Accies take point from fellow strugglers

Nov 13 2008 by Shirley Bartynek, Hamilton Advertiser

JAMES McCarthy was delighted to grab his second goal of the season in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Falkirk, but was gutted not to have taken all three points.

Accies dominated an entertaining match, and could have been further ahead by the time sub Michael Higdon headed the Bairns’ level four minutes into the second half.

But James, who turned 18 yesterday (Wednesday), said: “It was a good finish for my goal and I was pleased with that, but the most important thing was to get the three points, and I would rather have got the win than score.

“It’s great to get a point, especially at home, because we need to start picking things up, but I’d rather have picked up three because Falkirk are likely to be round about us in the table, and we need to pick points up against teams like that.”

James revealed that comeback defender Mark McLaughlin is claiming an unlikely assist in the goal, saying: “Big Marko tried an overhead kick, has hit the ball back to me with his studs – he said he meant it – but it was a decent strike, so I was happy to get a goal, just disappointed with the draw.

I thought we should have won the game, I thought we were better than Falkirk, but they scored early in the second half and we just couldn’t get another goal.”

That point was, nevertheless, an important one as Hamilton halted an alarming run of six straight league defeats, although two of them were against the Old Firm.

Hamilton dominated much of the play in the first half and should have added to the 1-0 scoreline at the interval.

McCarthy went close in four minutes, sending his shot inches past the post after Mark Corcoran had cleverly dummied Lucas Akins’s cross from the right.

Falkirk keeper Scott Flinders was forced into a 13th-minute save, turning Akins’s low drive round a post after Richard Offiong had touched a Corcoran cross on for his strike partner.

Stevie Lovell could have capitalised on a rare Neil error in defence, but sent an angled shot past the right post in 19 minutes.

Brian Easton was, as usual, full of running and one of his foraging runs down the left set up Akins superbly at the back post in 26 minutes, but the ball got caught under the English striker’s feet and flew past the right post.

Ten minutes later Accies grabbed a deserved lead when Easton’s throw-in was touched on by McLaughlin and McCarthy arrived unmarked to blast high past helpless Flinders.

Darren Barr should have levelled ion 39 minutes, but headed over from a brilliant unmarked position just yards from goal.

Falkirk came out for the second half in much more determined mood and they levelled in 49 minutes when Burton O’Brien’s cross from the left was flicked on by Lovell for sub Higdon to deftly head into the top right corner.

Hamilton nearly scored a bizarre second in 57 minutes when Flinders’s attempted clearance ricocheted off McLaughlin, but flew past the left post.

The Falkirk keeper knew much more about it two minutes later when he brilliantly touched a McCarthy shot over the bar following good set-up play by sub Joel Thomas.

Thomas could have won it for Accies with two minutes remaining when he went on a mazy run past four defenders on the left bye-line, but Flinders was able to block with his feet.

Having played Hearts at Tynecastle last night (Wednesday), Celtic are next up at New Douglas Park on Sunday, and that probably isn’t brilliant timing – but Accies can take heart from this performance, and a more ruthless streak in front of goal should see them pick up more points.