Hamilton Academical 1 - 1 Aberdeen: Rough Diamond lucky to get off with yellow card, then hits home to make a point

Published on Saturday 6 March 2010 20:07

AN EQUALISER from Zander Diamond less than 15 minutes from the end kept Aberdeen's hopes of a top-six finish just about alive at New Douglas Park yesterday. Hamilton worked hard and might well have won, yet they remain in the relegation mire.

Aberdeen's recent poor form was reflected in the away stand, where the ranks of fans were notably thin. Those who did not travel will be glad to have missed the first half – 45 of the poorest minutes of football this season. Neither side seemed willing or able to produce quality, and the intricacies of the game seemed beyond them at times.

Both defences were well on top, and such chances as there were fell to Hamilton who were very much the better side, certainly on work rate.

Had Flavio Paixao moved quicker to the ball in the 17th minute he might have made a crucial connection, and David Van Zanten should at least have hit the target after Simon Mensing's delicious spin pass put him clean through a few minutes later.

The best moment of the half came with five minutes left when Charlie Mulgrew's superb curling free kick from 23 yards was heading into the goal before Tomas Cerny leapt to his left to make a stunning save.

Had Van Zanten's header in the closing seconds gone in instead of narrowly past, it would have been a just reward for Accies' first-half efforts.

"I told the players at half time that Aberdeen would lift their game in the second half because we had completely outplayed them," said Hamilton manager Billy Reid afterwards.

He was correct. Aberdeen had already switched to a 4-4-2 formation from 4-3-3. "We weren't getting enough ball to the strikers," reasoned manager Mark McGhee. More importantly, they came out fighting and took charge at the beginning of the second half, Michael Paton and Steven MacLean both coming close to the target.

The turning point of the match came after 58 minutes when Reid sent on Mikael Antoine-Curier, returning for injury, to replace Van Zanten. "The whole game burst open for us," said Reid. "Just his presence being up front keeps the ball up there for us." After 62 minutes, Antoine-Curier's bustling in the box created space for Flavio Paixao to elude his markers and bullet home a header off Brian Easton's corner. It was Hamilton's first league goal at home since December 6.

The Aberdeen of recent weeks might have allowed their heads to go down, but they came straight back at Accies and Gary MacDonald's shot was only just deflected over by Martin Canning.

A couple of controversial incidents followed. Diamond smashed – there's no other word for it – into Dougie Imrie right in front of referee Stephen Finnie and saw only a yellow card, before Hamilton had a good claim for a penalty turned down after 75 minutes.

The home players seemed distracted by that event as play raged to the other end where Canning felled the disappointing Sone Aluko.

Mulgrew's free-kick was moved on by MacLean and Diamond pounced to smack the ball home with some aplomb. It was typical of the defender's combative display.

"He is one who has been hurting at the criticism we've had," said McGhee. "He showed to the others a bit of what's required."

The player himself commented: "We are under pressure, that's been well documented. But all we can do is keep rallying and battling."

Hamilton threw everything into attack to try and win and created late chances, Flavio Paixao sending his powerful shot just over and David Elebert heading James McArthur's cross just wide.

Points shared then, with the second half leading McGhee to say: "We deserved a point and could have nicked it, but that would have been hard on Hamilton."

His opposite number felt his team should have won, of course, and said: "The work ethic is second to none, and if they continue that way we will be all right."