Sunday 9th October 2011 – Hamilton Academical FC 1-0 Livingston FC
After picking four points from a possible six in back-to-back home league matches, it was time for the Lions to battle for their place in the final of the Ramsdens Cup with a trip to New Douglas Park to take on Billy Reid’s Hamilton Accies side.
Gary Bollan made one change to the side that drew with Raith Rovers, bringing in David Sinclair for Johnny Brown. That meant Kyle Jacobs dropped to right back with Sinclair taking his place in the middle of the park.
The game started fairly evenly with both teams mustering up chances in the early stages. A Dougie Imrie cross fell at the feet of Ali Crawford but he shot wide of Andy McNeil’s goal. Up the other end, a Sinclair free-kick was headed goal wards by Craig Barr but the ball was blocked on the line before Paul Watson’s deflected shot whistled wide for a Livi corner.
In what was proving to be quite an end-to-end match, Imrie then tested McNeil with a well worked chance but the stopper got down well to make the save. Stefan Scougall created a great opportunity for himself in the Hamilton half, latching onto a Kenny Deuchar flick-on, taking the ball past three Accies but could only shoot straight at Tomas Cerny who was quick to get off his line and close the angle.
Cerny was again quick to get off his line as Livi created the next chance, but this time, he was nearly caught out. A high ball forward from Watson was misjudged by Hamilton defender Martin Canning, allowing Iain Russell in behind him, but after chipping the ball over the on-coming Cerny, Mark McLaughlin slid in to block the ball from going in. From the resulting corner, Livi had a shout for a penalty turned down. The short corner was whipped in by Scougall and as Kenny Deuchar flicked the ball goal wards, Simon Mensing appeared to block it with his hand. Referee Charlie Richmond didn’t agree though and play continued.
Hamilton soon began to create more opportunities and twice went close with low shots at goal. Ziggy Gordon done well to hold off the challenge off Craig Barr to shoot at goal but McNeill got down well to make the save. Moments later, Gordon came close again, this time cutting in from the right but his shot was pushed wide for a corner. From that corner, Hamilton found themselves in front. A deep cross to the back post was headed into the middle by Canning and there was free-scoring defender Mark McLaughlin to nod the ball past McNeil and give the Accies the lead on the stroke of half-time.
Before the referee could blow for half time though, the Lions pressed on, desperate to find an equaliser before the break. Liam Fox rifled a 25-yard effort just wide of the post and Iain Russell then broke clear from a Fox header but he could only drive his shot straight at Cerny who saved well.
Into the second-half and, if anything, Hamilton were looking more likely to grab a second goal. An Imrie corner was eventually cleared, only as far as Crawford but he fired his shot straight at Fox and out for another corner. This time, Sinclair cleared the corner high up the park, setting Russell and Bobby Barr away 2 on 1 against Stephen Hendrie but after Russell nodded the ball into Barr’s path, Hendrie done superbly to make the tackle and see the ball to safety.
Livingston were gradually working themselves into the game and Russell came closest to grabbing an equaliser. Sinclair’s cross was nodded on by Craig Barr and after taking a touch to control the ball, Russell fired a shot at goal, beating Cerny but not the woodwork and the ball crashed off the post and behind for a goal-kick. Shortly after, a long ball down the left wing from Talbot sent Russell through, and again, he tried to beat the Czech ‘keeper at his front-post but this time Cerny saved.
Hamilton were still looking to kill the game off and really should have done late on in the second-half. Imrie made a lung-bursting run forward and after evading the challenge of Bobby Barr, he found himself with just McNeil to beat. However, just as he appeared to be pulling the trigger, Paul Watson appeared from no-where, lunging in and sending the ball out for a corner, preventing an almost certain goal.
After that miss, Imrie’s heart would have been in his mouth as Livi’s next chance looked like sending the game into extra-time. Substitute Ross Docherty fired a highball forward, which caught the whole Hamilton back-line off-guard, sending Iain Russell through one-on-one with Cerny. As the ‘keeper came rushing off his line, Russell dinked the ball over his head but to his, and everyone else’s dismay, the ball landed on the roof of the net. It was a horrible moment for the Lions who knew that, with the clock ticking down, that was likely to be their last chance to square the game.
Down the other end, Imrie had time to fire two late chances over the bar as a tired Livi side tried to battle forward but it wasn’t to be and the Lions crashed out of the Ramsdens Cup at the penultimate stage.
Gary Bollan made one change to the side that drew with Raith Rovers, bringing in David Sinclair for Johnny Brown. That meant Kyle Jacobs dropped to right back with Sinclair taking his place in the middle of the park.
The game started fairly evenly with both teams mustering up chances in the early stages. A Dougie Imrie cross fell at the feet of Ali Crawford but he shot wide of Andy McNeil’s goal. Up the other end, a Sinclair free-kick was headed goal wards by Craig Barr but the ball was blocked on the line before Paul Watson’s deflected shot whistled wide for a Livi corner.
In what was proving to be quite an end-to-end match, Imrie then tested McNeil with a well worked chance but the stopper got down well to make the save. Stefan Scougall created a great opportunity for himself in the Hamilton half, latching onto a Kenny Deuchar flick-on, taking the ball past three Accies but could only shoot straight at Tomas Cerny who was quick to get off his line and close the angle.
Cerny was again quick to get off his line as Livi created the next chance, but this time, he was nearly caught out. A high ball forward from Watson was misjudged by Hamilton defender Martin Canning, allowing Iain Russell in behind him, but after chipping the ball over the on-coming Cerny, Mark McLaughlin slid in to block the ball from going in. From the resulting corner, Livi had a shout for a penalty turned down. The short corner was whipped in by Scougall and as Kenny Deuchar flicked the ball goal wards, Simon Mensing appeared to block it with his hand. Referee Charlie Richmond didn’t agree though and play continued.
Hamilton soon began to create more opportunities and twice went close with low shots at goal. Ziggy Gordon done well to hold off the challenge off Craig Barr to shoot at goal but McNeill got down well to make the save. Moments later, Gordon came close again, this time cutting in from the right but his shot was pushed wide for a corner. From that corner, Hamilton found themselves in front. A deep cross to the back post was headed into the middle by Canning and there was free-scoring defender Mark McLaughlin to nod the ball past McNeil and give the Accies the lead on the stroke of half-time.
Before the referee could blow for half time though, the Lions pressed on, desperate to find an equaliser before the break. Liam Fox rifled a 25-yard effort just wide of the post and Iain Russell then broke clear from a Fox header but he could only drive his shot straight at Cerny who saved well.
Into the second-half and, if anything, Hamilton were looking more likely to grab a second goal. An Imrie corner was eventually cleared, only as far as Crawford but he fired his shot straight at Fox and out for another corner. This time, Sinclair cleared the corner high up the park, setting Russell and Bobby Barr away 2 on 1 against Stephen Hendrie but after Russell nodded the ball into Barr’s path, Hendrie done superbly to make the tackle and see the ball to safety.
Livingston were gradually working themselves into the game and Russell came closest to grabbing an equaliser. Sinclair’s cross was nodded on by Craig Barr and after taking a touch to control the ball, Russell fired a shot at goal, beating Cerny but not the woodwork and the ball crashed off the post and behind for a goal-kick. Shortly after, a long ball down the left wing from Talbot sent Russell through, and again, he tried to beat the Czech ‘keeper at his front-post but this time Cerny saved.
Hamilton were still looking to kill the game off and really should have done late on in the second-half. Imrie made a lung-bursting run forward and after evading the challenge of Bobby Barr, he found himself with just McNeil to beat. However, just as he appeared to be pulling the trigger, Paul Watson appeared from no-where, lunging in and sending the ball out for a corner, preventing an almost certain goal.
After that miss, Imrie’s heart would have been in his mouth as Livi’s next chance looked like sending the game into extra-time. Substitute Ross Docherty fired a highball forward, which caught the whole Hamilton back-line off-guard, sending Iain Russell through one-on-one with Cerny. As the ‘keeper came rushing off his line, Russell dinked the ball over his head but to his, and everyone else’s dismay, the ball landed on the roof of the net. It was a horrible moment for the Lions who knew that, with the clock ticking down, that was likely to be their last chance to square the game.
Down the other end, Imrie had time to fire two late chances over the bar as a tired Livi side tried to battle forward but it wasn’t to be and the Lions crashed out of the Ramsdens Cup at the penultimate stage.
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