CALEY JAGS BLOWN AWAY

With storm Amy raging around the Country, Accies and the Caley Jags faced off at Broadwood Stadium on a drookit and windswept Broadwood Stadium in this top of the table League1 clash. Both sides had made one change from last weekend. For Accies, Steven Bradley returned to the starting XI whilst the visitors Alfie Bavidge replaced Chanka Zimba who suffered a head knock against East Fife.

Accies blew Inverness away with Amy spoiling our day. Goals from O'Hara, McDonald and Shaw were enough to win the three points and send Accies to the top of the table. Bavidge scored our counter but we drop to third with Stenhousemuir second.

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The wind would play a big part in this fixture and three minutes in Connor Smith tried to catch Ross Munro out with a wind assisted free kick from near the halfway line, but the keeper was alert enough to tip it behind for a corner. Accies were well up for this one and Steven Bradley fired wide as the hosts used the conditions to their advantage. Scott Robinson had an effort deflected and grasped by Munro as he shot from outside the box. Robinson was keen to offload and fired another couple of salvo's just wide. In the Caley Jags first meaningful attack, Liam Sole cut in and curled an effort wide after twenty minutes. No surprise really that Accies took the lead midway through the half when Kevin O'Hara shot home after mugging Danny Devine and he almost doubled the lead a minute later with Munro saving. He saved again from a Loughrey header and an O'Hara effort as Accies dominated the first half. Alfie Bavidge broke the monopoly on opportunities but he saw his shot blocked. A wee bit of pressure on the home goal approaching the interval as Wotherspoon's strike from distance was saved by Jamie Smith. The visitors made it to the interval still within touching distance. Let's hope the wind doesn't drop.

HALF TIME: 1-0

 No changes at the break, and if anything, the wind was even stronger. Just after the hour we had a manic minute. Alfie Bavidge levelled from just inside the box as he rifled the ball high into the net after a deft backheel from Luis Longstaff. However, a minute later Accies lead was restored by Kyle MacDonald as he slotted into the bottom corner after some shoddy defending on our right side. With Inverness looking to press forward, and a stonewall penalty shout waved away as we tried to salvage something, Oli Shaw put the game to bed with a time added on strike into the bottom corner moments after being denied by the keeper. Meh!

FULL TIME: 3-1

It's not often that we can say this, but we were defensively poor today and were the architects of our own downfall. A poor choice of pass from MacIntyre led to Danny getting the ball nicked off him for the first. The second was a combination of sloppy defending and the wind, and the third we were found wanting when chasing the game.

On the plus side, Alfie Bavidge smashed home a great strike and despite the five point deduction, we are in the group at the right end of the table and just one point off the top. The only two sides to have beaten us are the ones directly above us.

This is the sequel to Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the wind...

It's the remake starring Kevin O'Hara in Gone with the wind.

Date:  04/10/2025  Venue: Broadwood Stadium Attendance: 0384 Referee: Sean Murdoch 
 
Hamilton Accies: 3

• Manager: John Rankin

• Lineup:  J Smith; Hutton, Kilday, Loughrey, Gallacher (Hendrie 74) MacDonald, C Smith, Robinson (McLuckie 66, McKinstry 72), O'Hara, Shaw, Bradley

• Subs (not used):  Marks, Morgan, Newbury, Eadie, MacKinnon

• Scorers: O'Hara (22), MacDonald (64) Shaw (90+2)

• Booked: Robinson (66) (McLuckie 69)

• Sent Off: none

Inverness CT: 1

• Manager: Scott Kellacher

• Lineup:  Munro; MacLeod, Devine, Savage, MacIntyre (Millen 78) Longstaff, Stewart (MacKinnon 59), Chalmers ( B Mckay 78), Sole (Allan 59), Wotherspoon (Alonge 86), Bavidge

• Subs (not used): Ross; Strachan, Robertson,

• Scorers: Bavidge (63)

• Booked: Millen (90+3)

• Sent Off: none