day, was absolutely brilliant. I think he’s going to be a super player.”
The Accies boss is desperate to hang on to Dougie Imrie, who has been linked with a move to Dundee United, but acknowledges Hamilton may not be able to turn down a bid.
“We’re used to it - we’ve lost influential players before. It’s just the way it is at the football club.
“I don’t have any say on that, so we just have to see how things work out and if Dougie goes then we just have to build again, that’s where we are as a football club.
"I don’t want Dougie Imrie to leave, that’d be crazy with how he’s playing at the moment and he’s probably our most influential forward player, so why would you want him to leave?”
Hamilton Academical: Cerny, Kilday, Hendrie, Canning, Mensing, McLaughlin, Imrie, McAlister, Anderson (Spence, 70), Crawford, Ryan (Martin, 70)
Subs Not Used: Hutton (GK) Gordon, Devlin
St Mirren: Samson, Van Zanten, Barron, Mair, McAusland, Tesselaar, McLean, Teale, Carey (Thomson, 85), Thompson, McGowan
Subs Not Used: Smith (GK) Murray, Mooy, Hasselbaink
Referee: Willie Collum
Man of the Match: Graham Carey (St Mirren)
Attendance: 1,502
“I don’t have any say on that, so we just have to see how things work out and if Dougie goes then we just have to build again, that’s where we are as a football club.
"I don’t want Dougie Imrie to leave, that’d be crazy with how he’s playing at the moment and he’s probably our most influential forward player, so why would you want him to leave?”
Hamilton Academical: Cerny, Kilday, Hendrie, Canning, Mensing, McLaughlin, Imrie, McAlister, Anderson (Spence, 70), Crawford, Ryan (Martin, 70)
Subs Not Used: Hutton (GK) Gordon, Devlin
St Mirren: Samson, Van Zanten, Barron, Mair, McAusland, Tesselaar, McLean, Teale, Carey (Thomson, 85), Thompson, McGowan
Subs Not Used: Smith (GK) Murray, Mooy, Hasselbaink
Referee: Willie Collum
Man of the Match: Graham Carey (St Mirren)
Attendance: 1,502
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