Elebert admits Accies must fight for SPL survival

Feb 17 2011 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

HAMILTON defender David Elebert this week admitted his side will be involved in a relegation scrap between now and the end of the season – but insists they’ll battle all the way.

Dublin-born Elebert (24) was bitterly disappointed with Saturday’s home defeat by Hearts, courtesy of a Stephen Elliott double, but reckons his side can pull themselves out of relegation trouble.

He said: “It’s another defeat and it’s very hard to take, especially at this stage in the season when we need to start picking up points.

“How we’ve done in the last couple of seasons has depended on us going on a run after Christmas and it hasn’t panned out that way this year so it’s going to be a scrap from now until the finish.

“The main thing at this stage in the season is staying within touching distance but there are a lot of games coming up and hopefully we can pick up a couple of points.

“The games coming up are all winnable, and we just need to stick together and roll our sleeves up.”

While Hamilton improved considerably in the second half of Saturday’s match, this was as poor a performance as they have put in all season against a Hearts side recently hailed as serious title contenders.

Boss Billy Reid made four changes from the side that lost 3-1 to Dundee United, with Lee Kilday, Andy Graham, Mark Carrington and Marco Paixao replaced by David Elebert, Ziggy Gordon, Gavin Skelton and Jim McAlister.

Accies were first to threaten after 20 minutes when Dougie Imrie’s free-kick from the left floated over Mickael Antoine-Curier and Jim McAlister’s cross was taken from the head of Mark McLaughlin by Marian Kello.

But Hearts grabbed the opener two minutes later when Andy Webster sent Lee Wallace down the left and Stephen Elliott beat McLaughlin to his cross to glance a header past a helpless Tomas Cerny.

Hearts midfielder Ian Black received his customary booking for a horror challenge on Imrie that left the Accies man writhing in pain before a Ziggy Gordon throw-in from the right was headed past the near post by Martin Canning.

Hearts went close again though in 32 minutes when Craig Thomson’s angled drive zipped just past the left post, with Cerny scrambling to meet it.

Hamilton were denied a decent chance at grabbing an equaliser when referee Stevie O’Reilly completely ignored a blatant Hearts handball just outside the box in 33 minutes.

Ruben Palazuelos curled an effort just past the right post but referee O’Reilly generously awarded a corner for what looked like a simple shot past. Cerny took Rudi Skacel’s setpiece comfortably.

Realising that their first-half efforts were pretty much wasted, Accies threw on Mark Carrington and Flavio Paixao for the ineffective Ziggy Gordon and David Buchanan at the interval.

While that made a marked difference to Accies’ play, the game was finished after just 30 seconds of the half.

Imrie lost possession and the ball deflected off Gavin Skelton and into the path of McLaughlin, who cleared for a corner. Skacel’s setpiece simply wasn’t defended and Marius Zaliukas’ header was turned past Cerny by Elliott, although it was more of a deflection than a wonder goal.

Hamilton tried to get themselves back into the game and in 50 minutes Flavio Paixao’s free-kick was met with a powerful header by David Elebert, but Kello saved well.

Hearts hit Accies on the counter-attack in 57 minutes and nearly grabbed a third goal when Suso linked with Skacel. His cutback was perfect for Elliott but Cerny brilliantly punched his shot over.

Hamilton should have pulled a goal back in 59 minutes when Flavio Paixao’s head-flick on a long ball appeared to release Antoine-Curier but Thomson recovered superbly to clear from the Frenchman.

Hearts threatened again in 61 minutes when Eggert Jonsson linked with Skacel but his cutback was cleared by Elebert before it could cause harm.

That was pretty much it, although a good Accies move down the left ended with McAlister’s low shot being well saved by Kello, while substitute David Templeton saw an effort deflected past at the other end.

Hamilton: Cerny, Canning, McLaughlin, Elebert, Buchanan (F. Paixao, 46), Gordon (Carrington, 46), Skelton, Routledge, McAlister, Antoine-Curier, Imrie (M. Paixao, 54). Subs (not used): Murdoch, Graham, Casalinuovo, Elliot.

Booked: Canning, Elebert.

Hearts: Kello, Thomson (Driver, 70), Webster, Zaliukas, Wallace, Black (Mrowiec, 80), Palazuelos, Suso (Templeton, 70), Jonsson, Skacel, Elliott.

Booked: Black.

Referee: Stevie O’Reilly.

Attendance: 2876.

Advertiser Man of the Match: Flavio Paixao – worked hard during the second half.