24th Feb 2018 Hamilton Academical 2 Partick Thistle 1 (SPFL Premiership - game 28)

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matches:2017-18: ← 37game 3839 →

	Martin Canning	Alan Archibald	40y, 7m, 11d

		Danny Devine; Blair Spittal; Kris Doolan
		Martin Woods; Miles Storey; Chris Erskine

Antonio Rojano (1-1, 11 mins); David Templeton (1-2, 90 mins)		Conor Sammon (1-0, pen 9 mins)
Dougie Imrie (1-1, 11 mins); none (1-2, 90 mins)		none (1-0, pen 9 mins)
Georgios Sarris; Dougie Imrie; Lewis Ferguson; Ross Jenkins		Abdul Osman; Chris Erskine

Shaun Want (Scott McMann, 32 mins); Alex Gogić (Ross Jenkins, 38 mins); Georgios Sarris (Kenny van der Weg, 67 mins)		Conor Sammon (Miles Storey, HT); Blair Spittal (Chris Erskine, 72 mins); Kris Doolan (Steven Lawless, 87 mins)

	Gary Woods	Tomáš Černý	32y, 10m, 14d
	Xavier Tomas	Mustapha Dumbuya	30y, 6m, 17d
	Alex Gogić	Callum Booth	26y, 8m, 25d
	Shaun Want	Baily Cargill	22y, 7m, 19d
	Georgios Sarris	Danny Devine	25y, 5m, 17d
	Dougie Imrie	Niall Keown	22y, 10m, 19d
	David Templeton	Abdul Osman	30y, 11m, 28d
	Darren Lyon	Blair Spittal	22y, 2m, 5d
	Lewis Ferguson	Kris Doolan	31y, 2m, 13d
	Antonio Rojano	Conor Sammon	31y, 3m, 18d
	Marios Ogkmpoe	Ryan Edwards	24y, 3m, 7d

			27y, 4m, 16d

	Ryan Fulton	Ryan Scully	25y, 3m, 26d
	Scott McMann	Chris Erskine	31y, 0m, 16d
	Ross Jenkins	Steven Lawless	26y, 10m, 12d
	Mickel Miller	Adam Barton	27y, 1m, 17d
	Rakish Bingham	Paul McGinn	27y, 4m, 2d
	Daniel Redmond	James Penrice	19y, 2m, 2d
	Kenny van der Weg	Miles Storey	24y, 1m, 20d

notes

Both sides generally in playing order.

TTA report

Sammon converted a pen (9) but a glancing header from a corner made it 1-1 (11). Thistle failed to take any of the chances their better play after half-time deserved and Hamilton's punt and rush style was rewarded when Cerny's parried save was stabbed home from 3 yards (90). 2nd bottom with a play-off threatening.

Media report

Kenny Crawford, 24-Feb-2018, bbc.com

David Templeton knocked in a stoppage-time goal as Hamilton came from behind to beat Partick Thistle and leapfrog their opponents into 10th spot. The midfielder was quickest to react when Tomas Cerny pushed out a shot from Lewis Ferguson. Thistle had taken the lead through Conor Sammon's early penalty but Accies hit back swiftly when Antonio Rojano headed in from a corner. Jags were looking the more dangerous side before Templeton struck.

Hamilton Accies will not only be delighted to register their first points of 2018, but also a first win against Thistle in 14 attempts. The hosts will not be proud of having the Premiership's worst defensive record this season, and the concession of an early penalty ensured the 'goals against' column was increasing again. Referee Nick Walsh spotted a foul by Georgios Sarris on Danny Devine at a Jags' set-piece, and the in-form Sammon stepped up to take responsibility and net his ninth goal of the season in the bottom left corner despite Gary Woods getting a touch it. That's eight goals in eight games for the striker. Accies' nervy defence might have feared the worst at that point but they had Rojano to thank for an immediate reprieve. The Argentinian had already shown his attributes in the air earlier in the campaign with a well-directed header against Hibernian, and this one was equally good. He put this one in the far, top corner after meeting Dougie Imrie's corner perfectly. More ponderous home defending resulted in giving away a free-kick 25 yards out and Spittal curled that in for Kris Doolan to head into the net, only for his celebrations to be cut short by the assistant referee's flag for offside. Accies suffered two injury blows in the first half as defenders Shaun Want and Alex Gogic had to be replaced by Scott McMann and Ross Jenkins respectively. Imrie and Rojano combined well again and the latter headed wide this time, before watching another of his flicks soon after hitting the hand of Thistle defender Niall Keown in the box. The Englishman didn't seem to know much about it and the referee waved away strong claims by the hosts.

Miles Storey replaced Sammon at half-time and he showed the threat his pace causes, setting up Spittal for a low drive he placed narrowly wide. Keown had another good second half chance for the Jags, but blasted over from Chris Erskine's corner. Substitute Erskine caused further problems when his fine run ended with him teeing up Callum Booth, whose thumping low shot was straight at Woods. But maximum points went the way of the hosts at the death as Ferguson's shot could only be parried by Cerny, and Templeton was on hand to tuck it away from close range for his sixth of the season. There was still time for one last chance and Woods needed to make a great save to claw away Erskine's effort, allowing the Accies' fans to continue their celebrations.

Reaction

Partick Thistle boss Alan Archibald (speaking to the BBC):

That's two weeks in a row and we've not learnt from last week, which is disappointing. We were trying to win the match at one end and thought we were comfortable enough defensively. We didn't see it coming and it's a real concern it's happened in back-to-back games. I thought we were on the front foot in the second half but it's not about that, it's about winning games. We just need to get back to hard work, that's all we can do. Next week against Ross County becomes a massive game. Conor Sammon rolled his ankle on the surface and it had blown up. Hopefully it settles down Monday/Tuesday and he's back for next week.

Hamilton manager Martin Canning (speaking to the BBC):

It's a huge three points; it was going to be a big three points for whichever team got them. For us it was important to stop the run we were on. It wasn't a classic but I thought the boys managed the game well in the second half. A last-minute winner feels great but I must say it's a magnificent save from Gary Woods after that gets us the points. It's been a difficult time for us as a club, losing our midfield three of Greg Docherty, Darian MacKinnon and Ali Crawford. It's been a big period over the last five or six weeks and we've had to keep working hard.

RECORD PENALTY RUN ENDS

● 30-year-old Mustapha Dumbuya plays his last game for Thistle.

● For the fourth time, eight nations are represented in the Thistle appearances tally; the Czech Republic, England, Ghana, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sierra Leone & Singapore. This matches the club-record set on 5th April, 2016.

● For the third time in competitive action, eight nations are represented in the Thistle appearances tally; the Czech Republic, England, Ghana, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sierra Leone & Singapore. This matches the club-record set on 5th April, 2016.

● For the first time, eight nations are represented in the Thistle starting eleven; the Czech Republic, England, Ghana, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sierra Leone & Singapore.

● For the first time in competitive action, eight nations are represented in the Thistle starting eleven; the Czech Republic, England, Ghana, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sierra Leone & Singapore.

● Thistle are awarded a penalty in an away League game, 4 years and 9 days after receiving their last one; a 4-3 loss at Fir Park way back on 15th February, 2014.

● Conor Sammon's purple patch continues; the big striker has now bagged 8 goals in his last 8 games for the Jags.

● In the 11th minute, Accies end a H2H run of 356 minutes without a goal versus Thistle.

● Thistle have failed to keep a clean-sheet in 13 of their 14 (93%) away League games this term. Only Brechin City and Forfar Athletic (both 100%) have worse records in the 2017-18 SPFL.

● Thistle lose to Accies for the first time since 23rd August, 2014, 14 games ago. Strangely, Thistle also took the lead that day, and went on to lose 2-1 by conceding a goal at the death.

● For the first time in 2018, Accies do not lose, ending their run of 5 consecutive defeats.

● For the second consecutive match, Thistle turn a winning position into defeat. Ian McCall's Jags were the last lot to return such an unlikely scenario, losing 2-1 at home to Stirling Albion and 2-1 away to Queen of the South, way back in September, 2010.

ongoing sequences:

● 4 consecutive competitive defeats, 6th Feb 2018 to date. (Longest run since: 4 defeats, 7th May 2017 to 21st May 2017. Club-record: 14 defeats, 3rd Jan 1898 to 15th Oct 1898.)

● 10 competitive games since a home draw, 14th Oct 2017 to date. (Longest run since: 11 games; 21st Jan 2015 to 9th Aug 2015. Club-record: 26 games; 11th Mar 1899 to 13th Oct 1900 & 4th Mar 1944 to 5th May 1945.)

● 31 consecutive competitive appearances for Ryan Edwards, 8th Aug 2017 to date. (Longest run since: Adam Barton - 54 games; 28th Dec 2016 to 3rd Feb 2018. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games; 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

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