Hamilton Academical v Kilmarnock
Saturday 29th January
Scottish Premier League
So it's the start of another busy week of football with three games planned for the next four days and today we're off to watch my dad's team, Kilmarnock, play at New Douglas Park home of Hamilton Academicals.
My dad has asked that I meet him at quarter past one at his house for the short drive over to Hamilton for the game. I'm a little surprised to get a call from him at five past one to question 'If I'm actually coming over the game today?'. When I remind him he told me to arrive for quarter past, he responds with a 'No, a quarter to!'.
Anyway by the time I get there twenty minutes later he's not best pleased. Ach well still plenty of time before kick off.
The drive to Hamilton takes fifty minutes and we park up a half mile or so from the ground.
As you'll be aware we normally sit in the home end but when either of our teams are playing we must sit in the away end. So after I get my dad to pose for the team photo, we make our way round to the 'Spice of Life' stand and join the Kilmarnock fans.
Hamilton's ground must be the only place to be hemmed in on two sides by two major supermarkets - opposite the main stand we have a Morrisons and opposite the away end we have an Asda.
Before taking our seats we partake in the usual pre match lunch, a Scotch pie each. It's not a bad effort, a little dry but tasty. Taking our seats we notice that there are definitely more away fans than home. Kilmarnock are on a great run of form recently, whilst Hamilton are bottom of the SPL and this may be one of the reasons for the poor home support.
The stadium announcer must have read the two team lists out about five times before kick off and each time he pronounces the names of one of the Kilmarnock subs - Willy Aubameyang, a different way.
Having a quick look at the match programme I'm disappointed to see that the referee in charge today is Brian Winter. He was the ref at the recent Partick Thistle v Falkirk cup game and he ruined that game with his stop start style. Here's hoping he performs better than that today.
It's a full one minute forty something before the referee blows the whistle for the first foul.
Clancy has the first opportunity for Kilmarnock when he's played through on the right wing and he has plenty of time to pick out a player in the box. Shame then his cross is to near the keeper and saved comfortably.
Ten minutes in and Clancy finds himself in space at a corner but his header from inside the six yard box goes just wide of the right hand post.
Jamie Hamell is the first name into the book for a soft challenge.
Hamilton finally manage to string some passes together in the Kilmarnock half but Dougie Imrie's shot goes well wide after twelve minutes.
Fifteen minutes in and Mehdi Taouil plays a great ball through to Conor Sammon. Sammon managed to hold of the challenge of the Hamilton centre half, McLaughlin, before chipping the ball over the out rushing Cerny in the Hamilton goal.
The Killie fans go wild and burst into a rendition of 'Feed the Fish and he will score', followed by a chorus of 'Sammon must stay'. Colin Sammon has scored 15 goals this season, Hamilton as a team have only scored 14 goals all season. He has already turned down a move to Scunthorpe United this month and my dad along with all the rest of the Killie fans can not wait until the end of the January transfer window.
Miguel goes close to doubling Killie's lead with a shot that goes just wide. Salmon then has a shot saved by the keeper, who then does well to get up and save the rebound at the feet of Miguel.
Just before the half hour mark Jamie Hamill gets his second yellow card and his marching orders for a really soft challenge on Flavio Paixao. The Hamilton players rolls about on the floor but gets up as soon as he sees the referee reach for his back pocket.
I knew Brian Winter would play his bloody part.
You don't know what you're doing, sing the away fans.
Billy Reid, the Hamilton manager, wastes no time and takes off a defender and a midfielder and replaces them with a striker and attacking midfielder. He's obviously looking to push on and take advantage of the extra man.
Mixu Paatelainen, the Killie boss, responds by taking off an attacker and sending on new loan signing from AC Milan, Willy Aubameyang. The announcer tries his best, bless him.
It's a full thirty minutes before Hamilton have their first shot on goal but Wildig's deflected effort is saved easily by Bell.
Five minutes before the break the Hamilton fans think they've equalised but the linesman has flagged for offside before Casalinuovo puts the ball in the net.
Every time Paixao touches the ball for Hamilton the whole of the Kilmarnock end boo. Loudly.
The referee gets an even louder boo as he walks off at half time.
Five minutes into the second half and all the Kilmarncok fans laugh as one as the big Accies centre half stumbles and falls backwards over the advertising boards on the far side of the pitch. When he doesn't get up and a press photographer starts frantically waving for assistance we all feel a little guilty.
The game continues as both the Hamilton physio and the St.John's Ambulance crew assist the Accies player. It's several minutes before the player is strapped to a stretcher and carted off around the pitch. He does receive a warm round of applause from all supporters.
Back on the field Taouil races down the left wing and with some majestic footwork makes space for himself inside the box to fire a shot on goal. Cerny does brilliantly well to make a diving save to his left.
Sam
mon then breaks into the box to get on to the end of a long ball and he does really well to get his foot on the ball and swing a cross over, Cerny again does well to pluck it one handed from danger.
Hamilton are having more and more of the possession but I've sort of forgotten that they have a one man advantage as the Kilmarnock players are working really hard to shut down the spaces and press the Hamilton team.
With fifteen minutes left the referee finally does something that the Kilmarnock fans can cheer at when he books Paixao for persistent diving.
Sammon loses the ball cheaply on the half way line and the ball is feed to Antoine-Curier who unleashes a thunderbolt from the edge of the area and the ball flies past Cammy Bell into the bottom corner. It's an undeserved equaliser but my god it was a belter.
Five minutes to go and a Hay corner bounces across the six yard box before Kelly puts his head on the end of it. The ball just clears the crossbar.
The game finishes one each. The draw is unfair, Kilmarnock had their chances and probably should have taken at least one of them. Hamilton tried hard and hopefully they'll continue to try hard, get some points and finish above Hibs.
Talking of Hibs, we're off to Dundee tomorrow to see if they can finally score a goal this year and win a game. Magnus and Ross, two United fans, are coming with us and I'm guessing they'll be hoping not.
The Statistics
Ticket: £22 for, £10 concession price for him.
Programme: £2.50
Attendance: 2690
Pie: £1.60
Pie Marks: 6.5 / 10
Man of the Match: Dad & Me - Colin Sammon (Kilmarnock)
Score: Hamilton Academical 1 v Kilmarnock 1
Mileage: 80 miles
Fascinating Fact of the Day: Hamilton were the first side Scottish to sign players from behind the Iron Curtain, when in 1971 they signed 3 players from Poland.
Next Game: Tannadice Park (Dundee United)
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