Injury time equaliser dashes Accies' hopes of Celtic win

Jan 13 2011 By Andy McGilvray at New Douglas Park

Hamilton Accies 1 - 1 Celtic

HAMILTON grabbed a brilliant point against league-leaders Celtic on Wednesday, but were perhaps a shade unlucky not to take an illustrious scalp.

The Parkhead side had a penalty claim waved away and were incensed with an apparent offside at Hamilton’s shock opener, but the hosts had held out for 90 minutes before Anthony Stokes equalised from the spot.

In a highly eventful and controversial game referee Willie Collum red-carded three players, Jim McAlister and Simon Mensing of Hamilton, and Celtic hit-kid James Forrest.

Accies also lost defender Mark McLaughlin to injury, while winger Dougie Imrie was forced to play on despite suffering a bad knee gash, and stopper Andy Graham was also in the wars.

Celtic threatened first in 14 minutes when Paddy McCourt found Stokes on the left but his shot fizzed across the face of goal with no takers.

Three minutes later Nigel Hasselbaink knocked a long ball down for Mensing, but the midfielder’s shot was comfortably held by Fraser Forster.

Hamilton took a shock lead in 27 minutes when Flavio Paixao’s free-kick on the left was blocked by Forster and Simon Mensing reacted fastest to head into the bottom right corner.

Martin Canning appeared to be offside, but didn’t touch the ball.

Hamilton went close to doubling that lead in 36 minutes but Imrie’s inviting cross was well cut out by Thomas Rogne ahead of the lurking Hasselbaink.

The second half was just four minutes old when Celtic’s James Forrest was shown a straight red card for a lunge on David Buchanan.

Accies defender Mark McLaughlin then limped off to be replaced by Jim McAlister in 62 minutes – and the winger lasted 45 seconds before being shown a straight red card for a lunge on Mark Wilson, which saw the Celtic stopper replaced in 67 minutes by Niall McGinn.

Hamilton had another golden opportunity in 68 minutes when Paixao was sent through on goal but opted to shoot tamely at Forster when Imrie was offering a better option.

Celtic nearly got a bizarre equaliser in 77 minutes when Imrie’s attempted clearance cannoned off Stokes but Tomas Cerny saved well.

Celtic went close again in 81 minutes when McGinn was sent through, but Cerny brilliantly blocked with his feet.

But Celtic were awarded a penalty in the last minute when Mensing halted an Emilio Izaguirre run in the box and was promptly shown a straight red before Stokes rammed the penalty into the bottom left corner.

Celtic thought they had won the game five minutes into an incredible eight minutes of stoppage time when Stokes headed into the empty net but Izaguirre’s corner had drifted over the bye-line.

HAMILTON: Cerny, Buchanan, Graham, McLaughlin (McAlister, 62), Canning, Mensing, Skelton, Gillespie (Wilkie, 83), Imrie, F. Paixao, Hasselbaink (Casalinuovo, 83). Subs (not used): Murdoch, M. Paixao, Elebert, Antoine-Curier.

Sent off: McAlister, Mensing.

CELTIC: Forster, Wilson (McGinn, 67), Rogne, Majstorovic, Izaguirre, Mulgrew, Ledley (Ljungberg, 75), Kayal (Brown, 59), McCourt, Stokes, Forrest. Subs (not used): Zaluska, Juarez, Crosas, Towell.

Booked: Wilson, McGinn.

Sent off: Forrest.

Referee: Willie Collum.

Attendance: 5163.

Advertiser Man of the Match: Gavin Skelton – held the midfield together well.