Hamilton Accies move up to seventh place in the SPL

Dec 17 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

MICKAEL ANTOINE-CURIER scored one and set up the second as Accies moved up to seventh spot in the SPL with a great win in the North East.

But the modest striker insists his team-mates deserve as much credit as he does for his five Premier League goals so far.

On-loan Antoine-Curier slotted the first in the 32th minute after being set up by Guillaume Beuzelin and his slide-rule pass allowed James Wesolowski to score his first ever senior league goal with 10 minutes remaining.

And a delighted Mickael said: “Like any centre-forward, I want to score goals and I was delighted to get another one on Saturday.

“I just want to help my team and I also set up a goal, so that was the most important thing for me.”

On his goal and success rate, Mickael said: “You have to be in a certain position to score and if I wasn’t there, I couldn’t have got it.

“Beuzy tried to hit the target and missed, but I managed to get a foot on it and get the first goal, which was important.

“We worked really hard, so the lads really deserved the win – if it wasn’t for them, I couldn’t have scored so many goals.

“They’re a great bunch of lads and I’m really enjoying my time here.”

Aberdeen started the game well and went close after nine minutes when Charlie Mulgrew’s 30-yard free-kick was deflected past.

Martin Canning had to look lively a minute later to head a Mulgrew corner over the bar, and from the resultant set-piece Chris Maguire’s deft head-flick was cleared off the line by Trent McClenahan.

Peter Pawlett should have done better than blast over when he was set up by Michael Paton in 15 minutes.

Hamilton threatened on 21 minutes when Tomas Cerny’s kick-out was well-controlled by Antoine-Curier but his low shot was well held by Jamie Langfield.

But a minutes later, the visitors made the breakthrough. A superb tackle by Wesolowski won possession in midfield and played in Simon Mensing down the right flank, whose first-time cross was blasted towards goal by Beuzelin.

Richard Foster’s poor clearance fell to Antoine-Curier and he fired in from close range.

Dons were lucky to keep striker Lee Miller on the park after a shocking challenge on Cerny in the 36th minute.

As the Czech keeper rushed off his line to collect a through ball as Miller lurked, the Scotland striker’s attempt to win the ball was crude as his two-footed sliding challenge caught Cerny in the chest and leg.

That sparked a flashpoint involving nearly every player on the pitch and when the dust settled, Miller was shown a yellow card – an extremely fortunate outcome.

Accies should have wrapped the game up in 42 minutes when Wesolowski latched onto a defensive howler but sent his shot agonisingly past the left post .

Aberdeen went close to levelling in first-half stoppage time but Miller’s effort flew into the left side-netting.

Cerny, injured in the challenge by Miller, struggled through to half-time but was replaced at the interval by Sean Murdoch.

Dons started the second half well and Miller went close with a deflected shot.

Aberdeen threatened again on 72 minutes when Gary McDonald blasted over a great chance.

But he was to make amends three minutes later when Maurice Ross’s cross was poorly cleared and the midfielder sent a low shot into the bottom corner.

The goal seemed to spark Accies into life and Alex Neil was unlucky to see his shot land just wide of the right post after dispossessing Dons captain Mark Kerr just outside the box.

Then Mensing released James McArthur, but Foster recovered well to clear.

But with 10 minutes remaining, Accies grabbed the winner when Neil’s through-ball released Wesolowski and he played a neat one-two with Antoine-Curier to open up space and fire across Langfield for the winner.

Having beaten Hearts and Aberdeen, Accies will go into Saturday’s home clash with Dundee United in confident mood.

That sparks a tough festive run that also sees Hamilton at Celtic Park on Boxing Day before entertaining St Mirren on December 30.

Antoine-Curier hopes that sequence can push Accies even further up the table and he said: “If we can pick up points from those three games it would be brilliant.

“I don’t think many people at the start of the season would have said we’d be seventh by now, but the lads have all worked really hard and deserve it.”

ABERDEEN: Langfield, Mulgrew, Foster, McDonald, Considine, Ross, Kerr, Pawlett (Aluko, 30), Miller, Maguire (Wright, 64), Paton (Grassi, 58). Subs (not used): Nelson, Mackie, Young, Jack.

Booked: Miller, Grassi, Wright.

HAMILTON: Cerny (Murdoch, 46), McClenahan, Hastings (Elebert, 82), Canning, McLaughlin, Wesolowski, McArthur, Antoine-Curier, Neil, Mensing, Beuzelin (M. Paixao, 55). Subs (not used): Evans, F. Paixao, Kirkpatrick, Crawford.

Booked: Neil, Mensing, McClenahan.

Referee: Alan Muir.

Attendance: 9,499.

Advertiser Man of the Match: Mickael Antoine-Curier – the in-form striker scored one and set up another for a priceless Accies win.