Scottish Premiership
Ross CountyRoss County2HamiltonHamilton Academical1

Ross County 2-1 Hamilton Academical: Brian Rice's side all but down

By Andrew SouthwickBBC Scotland

Hamilton Academical's seven-year Scottish Premiership stay is all but over after they lost to Ross County.

Kilmarnock's draw with St Mirren means Hamilton can still catch the Ayrshire side, but they need a nine-goal win when the sides meet on Sunday.

Hamilton led in Dingwall through Scott McMann but were pegged back almost instantly by Blair Spittal.

And Charlie Lakin's strike condemned them to defeat and means County need a point to avoid the play-off place.

The game was always going to be feisty. Two minutes played and Accies' Aaron Martin and County's Stephen Kelly had already picked up cautions. Ross Callachan soon followed for the visitors.

Chances were not quite as frequent. No shots at goal, never mind on target, in the opening 25 minutes. But out of nowhere arrived two goals in two minutes.

McMann won a free-kick on the edge of the box, stepped up, and drove it low into the net to give the visitors the lead.

Then Jordan White held the ball up and laid it into the path of Spittal, who placed it beyond the grasp of Hamilton goalkeeper Kyle Gourlay to level.

Now the game was well and truly alive. Callachan snatched the ball off a sleeping Michael Gardyne in midfield and cracked a shot off the left-hand post.

And the visitors continued to be the better of the two teams, but at the break they were being held when the three points were what they craved.

County started the second half with more attacking intent. White and Gardyne both sent shots wide and Kelly volleyed over.

But Hamilton's Lee Hodson should have done better with a back-post header that flew over the bar, while Callachan also put a Hodson cross off target.

And Accies were beginning to grow as a force again, winning a series of corners. But as they struggled to get the ball over the line, County made no mistake at the other end.

Lakin collected the ball on the left, and as the covering defender stood off him he was able to rifle a low shot into the bottom far corner.

Hamilton kept the County box busy with delivery after delivery from all angles, but the hosts repelled everything that was thrown at them.

And they could and should have killed the game off. Harry Paton broke on the left but hit the side netting, while Iain Vigurs put a late free-kick over the bar.

Man of the match - Jordan White

Ross County's Jordan White
White assisted both County goals, and was a handful for the Hamilton defence

What did we learn?

Hamilton to all extents and purposes got their tactics spot on. They created the better and more numerous chances, and the majority of the game restricted County to long range shots.

But two of those long range shots were right on the money, and unless they can find an unlikely nine goals on Sunday, they are set for the Scottish Championship next season.

What did they say?

County 'looking for favour' from Hamilton - Hughes

Ross County manager John Hughes: "I felt Hamilton were the better team for long periods of the game. But to go a goal down, stick in, trust each other and dig it out I'm absolutely delighted for them.

"Hamilton have been different class in the Premiership for a number of years, they've got something about them and if I could get that spirit and never say die attitude here on a more regular basis I would take that."

Hamilton head coach Brian Rice: "I thought we played very, very well. We just couldn't get over the line. Disappointed is an understatement, we're absolutely devastated. But the players gave it everything they had and you saw a team playing exceptionally well, but it just wasn't enough.

"I told them to be brave and they were brave. Everyone in that dressing room is on their knees because they know what they put into the game. To not even draw the game is disappointing but to lose it, that's just football."

'Everyone is on their knees' - Hamilton manager Brian Rice

What's next?

Both teams complete their season at 12:00 BST on Sunday. Hamilton host Kilmarnock, while County are away to Motherwell.

Player of the match

KellyStephen Kelly

with an average of 9.54

Ross County

  1. Squad number18Player nameKelly
    Average rating

    9.54

  2. Squad number16Player nameIacovitti
    Average rating

    6.34

  3. Squad number22Player nameTillson
    Average rating

    6.19

  4. Squad number4Player nameHjelde
    Average rating

    6.09

  5. Squad number20Player nameSpittal
    Average rating

    6.08

  6. Squad number25Player nameDonaldson
    Average rating

    6.06

  7. Squad number23Player nameNaismith
    Average rating

    6.03

  8. Squad number1Player nameLaidlaw
    Average rating

    6.00

  9. Squad number26Player nameWhite
    Average rating

    5.99

  10. Squad number15Player nameWatson
    Average rating

    5.77

  11. Squad number7Player nameGardyne
    Average rating

    5.68

  12. Squad number19Player nameLakin
    Average rating

    5.40

  13. Squad number11Player nameVigurs
    Average rating

    5.31

  14. Squad number17Player nameCharles-Cook
    Average rating

    4.86

  15. Squad number24Player namePaton
    Average rating

    4.37

Hamilton Academical

  1. Squad number34Player nameCallachan
    Average rating

    5.03

  2. Squad number16Player nameMartin
    Average rating

    4.96

  3. Squad number18Player nameMimnaugh
    Average rating

    4.92

  4. Squad number5Player nameEaston
    Average rating

    4.90

  5. Squad number27Player nameHodson
    Average rating

    4.76

  6. Squad number7Player nameAnderson
    Average rating

    4.66

  7. Squad number3Player nameMcMann
    Average rating

    4.57

  8. Squad number6Player nameHamilton
    Average rating

    4.51

  9. Squad number22Player nameGourlay
    Average rating

    4.29

  10. Squad number2Player nameOdoffin
    Average rating

    4.12

  11. Squad number11Player nameSmith
    Average rating

    4.00

  12. Squad number24Player nameThomas
    Average rating

    3.89

  13. Squad number32Player nameSmith
    Average rating

    3.83

  14. Squad number20Player nameMoyo
    Average rating

    3.30

Line-ups

Ross County

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Laidlaw
  • 23Naismith
  • 25Donaldson
  • 16IacovittiSubstituted forWatsonat 52'minutes
  • 4HjeldeSubstituted forLakinat 65'minutes
  • 22Tillson
  • 11VigursBooked at 88mins
  • 18KellyBooked at 3mins
  • 20SpittalSubstituted forPatonat 87'minutes
  • 26WhiteBooked at 90mins
  • 7GardyneSubstituted forCharles-Cookat 87'minutes

Substitutes

  • 6Draper
  • 8Shaw
  • 14Hylton
  • 15Watson
  • 17Charles-Cook
  • 19Lakin
  • 21Hilton
  • 24Paton
  • 28Andreu

Hamilton

Formation 3-1-4-2

  • 22Gourlay
  • 6Hamilton
  • 16MartinBooked at 2mins
  • 5EastonSubstituted forThomasat 75'minutes
  • 2Odoffin
  • 27Hodson
  • 34CallachanBooked at 20mins
  • 18MimnaughSubstituted forSmithat 79'minutes
  • 3McMann
  • 7AndersonSubstituted forSmithat 79'minutes
  • 20Moyo

Substitutes

  • 4Stirling
  • 11Smith
  • 14Trafford
  • 17Stanger
  • 21Munro
  • 24Thomas
  • 26Redfern
  • 32Smith
  • 41Scully
Referee:
William Collum

Match Stats

Home TeamRoss CountyAway TeamHamilton
Possession
Home45%
Away55%
Shots
Home8
Away10
Shots on Target
Home2
Away2
Corners
Home0
Away8
Fouls
Home16
Away14

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Ross County 2, Hamilton Academical 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Ross County 2, Hamilton Academical 1.

  3. Booking

    Jordan White (Ross County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  4. Post update

    Jamie Hamilton (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Jordan White (Ross County).

  6. Post update

    Attempt missed. Iain Vigurs (Ross County) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.

  7. Post update

    Hand ball by Kyle Gourlay (Hamilton Academical).

  8. Post update

    Foul by Hakeem Odoffin (Hamilton Academical).

  9. Post update

    Jordan White (Ross County) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  10. Post update

    Attempt missed. Harrison Paton (Ross County) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Jordan White following a fast break.

  11. Booking

    Iain Vigurs (Ross County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  12. Post update

    Lewis Smith (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  13. Post update

    Foul by Iain Vigurs (Ross County).

  14. Substitution

    Substitution, Ross County. Harrison Paton replaces Blair Spittal.

  15. Substitution

    Substitution, Ross County. Regan Charles-Cook replaces Michael Gardyne.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Nathan Thomas (Hamilton Academical).

  17. Post update

    Michael Gardyne (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  18. Post update

    Corner, Hamilton Academical. Conceded by Stephen Kelly.

  19. Post update

    Scott McMann (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  20. Post update

    Foul by Blair Spittal (Ross County).

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