Accies sail past Clyde to go top

Aug 16 2007

HAMILTON cruised past sorry Clyde to sit joint-top of the Irn-Bru First Division, following Saturday’s convincing 2-0 win at Broadwood.

A poor first half ended with Accies netting from the spot after influential Clyde defender Neil McGregor was red-carded for denying striker Richard Offiong a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

Offiong dusted himself down before ramming home the penalty and Hamilton simply never looked back.

Accies boss Billy Reid travelled to Cumbernauld with three changes to Saturday’s winning side against Dunfermline.

Czech keeper Tomas Cerny made his debut in place of Bryn Halliwell, Tom Parratt replaced Chris Swailes, and Paul McLeod made way for Neil Teggart.

The first real chance of the half fell to Clyde’s Steve Masterton in 21 minutes, but his low 25-yard drive was saved by Cerny.

Four minutes later the midfielder tried his luck with a free-kick from a similar distance, but Cerny was equal to it.

Hamilton should have taken the lead in 28 minutes with their first chance when Parratt’s cross from the right was nodded down by Offiong to Mark Gilhaney, but the winger bulleted his flying header past the left post from six yards.

But the game hinged on McGregor’s clumsy challenge in 44 minutes. Offiong sprung the offside trap and raced onto Parratt’s through ball, flicked the ball over keeper David Hutton and was preparing to score when McGregor barged into the back of him, leaving referee Kenny Clark no option but to red card the stopper and award a penalty.

Offiong slammed the spot-kick into the bottom right corner past helpless Hutton, as the half drew to a close.

A defensive error in 51 minutes let Gilhaney dart in from the left and his powerful drive was only partially blocked by Hutton, but Clyde eventually cleared their lines.

Hutton, who had been caught by Gilhaney in a first-half incident that saw the former Clyde forward booked, was replaced by reserve David Thompson in 54 minutes.

In 70 minutes a Masterton free kick was spilled by Cerny, but Kevin Bradley couldn’t connect.

Clyde were screaming for a penalty in 75 minutes when Masterton’s close range free-kick cannoned off the left post and appeared to strike Mark McLaughlin on the hand, but it looked like ball-to-hand.

After surviving that scare, Hamilton wrapped up the points in 80 minutes when defender David Elebert rose to meet a deep Alex Neil free-kick and looped a header over stranded Thompson and in at the right corner.

Advertiser Man of the Match: David Elebert.

CLYDE: Hutton (Thompson, 54), McGregor, Potter, Higgins, Smith (D. McGowan, 74), Masterton, Wilson, Bradley, Arbuckle (McKenna, 84), Imrie, M. McGowan. Subs (not used): MacLennan, Traub.

Booked: Arbuckle, Imrie, Wilson, McKenna.

Sent-off: McGregor.

HAMILTON: Cerny, Parratt, Easton, Taylor (McCarthy, 74), Elebert, McLaughlin (Gibson, 82), Teggart (McLeod, 63), McArthur, Offiong, Neil, Gilhaney. Subs (not used): Wake, Halliwell.

Booked: Gilhaney, Teggart, McLaughlin, Neil, McArthur.

Referee: Kenny Clark.