Off-form Accies fail to trouble leaders

Mar 5 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

HAMILTON captain Alex Neil admitted he was disappointed his side didn’t threaten Rangers enough on Saturday but said the SPL leaders were worthy of their win.

Barry Ferguson’s first goal of the season was enough to dump his home-town team in front of a record New Douglas Park crowd of 5895.

Although Accies had chances in the game, Rangers could have won by a larger margin in a game they dominated.

Neil said: “Going forward, we were quite disappointing and didn’t test them as much as we would have liked. They were quite comfortable at the back and that was a disappointment for us. We competed better than we have done against Rangers this season but I thought they probably merited the win.

“Rangers are a quality team. I think their back four is the best in the country and they’re really strong as a team so it’s really difficult to go down the side or get through them. We tried our best but on the day we just weren’t good enough.”

However, Neil takes heart from the run Hamilton have been on since the turn of the year and relishes a tough schedule that sees them take on Rangers at Ibrox in Sunday’s Homecoming Scottish Cup quarter-final before travelling to Aberdeen.

He said: “That’s what you play football for, to play against teams like Rangers and big games against Hibs. We look forward to every game - and the bigger the better.”

Rangers started well on Saturday and inside two minutes Kyle Lafferty had a 25-yard angled drive parried by Tomas Cerny before the ball was hacked clear.

Three minutes later, strong work by Kenny Miller down the left cleared space for a cross, which Steven Davis headed narrowly past the right post.

Hamilton could have taken the lead in spectacular style in 13 minutes when James McCarthy found himself on the right bye-line and – to a chorus of jeers from the Rangers fans – he flicked the ball up before lashing in an angled volley that Allan McGregor did well to turn round the near post.

The resultant Brian Easton corner from the right was met with a powerful header by Martin Canning but a deflection took it over.

Miller twisted and turned past Chris Swailes in 18 minutes before lashing in a rising shot that Cerny did well to punch over.

Swailes was being pulled out of position by tthe ireless Miller and in 24 minutes he was replaced by young James Gibson, who did well against the Rangers striker.

Rangers went close again in 29 minutes when Kris Boyd, looking offside, raced through on goal only to see his shot brilliantly blocked by Neil.

At the other end, Easton sent a 25-yard drive just over.

Rangers took the lead in controversial circumstances in 35 minutes.

Boyd launched into a scissors-tackle on Paul McGowan on halfway but referee Craig Thomson inexplicably allowed play to continue and the ball was moved to Lafferty on the left who did well to earn a corner.

From the set piece Easton rose to head the ball out of the box but it fell perfectly for Ferguson to rifle a low half-volley into the bottom right corner for his first goal of the season.

Lafferty should have added to Rangers’ lead three minutes later when he mugged Trent McClenahan on the right but he shot wide with just Cerny to beat.

Rangers nearly scored again in 42 minutes when Davis’s corner from the right was nodded down by Kirk Broadfoot to Miller, whose glancing header was pushed onto the crossbar and over by Cerny.

The second half was played at a much more languid pace.

Rangers had the first clear-cut effort in 61 minutes when Boyd latched onto a Miller through-ball, with Cerny saving his low effort.

Hamilton went close a minute later when McGowan’s corner from the left was headed past by Simon Mensing.

Rangers nearly pulled further ahead in 75 minutes when Steven Whittaker’s cross from the left was met at the back post by a stretching Boyd but he stabbed his effort past.

Hamilton tried to get themselves back into the match but in 83 minutes McGowan’s lay-off was sliced over by Neil.

Rangers would have added a second in the last minute but for a brilliant blocking tackle by substitute Kenny Deuchar, who raced across to stop Davis from volleying the ball past Cerny.

Hamilton: Cerny, Easton, McCarthy, McArthur, Offiong, Neil, Swailes (Gibson, 24), McGowan, Canning (Deuchar, 62), McClenahan (Elebert, 49), Mensing. Subs (not used): Murdoch, Thomas, Lyle, Quinn.

Advertiser Man of the Match: Alex Neil – the captain worked tirelessly but couldn’t inspire his team to a point.