Hamilton 0 - 1 Inverness CT: ICT's sixth straight win at Accies

New Douglas Park continues to be a happy hunting ground for Inverness, with centre-back Danny Devine scoring the goal which gave them a sixth successive win at the venue.
Danny Devine: Only goal. Picture: SNSDanny Devine: Only goal. Picture: SNS
Danny Devine: Only goal. Picture: SNS

The victory hoisted them above Dundee and into seventh position but it is unlikely to live long in the memory of those present.

It was clear from the outset that both sets of players were, mentally at least, already on the beach. And, so dire was the football, that it wasn’t long before most spectators (particularly the small travelling band from the Highlands) wished that they were also somewhere else.

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This was, in short, end-of-season writ large, with heavy-legged players lacking in motivation.

Danny Williams had a “goal” rightly disallowed for offside and Steven Boyd, making his first start for the home side, fired in a shot from 25 yards which cleared Owain Fon Williams’ crossbar. However, the deadlock was finally broken, courtesy of some dilatory defending in the 41st minute. Hamilton’s rearguard switched off at an Iain V1gurs free-kick and the midfielder rolled the ball into the path of Devine, who took a touch before prodding the ball behind Michael McGovern from six yards.

The Northern Ireland goalkeeper, like his Welsh Inverness counterpart Fon Williams, will be going to the European Championships next month and he kept his side in it here by racing from his line to smother a shot by a suspiciously offside-looking Liam Polworth.

Hamilton struggled to lay a glove on their opponents, although Gary Warren was shown a yellow card for cynically pulling Eamonn Brophy back as he sprinted past him.

Fon Williams did well to keep out an angled drive by Brophy but any hope of a comeback evaporated when Darian MacKinnon was ordered off for two bookable offences in the space of 30 seconds.

The midfielder was cautioned for kicking Vigurs and was then dismissed by referee Stephen Finnie for dissent.

Hamilton forced a flurry of corners in the dying seconds but Inverness held out for the three points their display just about merited.

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