Accies to the four

Dec 11 2007 By Andy McGilvray

Hamilton.....4 Stirling Albion.....2

A DEBUT double by Simon Mensing and goals by Roman Wallner and Richard Offiong were enough to steer Hamilton past battling Stirling on Saturday.

Allan Moore’s side threatened a second-half comeback and Accies have keeper Bryn Halliwell to thank for a string of superb saves.

But the simple fact is that Hamilton were too strong for the Binos and this result seldom looked in any doubt.

Boss Billy Reid handed a start to Mensing — signed on an emergency loan from Motherwell — at the expense of David Elebert, but otherwise Hamilton’s line-up was unchanged from Dundee.

The visitors totally dominated the first half, played some excellent football and created some good chances before Mensing headed them into a deserved 26th-minute lead.

The first of these came in 10 minutes when James McArthur picked the ball up in midfield, drove forward, and forced a good save from Scott Christie with a curling 18-yard effort.

Four minutes later Offiong darted down the right before sending a measured cross to Wallner at the back post, but the Austrian headed over the top left corner from close range.

Three minutes later Wallner’s 25-yard free-kick was met with a brave diving header by Mark McLaughlin, but Christie saved.

Hamilton’s pressure paid off when unmarked Mensing rose to meet Wallner’s corner from the right and bullet a header past helpless Christie.

Five minutes before the break Offiong’s diligence paid off when he broke clear down the right and his cross was controlled by Wallner before he buried it low past Christie and into the bottom left corner.

Stirling started the second half with more purpose and pulled a goal back in 51 minutes when David McKenna linked up with sub Colin Cramb — a former Accies star — and he rammed the ball past Halliwell from 15 yards.

Cramb, who had received an extraordinary amount of abuse from the visiting support in just six minutes, having replaced Ross Harris at the interval, cupped a hand to his ear in defiance.

McKenna nearly equalised in 55 minutes, but his powerful low drive was parried by Halliwell and cleared.

Wallner latched onto the clearance and timed his through-ball to perfection, giving Offiong the space to drill low into the bottom right corner for his 12th goal of the season.

Offiong just failed to connect with Wallner’s chip ahead two minutes later.

Mark Gilhaney was next to have a go, but after a good run down the left and into the middle, the winger sent his shot past the left post in 64 minutes.

Hamilton effectively wrapped up the points in 68 minutes when McCarthy broke down the right and his inch-perfect cross was met with a controlled volley by Mensing, drilling low into the bottom left corner from 16 yards.

Stirling threw everything at Hamilton in an effort to get back into the game, and Cramb could have scored again in 70 minutes when he darted down the left and beat Halliwell before squaring to McKenna, but Brian Easton was able to hack clear.

A minute later Chris Aitken’s corner from the left was headed over by Steven Bell, with referee Alan Muir inexplicably awarding a similar set-piece.

As Hamilton tried to clear their lines from Aitken’s delivery, Wallner was judged to have barged over Marek Tomana and a penalty was awarded. Aitken stepped up and sent the ball past Halliwell.

Paul Nugent wove his way down the right flank in 73 minutes and his cutback reached Cramb at the near post, but his point-blank effort was brilliantly turned round the post by Halliwell.

Cramb went close again in 77 minutes, but Halliwell superbly tipped his header over.

Hamilton nearly scored a fifth with two minutes left when Wallner’s corner from the right reached McLaughlin, but the big defender’s header was cleared off the line.

STIRLING: Christie, Nugent, Forsyth, Ellis, Reid, Aitken, Harris (Cramb, 45), McBride (Tomana, 59), McKenna, Bell, Taggart (Devine, 59). Subs (not used): Walker, Hogarth.

Booked: Cramb.

HAMILTON: Halliwell, Mensing, Easton, McCarthy, Swailes, McLaughlin, Wallner, McArthur (Gibson, 57), Offiong (Wake, 79), Neil, Gilhaney (Graham, 64). Subs (not used): Winters, Cerny.

Booked: Offiong, Wake, Wallner.

Referee: Alan Muir.

Attendance: 1035.

Advertiser Man of the Match: Simon Mensing — capped a solid display with two excellent goals.