Striker May has last laugh

Jan 24 2013 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

Stevie May admits he took a bit of stick from his Hamilton team-mates for missing the ball during Saturday’s win against Raith Rovers before popping up to secure three important points.

The on-loan St Johnstone striker struck a 19-yard free-kick four minutes into stoppage time to ensure the points returned to Hamilton following a tense and stormy encounter at Stark’s Park.

May’s seventh goal of the season might not go down as a ‘classic’ but the striker simply doesn’t care.

He said: “My team-mates gave me a bit of a ribbing about my fresh air swipe in the first half but I just reminded them about my goal!

“You get a bit of stick, but it was more from the fans and you’ve got to accept that’s going to happen — you take the bad with the good.

“The conditions were a bit tricky and it wasn’t going my way in the first half, but I was getting into positions and that’s the main thing.

“I knew if I did that something was going to come off for me.

“When I got the free-kick, I grabbed the ball and said to Ali Crawford that I was taking it.

“It doesn’t matter how they go in for me, as long as it goes over the line I’ll take it any way I can.

“That’s two goals in my last two games, so hopefully I can keep that run going at Dumbarton.”

May felt Accies were worthy of their win in difficult conditions as snow and swirling winds descended on Kirkcaldy.

He said: “I thought we dominated the first half and in the second we had to withstand a bit of pressure.

“I don’t know if we got a bit of luck but Kevin Cuthbert had a great save at their penalty and from then on I think we deserved to win the game.

“The conditions didn’t help, with the snow, and the pitch was getting heavier and heavier, but I was just delighted with the win.”

Many felt the turning point was the 82nd-minute red card handed out to defender Dougie Hill for a crude challenge on Accies sub Darian MacKinnon, but May was in no doubt that referee George Salmond got it spot-on.

He said: “I don’t think there are any arguments, it’s a straight red card in this day and age, but I think after that we did well to dominate the game. We managed to nick the goals and hold out.”

May hopes his scoring run will continue when Accies tackle bottom side Dumbarton at the Bet Butler Stadium, a clash of the two form sides in the division.

He said: “People are saying Dumbarton is a difficult place to go to and get points but Stark’s Park isn’t easy and we managed to win.

“I think we’re on at least as much form as Dumbarton are, if not better — that’s six games without a defeat so we need to try to keep that up.”