Championship: Hamilton stay five points clear

Hamilton's Mickael Antoine-Curier looks to the sky as he passes up a gilt-edged chance. Picture: SNS

Despite failing to make it five wins on the spin, Alex Neil’s side maintained their five-point advantage at the top, and their performance at Dens Park indicated that a title challenge by the Lanarkshire men cannot be  easily dismissed.

Accies were on top in the first half, with Dundee goalkeeper Kyle Letheren making enough saves to earn the man-of-the-match award, with one block from a Darian MacKinnon effort being of the top-drawer variety, while he also denied Mickael Antoine-Curier in a one-on-one.

The hosts, who gave former Scotland, Celtic and Hearts striker Craig Beattie his first start, improved in the second period, but Gary Irvine missed their best opening when he shot over after Peter MacDonald had set him up.

Accies player-manager Neil said: “Our winning run may have ended, but we put in a great performance. There is still plenty of momentum and confidence in our ranks. We played really well in the first half, probably as well as we have away from home all season, but we never got the goals we deserved.”

Dundee had the satisfaction of moving into second place, but their assistant manager Ray Farningham said: “We did not have enough quality and our goalkeeper kept us in the game. The second half was better, although we did not make their goalkeeper work hard enough.”

Falkirk slipped from second to fourth after losing 1-0 to a last-minute goal at Cowdenbeath. Substitute Greg Stewart was the hosts’ match-winner as he drilled home a low shot from 18 yards out just seconds after appeals for a penalty were turned down when the ball appeared to strike the arm of Bairns midfielder Jay Fulton. Cowdenbeath have now won two games in a row.

Raith Rovers also won 1-0, with their goal at Queen of the South coming via Greig Spence, who turned home a Grant Anderson cross after 18 minutes. Kirkcaldy goalkeeper David McGurn then put up the shutters to keep the Doonhamers out, with frustration getting the better of centre-back Mark  Durnan, who was red-carded for kicking out at Calum Elliot with 13 minutes left.

Dumbarton enjoyed a 2-1 success over Alloa at Recreation Park. Andy Graham slammed home after a corner was blocked to give the visitors the lead right on half-time. The Wasps levelled eight minutes after the restart when Stephen Simmons drilled in a low Ryan McCord flag-kick. And the winner came 19  minutes from time when Jason Marr fouled Graham and Scott Agnew swept home the resultant spot-kick.

John McGlynn’s debut as  Livingston manager got off to a good start at home to  Morton, but the bottom-of-the-table Lions had to eventually settle for a 2-2 draw with the Greenock men. Simon Mensing’s header and Marc McNulty’s shot had Livingston two up after 14 minutes, but a fierce drive by Reece Hands and a tap-in by Kabba Modou-Cham had  Morton level by half-time.