Form slump continues as Thistle sting Accies

Jan 25 2008

LEAGUE-LEADERS Hamilton hit a low point in what has been a remarkable season as Partick Thistle hammered them 3-0 at Firhill on Saturday.

On a pitch better suited to growing potatoes than playing football, Thistle put on their best performance of the season, while Hamilton were virtually non-existent as an attacking force.

But while nobody is linking Accies’ poor performance to the state of the pitch, it was a factor.

It was a match Hamilton desperately wanted to win to halt an alarming form slump but, even with first-choice goalkeeper Bryn Halliwell, defenders Brian Easton and Mark McLaughlin, captain Alex Neil and top striker Richard Offiong restored to the line-up, they were never really in this game.

Even the ‘debut’ of Simon Mensing, signed on Friday from Motherwell following a successful loan spell last month, couldn’t make a tangible difference as Thistle over-ran the midfield.

Hamilton threatened in eight minutes when David Graham darted down the left and his cutback was cleared from Mensing, with Offiong blasting well over from 16 yards.

But Thistle signalled their intent in 14 minutes when Liam Buchanan’s cross was fired just past the left post by Mark Roberts, with Halliwell scrambling to meet it.

Winger Gary Harkins went down in the box under a challenge by David Elebert in 16 minutes, but referee Iain Brines waved away the claims.

Hamilton created a good move in 23 minutes when McLaughlin and Offiong linked well down the left, with the latter’s chip taken by keeper Jon Tuffey ahead of James McCarthy.

A minute later, Jags took the lead when Buchanan found space on the left of the box but slipped, and defender Kevin McKinlay followed up to send a deft chip into the net.

Four minutes later, Harkins found Buchanan in the box, but his low shot was saved by Halliwell.

Thistle doubled their lead with a goal that keeper Halliwell won’t want to see repeats of.

Buchanan’s cross from the right was an inviting one. McKinlay got above Tom Parratt to send a downward header towards the bottom right corner, but he didn’t make proper contact and the ball squirmed into the bottom right corner when Halliwell should have done better.

David Rowson blasted a shot just over the top-right corner in 40 minutes and, on the stroke of half-time, Harkins saw his shot cannon off the crossbar.

Hamilton started the second half with more purpose and, when Parratt’s corner on the right was spilled by Tuffey, Thistle were relieved to see the ball booted off the line.

But the game was killed stone dead in 55 minutes when Buchanan tried to make space for himself in the box, only to be upended by McLaughlin. Referee Brines had no alternative but to point to the spot, and Buchanan made no mistake.

Boss Billy Reid threw on winger Mark Gilhaney in 60 minutes, in place of Parratt, and he made an almost instant impact.

In 65 minutes, Gilhaney’s cross was met with a diving, glancing header by Elebert that Tuffey superbly clawed over the top-left corner.

Alan Archibald nearly put Thistle further ahead in 68 minutes when he was picked out in the box and rattled the crossbar with a fierce drive.

Offiong appeared to be fouled just outside the box in 80 minutes, but referee Brines waved play on, and Mensing sent an angled drive inches over.

With nine minutes left, Gilhaney’s drive was hacked off the line by Twaddle as Accies tried to get something from the game.

PARTICK: Tuffey, Robertson, Twaddle, McKinlay (Donnelly, 89), Storey, Archibald, Chaplain, Rowson, Buchanan (Murray, 69), Roberts, Harkins (McKeown, 79). Subs (not used): Keegan, Hinchcliffe.

HAMILTON: Halliwell, Parratt (Gilhaney, 60), Easton, McCarthy, Elebert, McLaughlin, Mensing, McArthur, Offiong, Neil (Twigg, 39), Graham (Winters, 69). Subs (not used): Gibson, Cerny.

Referee: Iain Brines.

Attendance: 2409.

Advertiser Man of the Match: David Elebert — was Accies’ best performer on a poor day and was unlucky not to score.