’Well and truly in a battle for SPL survival

Dec 24 2008 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

Hamilton Accies......2 Motherwell................0

MOTHERWELL'S recent dismal run continued on Saturday with a 2-0 away defeat to fellow strugglers, Hamilton.

James McCarthy's lethal brace, one either side of half-time, consigned the Steelmen to a fifth consecutive defeat and put the two Lanarkshire clubs level on points at the bottom of the SPL.

The win sealed the points for the home side in the first Lanarkshire derby in Hamilton for almost 20 years and gave Billy Reid's men the bragging rights, with Accies having won two of the three games between the sides in the SPL and League Cup this season.

By contrast, Motherwell have taken just one point from their last seven league matches... and scored only one goal in the process – a far cry from the Fir Park club’s heroics of last season when a third-place finish secured Uefa Cup football.

It was the visitors who looked eager to get forward in the very early stages, but it was Hamilton who passed up a good chance to go in front on five minutes thanks to striker Richard Offiong's heavy first touch.

Both teams struggled to create chances in a match full of energy but short on quality, with each side continually giving away possession.

With 25 minutes on the clock, Jamie Murphy stretched to head wide from Stevie Hammell's deep cross before Smith raced off his line at the other end to beat Offiong to James McArthur's deflected shot.

Tomas Cerny was forced to save from Paul Quinn's 25-yard drive, and then tip over Chris Porter's good turn and shot, as the match started to liven up after the half-hour mark.

However, almost immediately after those fine stops, the Czech goalkeeper was forced to retire from the match suffering from the effects of an earlier collision with Sutton.

Just as the match seemed to be heading to the break as a stalemate, McCarthy burst forward from midfield to slot Simon Mensing's through-ball under Smith to give Accies the lead.

Motherwell boss Mark McGhee must have given a rousing team talk at half-time as his men came out fired up for the second period.

In the first five minutes of the half, Sutton, Porter and Keith Lasley all threatened as the Steelmen laid siege to Sean Murdoch's goal.

As Accies defended their lead desperately, Mark McLaughlin was forced out of the game after taking a knock from his own goalkeeper.

But, rather than Motherwell clawing back a deserved equaliser, it was Accies who doubled their lead on 67 minutes.

McCarthy pursued a long ball over the visitors' defence, Reynolds failed to clear the danger and Accies’ 18-year-old midfielder slipped the ball under Smith.

Motherwell were denied a spot kick when Sutton appeared to be tugged by David Elebert.

And, as the away team continued to press, Murdoch dived to pluck Porter's goal-bound header on the line.

In the closing stages, the goal-scorer was on hand to hack Sutton's header off the line to safety as Accies survived five minutes of injury time to claim an important three points.

Hamilton: Cerny (Murdoch 36), Elebert, Swailes, McLaughlin (Canning 56), Easton, McClenahan, McArthur, Neil, Mensing, Offiong (Thomas 70), McCarthy.

Subs Not Used: Gibson, Stevenson, Akins, Lyle.

Booked: Neil, McCarthy.

Goals: McCarthy 45, 67.

Motherwell: Graeme Smith, Saunders, Klimpl, Quinn, Reynolds, Hammell, Murphy (O'Brien 58), Lasley, McGarry (Darren Smith 64), Porter, Sutton.

Subs not used: Nielsen, Malcolm, Fitzpatrick, McHugh, Hutchinson.

Booked: Klimpl, McGarry, Quinn.

Att: 3527.

Ref: Ian Brines.