Match Report

MATCH REPORT
Stenhousemuir v Hamilton Academical at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 10.07.18
Pre-season friendly
Stenhousemuir 1 [Cook 53] Hamilton Academical 3 [Bloomfield 5, Bingham 33, Cunningham 85]

Stenhousemuir –Graeme Smith, Alan Reid, Ruaridh Donaldson, Morgyn Neill, Kyle Johnston, Kieran Gibbons, Thomas Halleran, Connor Duthie, Seb Ross and Mark McGuigan.
Subs used – Lewis McMinn, Trialist [SL], Trialist [BV], Trialist [PB], Trialist [BR], Trialist [DB], Trialist [Sean Dickson], Trialist [RDS].
Subs not used – Robbie Sinclair and Trialist.

Hamilton Academical – Gary Woods, Aaron McGowan, Scott McMann, Ziggy Gordon, Rakish Bingham, Mickel Miller, Tom Taiwo, Mason Bloomfield, Alex Penny, Darian MacKinnon and Steven Boyd.
Subs – Dougie Imrie, Aaron Smith, George Stanger, Lewis Smith, Ross Cunningham, Rohan Hughes, Lenny Sowah, Marc Kelly, Shaun Want, Darren Lyon, Ryan Fulton

Referee – Steven McLean Assistants – Gary Hilland and Ross MacLeod

Sometimes pre-season games can be difficult to report about. It is not only the players who need warm up games before the proper stuff starts but also those who write about the game as they adjust to the new faces in the team at a time when concentration levels can dip.

In this game the identification of players was made doubly hard by the decision of Hamilton to wear their training kit and although the jerseys were numbered on the front and the shorts were as well they were not standard size and would have only been readable at close range. This made identification difficult for non-Hamilton staff and support and thus most of the mentions of Hamilton players are taken from their twitter site.

As expected Hamilton were the sharper team especially in the first half as they had benefitted from their training camp in Marbella. The Warriors had had a low key build up to their first open door game of the season as they gradually built up fitness but they definitely struggled in the early stages of the game and it was no surprise when Hamilton took the lead after only five minutes play when Mason Bloomfield scored from close range after Tom Taiwo’s effort was saved and Bloomfield hit the post with his initial shot.
The Premiership team continued to dominate and Mikel Miller and Rakish Bingham both brought out saves from Graeme Smith.

In the 33rd minute the visitors went further ahead this time from the penalty spot after a Stenhousemuir player in the defensive wall was adjudged to have handled the ball stopping a free kick from going goalwards, Bingham took full advantage of the decision to sent Smith the wrong way to make it 2-0.

The Accies were unlucky not to extend their lead before half time with Smith making a fine double save and then Ziggy Gordon having a header cleared off the line by Alan Reid.

It took until the last minute of the half before Stenhousemuir had a chance when Alan Cook had a shot blocked. In the 53rd minute though he made the breakthrough with a shot that flew into the net after a nice layoff by trialist [BV].

In the 78th minute Hamilton were awarded their second penalty of the night when Rohan Hughes was deemed to have been fouled but Dougie Imrie blasted the resultant spot kick well over the bar.
Hamilton were to have the final say though in the 85th minute when a swift counter attack ended with Ross Cunningham firing home to complete the scoring.

This was a difficult game for the Warriors but after struggling to come to terms in the first half gave a better account of themselves in the second period.