IT’S often said in football that it is harder to play against ten men than eleven. Nobody has ever claimed the game gets easier when your own team are a man down.
And, yet, Hamilton played their best football after losing Darian MacKinnon an hour into this game for a rash moment of madness, they were also a goal behind, and were well worthy of their point against a Dundee side who would have taken a draw beforehand, but an equaliser conceded with three minutes to go blackened their collective moods.
Both sides have done well so far with the first round of fixtures now done and dusted. A top six place is a more than realistic aim for these two teams and their fine managers.
“Over the piece we deserved at least a point,” said Hamilton manager Martin Canning. “Although as the game went on I didn’t think it was going to happen. We had chances and two goals disallowed, one for a foul that we couldn’t see.
“It’s been a good start for us. We have 17 points from the first quarter and if we can continue like that then that will be good form. It’s all credit to the players. The boys are different class. Their attitude is great, you can see their work-rate is second to none.
“They deserve everything they get and we can look forward with confidence now.”
The home side should have been ahead in the first five minutes. An Ali Crawford free-kick was difficult to defend, and Dundee didn't defend it at all, and the ball was allowed to travel into the penalty box where the Carlton Morris got to it, but a goal was prevented by superb goalkeeping by Scott Bain.
Bain took a sore one a few minutes later when he collided with Jesus Garcia Tena as the Hamilton defender jumped legitimately to meet another Crawford cross. The loose ball could not be put in by Gramoz Kurtaj.
Dundee defender Julen Etxabeguren picked up a deserved booking on 16 minutes when he pulled back Morris who was about to tear down the wing. That free-kick was cleared and before Hamilton knew it, Dundee’s Rhys Healy was running in on goal, cut back on his right foot and his shot was just wide.
Hamilton should have scored before the half hour mark. A great pass from Grant Gillespie picked out Dougie Imrie whose close control and turn inside bought him space at the edge of the box, he then set up Kurtaj for a shot, which he got very wrong, and the ball missed the target by some way.
A long punt from Bain made got all the way to Healy on 35 minutes, he found himself more or less clean through and took on a shot that equalled Kurtaj’s wasteful effort.
And then two minutes after the break, Dundee rather fortunately took the lead. A corner was cleared to the visitor’s left-back Kevin Holt a good 25 yards from goal and his shot took a wicked deflection off Morris, which left Michael McGovern stranded as the ball went past him.
It seemed as if was not going to be Hamilton’s day when, as Imrie tussled with Thomas Konrad on the byline, MacKinnon wanted to get involved and seemed to aim a kick at the Dundee man's delicate area. Collum was straight into his top pocket
Hamilton’s luck at that time was summed up on 70 minutes when Bain pulled off a superb save to keep out a Morris shot and then seconds later the Accies striker thought he had scored with a header, only to be denied by the linesman’s flag.
And then another Hamilton goal was ruled out when Collum blew for a foul by Lucas Tagliapietra as the ball was about to cross the line from a Morris cross, but there didn’t as if there was anything in it.
Dundee were pinned back in their own half, despite their numerical advantage, but were unable to see out the game.
With three minutes to go, Ziggy Gordon got down the right, put in a low ball which Imrie sent into the net for a goal he and his team deserved.
Hamilton manager Paul Hartley said: “We should be seeing out the game. But this is a difficult place and a point is not a bad result – but we should have had three. They played better after the red card.
“The pitch isn’t great. The players were just talking about that. So this is not an easy ground. We are two points off third place and have been operating under the radar. Long may that continue."
Hamilton: McGovern, Gordon, Tena, Tagliapietra, Kurakins, Imrie (Docherty 88), Gillespie, MacKinnon, Kurtaj, Crawrford (Longbridge 24) Morris
Subs not used: Martin, Canning, Turner, D’Acol
Dundee: Bain, McGinn, Etxabeguren (Meggatt 73), Konrad, Holt, Stewart, Harkins, Ross, Calder (Low 62), Loy, Healy (Gadzhalov 81), McGinn, Calder (Low 63), Ross, Harkins, Stewart, Loy, Healey (Gadzhalov 81)
Subs not used: Mitchell, Irvine, Curran, Skelly
Referee: Willie Collum
Bookings: Hamilton (McKinnon 60 s/o, ), Dundee ( Etxabeguren 16, Harkins 82)
Attendance: 2262
Man of the Match: Scott Bain (Dundee)
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