Accies sunk by late strike at Tannadice

Mar 11 2011 By Andy McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

HAMILTON Accies suffered another heart-breaking last-gasp defeat as a Jon Daly strike two minutes into stoppage time denied them a deserved point from Tannadice on Thursday.

Accies can again be proud of their performance, particularly in the first half when they dominated, but time is running out as they bid to claw their way up the SPL table.

United threatened first in 12 minutes when a Jon Routledge slip let David Goodwillie through on goal, but he found his path blocked.

Hamilton responded and Flavio Paixao picked out Gary McDonald, but the midfielder’s low shot was well held by Dusan Pernis.

Accies were playing well without creating too many clear-cut chances but they took the lead in 26 minutes.

McDonald went down inside the box claiming a shirt-pull but referee Willie Collum awarded a corner instead. Simon Mensing met Dougie Imrie’s set-piece with a looping header at the back post that looked like it was going in. Paixao surged forward to make sure while defender Scott Robertson tried to head over, with the Portuguese winger winning the race.

Hamilton were looking likely to add to their tally and Paixao had Pernis scrambling to meet a long-range effort on the half-hour mark.

United came back into the match and in 38 minutes Johnny Russell raced down the left before cutting the ball back in the direction of Goodwillie, but Imrie cleared the danger.

But the hosts equalised in 43 minutes when Barry Douglas’ corner wasn’t properly cleared, Tim Van der Meulen knocked the ball down to Goodwillie, and he drove the ball high past Tomas Cerny.

Dundee United came out of the blocks quickly in the second half and from kick-off Russell sent a chip over from the left flank.

Hamilton had a great chance to regain the lead in 49 minutes when Paixao’s cross looked perfect for Mickael Antoine-Curier, but the striker didn’t connect enough with his header.

United nearly scored in 59 minutes when Keith Watson sent Goodwillie down the right, he skipped into the box and past three challenges, but blasted over from a good position.

Cerny was forced into a top-class save to punch sub Prince Buaben’s piledriver to safety in 73 minutes.

Two minutes later Goodwillie’s audacious chip from the right was brilliantly punched over at the left post.

Hamilton threatened at the other end in 77 minutes when Jim McAlister sent an angled shot just past the left post.

Two minutes later Accies were denied what looked like a stonewall penalty when Van der Meulen appeared to trip Imrie inside the box, but referee Collum awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area instead, which ultimately came to nothing.

With eight minutes remaining Danny Swanson and Daly combined to set up Buaben, but he blasted over.

Hamilton nearly snatched all three points with a minute remaining when Imrie darted down the left and picked out Routledge, but he sliced wide.

United made Accies pay for that two minutes into four minutes of stoppage time when Goodwillie released Daly to side-foot into the bottom right corner.

DUNDEE UTD: Pernis, Dillon, Douglas, Watson, Gomis (Swanson, 70), Van der Meulen, D. Robertson, S. Robertson (Daly, 74), Shala (Buaben, 52), Russell, Goodwillie. Subs (not used): Banks, Kovacevic, Allan, Armstrong.

HAMILTON: Cerny, Mensing, Elebert, Carrington (Neil, 58), Routledge, McDonald, Imrie, Crawford (Hopkirk, 90), McAlister, F. Paixao, Antoine-Curier (Skelton, 72). Subs (not used): Murdoch, Graham, Gillespie, Hasselbaink.

Booked: McDonald.

Referee: Willie Collum.

Attendance: 5766.