Hibs condemn Accies to yet another defeat

Mar 3 2011 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

HAMILTON’S poor league run continued as they slumped to defeat against Hibs on Tuesday.

While the 2-1 scoreline isn’t necessarily a true reflection on the game – Hamilton’s goal came when the match was effectively over – it also masks the fact that the hosts hit the woodwork, had a header cleared off the line and a corner kick that was an inch away from flying straight in.

Accies boss Billy Reid made two changes from Saturday’s line-up, as Gavin Skelton and Jim McAlister made way for Mark Carrington and Damian Casalinuovo.

Flavio Paixao tested Graham Stack early on with a long-range free-kick before Carrington volleyed over when a Dougie Imrie free-kick was poorly cleared by the Hibs defence.

Accies might have been given a let-off in 17 minutes when Callum Booth played a neat one-two with Derek Riordan that took him into the box and went down under a Simon Mensing challenge, but referee George Salmond wasn’t interested.

Hibs nearly scored two minutes later when Liam Miller’s corner from the left was met with a deft flick by Akpo Sodje at the near post only to be denied by a terrific save by Tomas Cerny.

In 21 minutes the visitors threatened again when Booth’s corner from the right was knocked down by Sodje but Riordan swivelled and sent a low shot past the left post.

Hamilton nearly scored in 32 minutes when Paixao’s corner on the left was headed off the crossbar by Mensing.

The rebound was cleared only as far as Imrie on the right. He picked out Mickael Antoine-Curier, but the striker’s shot on the turn was well blocked by Stack.

Hibs scored the opening goal in 37 minutes.

Riordan sent a good ball down the right to Richie Towell and his cutback left Sodje with all the time in the world to pick his spot past Cerny.

Mark McLaughlin thought he had levelled in 40 minutes but the ‘goal’ was disallowed for a foul on Graham Stack, which saw the keeper replaced two minutes later by understudy Graeme Smith.

Both sides had chances before the break, with Mensing hacking clear to prevent an almost certain goal, while Imrie played Antoine-Curier in at the other end, only for the big striker to find his path to goal blocked.

Hibs could have put the game beyond doubt seconds after kick-off when Miller picked up a slack pass on the left and bore down on goal, but Cerny did well to block not only his first effort but the rebound as well.

A good Accies move in 52 minutes nearly paid off when Paixao found Antoine-Curier, but while his deft flick beat Smith hands down it also cleared the crossbar.

Accies went desperately close to equalising in 58 minutes when Imrie’s corner from the right flew right across goal. With Smith isolated, a touch would have resulted in a goal but there were no takers.

Riordan nearly deceived Cerny with a clever free-kick that bounced just before reaching the keeper, who parried and smothered the ball.

Hamilton thought they had scored in 73 minutes when another Imrie corner was met with a powerful header by Gary McDonald, but Smith clawed the ball off the line.

It had been a fairly even game up until that point but Hibs sealed the win with a remarkably simple goal in 75 minutes.

In an attempt to salvage at least a point, Reid threw on striker Nigel Hasselbaink for defender David Elebert, and seconds later Sodje sent David Wotherspoon down the right, he exploited the gap left by the Irishman’s departure and squared for Riordan to side-foot home.

A third goal would have flattered Hibs but they nearly got it in 78 minutes when Sodje picked out Riordan’s run but Cerny punched his drive clear from the left corner.

Hamilton had the last say inside stoppage time when Flavio Paixao lashed a superb volley into the bottom left corner, but it was too little, and far too late.

HAMILTON: Cerny, Mensing, Elebert (Hasselbaink, 75), McLaughlin, Routledge, McDonald, Carrington, Imrie, F. Paixao, Casalinuovo (Crawford, 46), Antoine-Curier. Subs (not used): Murdoch, Skelton, Graham, McAlister, Gillespie.

Booked: Imrie.

HIBERNIAN: Stack (Smith, 42), Towell, Palsson, Dickoh, Hanlon, Sodje (Duffy, 89), Riordan, Scott, Wotherspoon, Booth, Miller (Murray, 65). Subs (not used): Nish, Rankin, Stevenson, Thornhill.

Referee: George Salmond.

Attendance: 2619.

Advertiser Man of the Match: Gary McDonald.