Crock crisis costs Accies dear in Ibrox hammering

Mar 12 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

RAMPANT Rangers routed an injury-ravaged Hamilton in Sunday’s Homecoming Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox.

Accies’ crock woes got worse as a nightmare day unfolded, and three of their back four were forced off with injuries. Billy Reid’s side ended up with only 10 men on the park after striker Richard Offiong also limped off the field in 55 minutes.

By that point goals by Steven Whittaker, Kyle Lafferty, Aaron Niguez and Steven Davis had cancelled out Rocco Quinn’s 26th-minute leveller.

Accies’ problems began as early as the fourth minute when Kenny Miller broke down the left and swung in an inviting cross for Lafferty, which Brian Easton superbly cleared for a throw-in on the right.

Unfortunately the big defender was stretching for the ball and limped off two minutes later with hamstring trouble, and young Grant Evans was thrown in at the deep end.

Hamilton nearly took the lead in 12 minutes when Paul McGowan’s corner on the left was met with a powerful header by David Elebert at the back post, but it was cleared off the line.

But Rangers took the lead in 15 minutes when Whittaker went on a mazy run down the right, turned Mark McLaughlin in the box and drilled a low shot past helpless Tomas Cerny.

Hamilton levelled in 26 minutes when McGowan’s corner from the left bounced around the Rangers box before falling to Quinn, who rifled home through a ruck of players.

However, Rangers regained their lead in 35 minutes when a series of errors across the pitch let Lafferty through and he clipped the ball away from Cerny before rounding the keeper and tapping into the empty net.

Rangers nearly stretched that lead four minutes later when a deflected cross by Sasa Papac from the left was flicked on by Miller, but Lafferty just failed to connect, sliding in at the back post.

Mark McLaughlin was clearly still suffering from his head wound and he was replaced by Chris Swailes in 42 minutes.

Unfortunately the big stopper’s first act was to haul Miller down in the box and he was booked for his troubles by referee Iain Brines.

Spanish kid Aaron Niguez stepped up for the spot-kick and saw his effort well parried by Cerny, with Pedro Mendes blasting the rebound over.

Unfortunately, on the advice of far-side linesman Steve Pullar, referee Brines demanded that the penalty be retaken, much to the fury of Hamilton, with McGowan booked for his protest.

Niguez stepped up again and this time sent his penalty straight down the middle and into the net.

During the interval struggling Elebert was replaced by striker Derek Lyle as Accies ran out of options.

Hamilton’s hopes of damage limitation lasted just eight minutes before Steven Davis was given far too much time and space to weave his way past five players down the right before side-footing past Cerny and into the bottom-left corner.

A collision with Whittaker then put paid to Offiong’s involvement and with all three subs already used, Accies had to play out the remaining 35 minutes against the cup holders with just 10 men.

Although Rangers very obviously took their foot off the gas a little, Hamilton worked extremely hard to reduce their chances, with young defenders Evans and James Gibson doing their reputations no harm at all.

Accies could have pulled a goal back in 77 minutes when a great run by James McCarthy saw him mug sub Lee McCulloch before setting up Quinn, but his low effort was well blocked by Allan McGregor, with McGowan’s rebound effort saved at the right post.

Rangers sealed the win in 81 minutes when Whittaker played a neat one-two with Barry Ferguson before drilling the return over to Lafferty to sweep home his second of the day.

RANGERS: McGregor, Whittaker, Weir, Mendes (McCulloch, 61), Papac, Ferguson, Lafferty, Miller (Boyd, 65), Bougherra (Edu, 72), Davis, Niguez. Subs (not used): Alexander, Beasley.

Booked: Papac.

HAMILTON: Cerny, Easton (Evans, 7), McCarthy, Elebert (Lyle, 45), McLaughlin (Swailes, 42), Offiong, Neil, Gibson, McGowan, Quinn, Mensing. Subs (not used): Murdoch, Deuchar.

Booked: Swailes, McGowan.

Referee: Iain Brines.

Attendance: 27,588.

Advertiser Man of the Match: Grant Evans – looks like the latest talented youngster to come through the ranks at Accies.