Hamilton 0-1 Dundee United: Conway strikes early yet Arabs do it the hard way

Hamilton 0

Dundee United 1

Conway 3

NOT THAT long ago, there was talk of Hamilton perhaps making the top six, but this defeat at New Douglas Park means they are now back dicing with relegation, while United are still very much in contention for third place.

A single goal by Craig Conway was the difference, but United made it hard for themselves as they should have been out of sight at half-time.

Hamilton recalled Simon Mensing and goalkeeper Tomas Cerny after suspension, and the latter was to prove his worth. Striker Jon Daly, out for many months with knee ligament damage, will be sadly missed by United who might have walked this had the big Irishman been playing up front. On a day of early goals, United procrastinated in waiting a whole three minutes.

There seemed to be no danger when Paul Caddis chased a throw in from Fran Sandaza and cut it back more in hope than anticipation. Craig Conway had evaded his marker, however, and his low shot from the right of the penalty box whistled across Tomas Cerny and in off the keeper's right hand post. It could be said that Cerny reacted late, but it was more a case of Conway striking before anyone else had woken up.

Hamilton tried to get going but found United's defence immovable, and it was the visitors who presented much more venom in attack, Fran Sandaza and Andis Shala both forcing Cerny to save before David Robertson and Prince Buaben both went close, the goalkeeper again making a fine double save. It was Cerny again who rescued the Accies after 25 minutes, saving athletically from Conway.

In between those efforts Lee Wilkie had cynically scythed down James McCarthy to earn a booking, but the big defender joined in his side's attacking forays and was unlucky not to score with a powerful header from a Paul Dixon free kick. It took Hamilton more than half an hour to even earn a corner easily mopped up by United. But another corner from Paul McGowan almost flew directly into goal until Lukasz Zaluska tipped it over. It was the home side's only effort on target in the half.

There was controversy when Sandaza stayed down clutching his back after what appeared to be a stamping by James McArthur, who had been unusually anonymous until then. McArthur was only booked after referee Calum Murray had waved play on. Both his actions were correct, as United had the advantage.

The final chance of a half they had completely dominated fell to United, Shala's header beating Cerny but coming back off the crossbar. Had United led by three or four at the interval, it would not have been unjust.

Hamilton manager Billy Reid promptly swung the axe, replacing Paul McGowan and Brian Easton with Joel Thomas and James Gibson. The changes and doubtless Reid's dressing-room lecture sparked Hamilton into life, and Zaluska soon had to make his first save from open play when parrying away McCarthy's shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Before the hour mark, Reid gambled by putting on his final substitute, Ghanaian international Derek Asamoah, for Chris Swailes. Hamilton were now committed to attack, but that left gaps and good work by Sandaza put first Robertson and then Shala through on goal, Cerny denying both.

Accies slowly but surely came into the game, and United's profligacy in the first half looked like coming back to haunt them. Hamilton created few genuine chances, however, though their fans had cause for complaint when Asamoah looked set for a clear run on goal only to be hauled back by referee Murray for a mystery infringement.

With 10 minutes remaining, McArthur wasted a real opportunity when his too deliberate shot was saved by Zaluska. The home side were by now pouring forward, and Asamoah's fine run and shot deserved better than to end up wide of goal.

United's timewasting in the dying minutes was not pretty to watch, and Shala got himself booked for it as tempers flared, before Zaluska preserved United's three points by diving to send McCarthy's last-gasp effort wide.