Hamilton ease past St Mirren

Posted Sunday, September 23, 2018 by PA

Hamilton picked up just their second win of the season with an emphatic 3-0 dismissal of fellow Ladbrokes Premiership strugglers St Mirren.

After three consecutive league defeats, Frederik Brustad’s first half strike and a Mickel Miller double saw Accies leapfrog Saints into ninth position.

Scott Martin fluffed an early chance for the home side when Dougie Imrie’s corner ricochet into his path a few yards from goal, only for the midfielder to chest rather than head the ball for an easy Craig Samson save.

St Mirren almost made the hosts pay immediately with a sweeping counter-attack – but an excellent last-gasp block Shaun Want denied Ryan Flynn.

The visitors, who lost Jack Baird to injury during the warm-up, were forced into another enforced change as Jordan Kirkpatrick replaced Hayden Coulson on the half hour mark – and Accies took control from this point.

Miller fired a stinging effort just wide from 30 yards after linking up brilliantly with team-mate Steven Boyd, before the two forwards combined again less than a minute later to put the opening goal on a plate for Brustad.

Miller sent Boyd clear through on the left, who saw his effort diverted straight into Brustad’s path by Saints goalkeeper Samson. The striker, on loan at Accies from Molde, could not miss as he turned the ball into the empty net.

The second quickly followed, this time Miller sending a powerful penalty into the top corner after Saints substitute Jordan Kirkpatrick was penalised for a clear foul on Imrie inside the box.

Perhaps with an eye to next weekend’s crucial game against fellow strugglers Dundee, Accies boss Martin Canning brought off Darian Mackinnon before the break. The midfielder anchor had already been booked for a crunching tackle on Ryan Edwards, and already looked at risk of a second booking.

It would make little difference, however, as Hamilton’s third and Miller’s second arrived in style in the 66th minute to seal all three points. The former Carshalton Athletic striker fired an inch-perfect shot past Samson from 25 yards that struck both posts on its way into the net.

Boyd almost hit a fourth for Accies after he was played through by substitute Rakish Bingham, only for his right-footed effort to crash off the bar late on.

St Mirren offered next to nothing throughout a largely quiet second half as Hamilton saw out their lead with ease in Buddies manager Oran Kearney’s second game in charge.