Gibson goal earns Accies vital point

Apr 23 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

JAMES GIBSON was disappointed not to score a priceless winner at Inverness but was just relieved that Hamilton didn’t lose any ground in their SPL survival bid.

The 19-year-old struck his first SPL goal after just 17 minutes in the Highlands with a move straight from the training ground but former Motherwell midfielder Brian Kerr’s deflected effort three minutes from time gave Thistle a somewhat fortunate share of the spoils.

Gibson said: “We were disappointed to lose the late goal but it wasn’t too bad because Falkirk didn’t get any more points than we did and Inverness didn’t make any ground on us.”

On his goal, the defender said: “We had practised the move on Friday and we had also practised it the week before that. We didn’t get a chance to use it against Dundee United but I’m just thankful that we got the opportunity on Saturday and it paid off.

“It was a good ball from our captain Alex Neil. I hit it first time and it landed in the bottom corner. I’m happy it came off for us. We had looked at Inverness at setpieces and realised that they tend to leave big gaps and we exploited that.”

Hamilton will be justified in feeling that they should have won this match.

However, while their first-half showing was one of their best for a few weeks, they simply fell away in the second period as Inverness laid siege.

Accies threatened in two minutes when Gibson fired a free-kick towards the box and Ross Tokely’s headed clearance fell to Martin Canning but his header was saved at the right post.

Eight minutes later, James McArthur’s chipped pass down the right was nodded on by Joel Thomas to James McCarthy but the ball was cleared.

Hamilton took the lead in 17 minutes when Neil feigned to shoot from a free-kick and instead passed diagonally to Gibson, who steadied himself before drilling a low shot into the right corner.

Gibson went close with a deflected free-kick in 27 minutes but Ryan Esson took it well.

Hamilton should have doubled their lead in 34 minutes when a Thomas header put Paul McGowan through on Esson but the Thistle goalkeeper narrowed the angle and was able to block the ball with his legs.

Inverness seriously threatened for the first time in 36 minutes when Lionel Djebi-Zadi’s throw-in from the left was chested down by Filipe Morais before the Frenchman fired a hooked volley over from 35 yards.

Esson was then forced to parry Simon Mensing’s low 18-yard effort in 41 minutes before gathering the ball at the second attempt.

Inverness could have levelled in 44 minutes when Morais was put through on goal and lobbed Tomas Cerny but the ball also cleared the crossbar.

The second half was played at a slower pace with few chances of note, but Cerny was forced to save at the right post in 51 minutes after Morais had gone on a good run down the flank.

Another dazzling run from Morais set up Dougie Imrie in 63 minutes but he glanced a header past the left post when he really should have scored.

Hamilton made a double substitution in 66 minutes, with Derek Lyle and Kenny Deuchar replacing Thomas and McGowan.

And Lyle should have wrapped up the points two minutes later when he was put through on goal but shot straight at Esson.

Inverness went close again in 72 minutes when Morais’ cross from the right was punched out by Cerny but only as far as Ian Black, whose header landed just over.

Inverness equalised when Richie Foran found Brian Kerr on the right side of the box and his mis-hit volley took a wicked deflection off Canning’s back before spinning into the bottom right corner past wrong-footed Cerny.

Inverness: Esson, Tokely, Djebi-Zadi, Proctor, Morais (Barrowman, 90), Black, Imrie, Duncan (Rooney, 60), Munro, Foran, Kerr. Subs (not used): Fraser, McBain, Hastings, Duff, Morrison.

Booked: Black, Duncan, Foran.

Hamilton: Cerny, McCarthy, McLaughlin, McArthur, Neil, Thomas (Lyle, 66), Gibson, McGowan (Deuchar, 66), Canning, McClenahan, Mensing (Evans, 82). Subs (not used): Murdoch, Swailes, Taylor, Asamoah.

Booked: Chris Boyle.

Attendance: 3646.

Advertiser Man of the Match: Alex Neil – worked hard in a defensive role.