Hamilton Academical 2 Dunfermline 2
Saturday, 12th Mar 2022cinch Championship: Polworth starts in place of Dorrans. Coll Donaldson (5) 0-1: David Moyo (25) 1-1: Steven Lawless (52 pen.) 1-2: David Moyo (77) 2-2:
In a match peppered with controversy, Hamilton twice came from behind to deny Dunfermline the three points.
Dunfermline in tenth took on eighth placed Hamilton for the fourth time this season. The record so far revealed one win, one defeat and one draw but the visitors were in greatest need so this was always going to be a highly competitive match.
John Hughes was without captain Graham Dorrans but that created the opportunity for Liam Polworth to make his starting debut. Otherwise the Dunfermline team was the same as at Arbroath the previous Saturday.
Former Pars’ striker Andy Ryan was dropped to the Hamilton bench with Ellis Brown starting for the first time for the New Douglas Park side and Jamie Hamilton coming in for Reegan Mimnaugh. Prior to kick off hoses sprayed water on the artificial surface while overhead the patchy clouds in the otherwise blue sky looked like they would pass without depositing any more moisture.
Polworth and Dan Pybus got the match underway with Hamilton attacking the goal in front of the 433 strong travelling support. It was the visitors who got off to the best possible start going ahead in just the fifth minute. Joe Chalmers had an effort blocked but with the ball fed back to Efe Ambrose inside the centre circle the on loan St Johnstone man slipped the ball left to Coll DONALDSON. His partner in central defence was able to advance upfield, brushing aside two challenges before smashing a shot from 30 yards out that found in the right corner of the Accies net. 0-1
First real threat from Hamilton came after Pybus fouled Brown on the edge of the Pars penalty box. Josh Mullin fired the 14th minute free kick into the eight man defensive wall with the ball rebounding away off the back of Ambrose.
Dunfermline countered and looked lively exchanging the ball deep inside the Accies half. Eventually it was Pybus’ pass to Ryan Dow that teed up Kevin O’Hara for a shot. That was blocked but Lawless latched on to the next chance with keeper Ryan Fulton turning the stand in captain’s 17th minute drive on to his crossbar.
Hamilton equalised in 25 minutes when David MOYO headed in a Kai Kennedy cross from wide left. The Pars players complained bitterly, clearly feeling that their keeper Jakub Stolarczyk had been fouled by the goalscorer as they both went for the ball. 1-1
The half would end in controversy with Josh Edwards being shown a yellow card for diving in the Hamilton box. There was a clear hand of Brown on the back of the Pars man as he attempted to convert a O’Hara pass in towards him. Josh was certainly assisted in his road to the deck but in the second added minute of the half there would be no penalty and yet another decision went against Dunfermline in this match.
Half time: Hamilton Academical 1 Dunfermline 1
The decision that went against the Fifers was evened up within seven minutes of the restart. Pybus sent over an inviting ball from the right and as Edwards challenged for the ball Brown bundled him off the ball. This time referee Greg Aitken pointed to the penalty spot and LAWLESS dispatched the ball into the bottom left despite keeper Fulton going the right way. 1-2
Now in the lead Dunfermline looked much more assertive and O’Hara made a good run in along the right byeline but his cut back was intercepted. Polworth tested the keeper with an on target attempt in 59 minutes and next minute a Polworth free kick from the left was met by the head of Ambrose but that was saved.
Pybus kept up the pressure with his shot from 20 yards earning the first corner of the afternoon. The home support were growing increasingly impatient but their side defended the corner before their manager Stuart Taylor made a double substitution - Lewis Smith and Andy Winter replacing Kai Kennedy and Ellis Brown.
Although changing to a 4-3-3 that changed little for the Lanarkshire outfit and their fans howled boos as Pybus smashed another shot at goal but wide left. Andy Ryan was also thrown on and there was some stiff defending for the visitors to be done.
Hamilton wasted their 75th minute corner but after a period of being hemmed in Dunfermline conceded a second corner, this time on the left. From the delivery MOYO headed an effort that Comrie, on the near post, just couldn’t stop crossing the line for a second equaliser of the game. 2-2
There were chances for the winner from both sides. Joe Chalmers accepted a neat cut back from Lawless but fired wide left and at the other end a punched clearance from an Accies corner by Stolarczyk landed for Ryan and his header slipped over off the crossbar.
Raith Rovers defeated ninth placed Queen of the South 1-0 and so the gap between Dunfermline and Hamilton remains seven points but the Fifers have a game in hand on them both.
HAMILTON ACADEMICAL: Ryan Fulton: Jamie Hamilton, Mihai Popescu (c), Dan O’Reilly, Kieran Macdonald: Steve Lawson: Ellis Brown (Lewis Smith 66), Josh Mullin (Andy Ryan 71), Lewis Spence, Kai Kennedy (Andy Winter 66): David Moyo,SUBS NOT USED: Ronan Hughes, Reegan Mimnaugh, Brian Easton, Matthew Shiels, Jamie Smith (GK).
SCORERS: Moyo (25, 77)
YELLOW CARD: Popescu (70)
DUNFERMLINE: Jakub Stolarczyk: Aaron Comrie, Coll Donaldson, Efe Ambrose, Josh Edwards: Liam Polworth, Dan Pybus (Lewis McCann 84), Joe Chalmers, Ryan Dow (Dom Thomas 84): Steven Lawless (c), Kevin O’Hara
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Martin, Nikolay Todorov, Rhys Breen, Paul Allan, Matthew Todd, Reece Cole, Neil Alexander (GK)
SCORERS: Donaldson (5), Lawless (52 pen.)
YELLOW CARD: Edwards (45+2), Dow (53)
REFEREE: Greg Aitken
WEATHER: Sunny intervals, dry 12°C
ATTENDANCE 1369
NEXT MATCH: cinch Championship (home) v Morton, Friday 18th March 2022 kick off 7.45pm at East End Park
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Match Photos To Follow.
Preview Hamilton Academical
Saturday, 12th Mar 2022cinch Championship (away) v Hamilton, Saturday 12th March 2022, kick off 3.00pm at New Douglas Park
Dunfermline go west this weekend in search of precious league points. The first meeting against Hamilton this season at East End Park in October ended in a 0-0 draw. The last meeting at New Douglas Park was a 1-0 defeat and the return in Fife a 1-0 home win.
Milestones Hamilton Academicals (Away)
Last Victory | 09/02/13 | 2-1 | First Division
Last Defeat | 04/12/21 | 0-1 | Championship
Best Victory | 13/11/65 | 6-2 | Division 1*
Worst Defeat | 18/10/52 | 1-7 | Division 2*
First Meeting | 12/03/27 | 2-2 | Division 1*
*Pre league reconstruction
Last Time at New Douglas Park
Hamilton 1-0 Dunfermline
Sat, 4th Dec 2021
A decision by Referee David Munro to award Hamilton a penalty on the hour mark and reduce Dunfermline to ten men by sending off captain Graham Dorrans for a hugely doubtful hand-ball changed this important meeting between the teams.
At the second of two Hamilton corners, Mihai Popescu rose to head the setpiece on target but Dorrans cleared off the line. Then from the second corner the on loan Hearts got his head on the cross again, the ball came back off the right goalpost and then follow up was deemed to be stopped illegally and Dorrans was sent off for hand ball on the line. A decision that video replays would confirm wrong.
David MOYO stepped up and his right foot did the business to shoot the Accies ahead from the penalty spot. 1-0.
HAMILTON ACADEMICAL: Joe Hilton: Jamie Hamilton (Miko Virtanen 73), Mihai Popescu, Brian Easton, Kieran Macdonald, Regan Mimnaugh, Josh Mullin, Scott Martin, Lewis Smith, David Moyo, Marley Redfern (Kyle Munro 86)
SUBS NOT USED: Andy Winter, Andy Ryan, Jamie Smith GK).
DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Mark Connolly, Vytas Gašpuitis, Josh Edwards: Kyle Macdonald (Dan Pybus 72), Matthew Todd (Nikolay Todorov 78), Graham Dorrans (c), Kai Kennedy (Kevin O’Hara 68): Ryan Dow, Lewis McCann
SUBS NOT USED: Ross Graham, Craig Wighton, Paul Allan, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
Over the past twelve matches between Dunfermline and Hamilton, the Pars have won three, lost four with five games ending all square.
Last Twelve Matches v Hamilton
15/01/22 | H | W | 1-0 | Championship
04/12/21 | A | L | 0-1 | Championship
25/09/21 | H | D | 0-0 | Championship
14/02/17 | A | D | 1-1 | Scottish Cup
11/02/17 | H | D | 1-1 | Scottish Cup
06/04/13 | H | L | 2-3 | First Division
09/02/13 | A | W | 2-1 | First Division
02/02/13 | H | L | 0-2 | Scottish Cup
15/12/12 | H | D | 1-1 | First Division
29/09/12 | A | W | 3-0 | First Division
11/03/08 | H | D | 1-1 | First Division
09/02/08 | A | L | 0-3 | First Division
Recent Form
Hamilton have a seven point advantage over Dunfermline but they have won only one of their last eight league matches. That 1-0 result against Morton has been their only home league win since over the Pars in December.
Dunfermline have won two of their last seven games, three of those were drawn and the two defeats have only been by the one goal.
Last six matches
DUNFERMLINE
Arbroath (A) L 0-1
Kilmarnock (H) D 0-0
Kilmarnock (A) L 1-2
Ayr United (A) D 1-1
Queen of the South (A) W 2-0
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) D 1-1
HAMILTON ACADEMICAL
Kilmarnock (A) L 0-2
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) D 1-1
Morton (H) W 1-0
Arbroath (A) D 2-2
Raith Rovers (A) D 0-0
Ayr United (H) D 1-1
League Record
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 10th
League Points: 24
Goal Difference: -17
Away League Record: P14 W2 D5 L7 GF12 GA22
Last Six Match Form: DWDLDL
HAMILTON ACADEMICAL
League Position: 8th
League Points: 31
Goal Difference: -14
Home League Record: P14 W4 D4 L6 GF13 GA23
Last Six Match Form: DDDWDL
Last time out
DUNFERMLINE (v Arbroath): Jakub Stolarczyk: Aaron Comrie (Dom Thomas 63), Coll Donaldson, Efe Ambrose (Rhys Breen 82), Josh Edwards: Dan Pybus (Lewis Martin 82), Joe Chalmers: Steven Lawless, Graham Dorrans (c))(Lewis McCann 82), Ryan Dow (Liam Polworth 82), Kevin O’Hara
SUBS NOT USED: Nikolay Todorov, Paul Allan, Matty Todd, Neil Alexander (GK)
HAMILTON ACADEMICAL (v Kilmarnock): Ryan Fulton: Steve Lawson, Mihai Popescu, Daniel O’Reilly, Kieran Macdonald: Josh Mullin (Ronan Hughes 87), Regan Mimnaugh (Scott Martin 46), Lewis Spence (Andy Winter 78): Andy Ryan (Ellis Brown 60), Kai Kennedy (Lewis Smith 60): David Moyo.
SUBS NOT USED: Brian Easton, Matthew Shiels, Sam Nicolson, Jamie Smith (GK).
Other Championship Fixtures
Ayr United v Kilmarnock (Friday)
Inverness Caley Thistle v Arbroath
Morton v Partick Thistle
Queen of the South v Raith Rovers
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