Mensing on target again as Accies hit back to win

Feb 26 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

SIMON MENSING is delighted that his goals are helping Hamilton push their way up the SPL table but insists that a top-six place isn’t the target just yet.

Midfield marvel Mensing is conscious that Accies are currently joint-seventh and only a point behind sixth-placed Motherwell, but said the New Douglas Park club are simply looking at avoiding relegation.

He said: “First and foremost, the main thing was to get the win against Falkirk, which was excellent for the team, and again from a personal note I’m glad to be scoring.

“The loss last week was disappointing and we had to address our away form, so we’re more than happy to have done that.

“We’ve put ourselves in a good position but as far as we’re concerned the main aim is to stay up. If we keep picking up points on the way, then fingers crossed that we get into the top six, but our target is to stay up.

“We’re exceeding expectations at the moment, and hopefully that continues.”

Hamilton made a horror start but recovered well and thoroughly deserved their first win at Falkirk since 1997.

Accies could have taken the lead in six minutes when James McCarthy played a delightful ball through to Richard Offiong, but Dani Mallo raced off his line to block the low shot.

A minute later, Falkirk took the lead in bizarre circumstances. Chris Swailes, under no pressure on the edge of his box, tried to pass back to Tomas Cerny but succeeded in wrong-footing the Czech ’keeper and the ball trundled over the line.

Cerny showed his rage at Swailes – who otherwise has enjoyed a stunning season – by literally hopping mad on the spot.

However, it took just 10 minutes for Hamilton to draw level, when Brian Easton’s corner from the right was headed down by Offiong for Mensing to volley high into the net from eight yards.

Falkirk’s Scott Arfield looked lively and saw his angled drive well taken by Cerny in 29 minutes.

Hamilton went desperately close to taking the lead in 39 minutes with what would have been a candidate for goal of the season.

Offiong, wide on the left and around 30 yards from goal, controlled a James McArthur flick before spinning and sending a drop-volley off the outside of the left post, with Mallo a helpless spectator.

Hamilton continued to dominate into the second half and Mensing’s powerful drive was taken by Mallo at the second attempt in 50 minutes.

Six minutes later, Falkirk passed up a great chance when Carl Finnigan played a delightful 40-yard crossfield pass to Steve Lovell, who could have slotted the ball under Cerny but preferred to take it round the ’keeper, leaving him with a tight angle and giving Mark McLaughlin time to hack off the line, colliding with the left post in the process.

Hamilton passed up a good chance at the opposite end in 64 minutes when Offiong sent Mensing darting down the right and his cutback was volleyed over by Paul McGowan.

McCarthy went on a now-trademark run in 66 minutes and picked out Offiong but the striker chose the wrong option by trying to go round Steven Pressley when a return pass would probably have resulted in a simple goal.

Accies scored the winner in 76 minutes and it was a superb goal.

McArthur worked hard to regain possession in midfield before finding McCarthy on the left and, with barely a glance, he lofted the ball over the Falkirk defence to match McGowan’s run. At full stretch, young Paul prodded the ball under Mallo and into the bottom left corner.

Falkirk were in disarray and a dangerous Trent McClenahan cross was sliced just past his own goal by Neil McCann two minutes later.

McArthur would have wrapped up the points with a blistering drive in 78 minutes but the ball deflected off Finnigan’s heel and crashed off the base of the left post and out to safety.

Falkirk nearly grabbed an unlikely equaliser with only their second shot on target in 84 minutes.

Substitute Patrick Cregg hit a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty box but Cerny got down well to turn the ball round for a corner.

Pressley used his experience to earn a dubious free-kick in 87 minutes and when Burton O’Brien’s setpiece was floated into the box, McLaughlin beat substitute Mark Stewart to head the ball over.

An accidental clash of heads saw Stewart heavily bandaged up but McLaughlin had to go off on a stretcher and received eight stitches in a nasty head wound.

After the game, Mensing looked ahead to Saturday’s clash with SPL leaders Rangers, saying: “We’re under no illusions about how tough it’s going to be but it’s a home game, confidence is high, and we’ll certainly be looking forward to it.”

Hamilton: Cerny, Easton, McCarthy, McLaughlin (Gibson, 90), McArthur, Offiong (Deuchar, 71), Neil, Swailes, McGowan, McClenahan, Mensing. Subs (not used): Murdoch, McMillan, Thomas, Quinn, Gow.

Referee: Calum Murray.

Attendance: 5307.

Advertiser Man of the Match: Simon Mensing – worked hard and scored a brilliant leveller.