Accies Away Play-off 1st leg

[The Mantis]

3 hours ago, RiG said:

We were absolutely honking for the first hour or so. We were fortunate to only be 2 - 0 down at half time with Hamilton being denied what looked like a stonewall penalty for handball. Ridgers was perhaps unlucky for the first but was really poor for the second. Another goal conceded after we fail to defend a set piece. Standard. You have to say fair play to Ferguson for sticking with the setup that has seen us end up in the playoffs and somehow expect it to this absolute gang of a squad into a cohesive unit.

Still though, it was a nice finish from Pepple from a Harper cross, one of the few times the latter didn't hit the first man with his delivery, and we looked better for the final half hour but didn't have any real quality up front to grab an equaliser as Hamilton seemed content to sit back and defend their lead.

Pepple put in a great shift after coming on but I felt the game started to turn when Lawal was subbed on. Gilmour, Anderson and Longstaff must be our worst midfield in a long time. All they can do is pass the ball five yards to a team mate. None of them seem capable of carrying the ball forward. Lawal was an immediate upgrade on the, I assume, not fully fit Gilmour. He simply has to start on Saturday. If he doesn't Ferguson should be fired immediately.

We've given ourself a chance but if Accies score first that'll be the game over. Despite a healthy amount of possession we don't do much with the ball and certainly don't have the guile to create enough chances to score 2 or 3 goals.

Absolutely spot on. Unless the injury situation is even more dire than we know, it's bizarre how the manager can't see what most of us have been seeing all season.
No way is Gilmour the new Allardice. He's a wee battler who gets booked every week. He gave the ball away for the first goal too when we were playing rondo in midfield instead of getting the heads up and switching the play.

This tie is looking far more promising after the first half where it looked like we were doomed. Who knows how the game might have played out before that fluke goal which settled Accies and allowed them to sit in. Same old pedestrian possession based, safety first, pass it to death nonsense. Raise the tempo, take the occasional risk. I'd be tempted to start Pepple, who caused a fair bit of panic, and keep Billy on the bench till the last half hour. As a striker...

If Lawal doesn't start then what's the point. We'll have to wait and see how Devine is (where's Ujdur?) but possibly 4 at the back with Carra starting and Kerr in midfield. And if Roddy makes an appearance, try making it more than 10 minutes ffs. We've got a sizeable enough squad it appears but what do I know...
We have enough quality to blow Accies away, on last night's showing, but we've seen that movie many times.
 

[jed5697]

The team have an opportunity to turn this around now and I am sure we all hope they take it. Because let’s face it the tie was almost already gone; who amongst us wasn’t watching that and  at some point thinking it was done. Anyway it is not done and it most certainly is game on. I would agree with starting lawal and pepple as regardless of anything else they will unsettle the Hamilton back line; who coped fairly easily with the starting line up last night. They also want to be testing the Hamilton goalkeeper whom wasn’t really tested. Ridgers was caught out unfortunately but I am sure he knows it himself; he is still an excellent goalkeeper and will be keen to show it again. Fortune favours the brave and so we would do well to be brave in team selection and with application on the pitch. There is now an opportunity to for everyone to redeem this tie and to produce a winning formula. Seize the opportunity and squeeze the Hamilton team until they they accept their renewed membership of league 1 ‍

[Douglas Mackenzie]

The day after and reflecting, I thought we relied too much on Billy and Alex Samuel this season,both workhorses who give everything, but the end result is not there. I have no idea why Lawal was not on from the start, unless Dunc was keeping some players back for Saturday, thinking we would have walked it last night. Longstaff and Gilmour didn't have a good game, nor did Anderson.On Saturday there is no room for passengers and I would go 3-5-2, start with Kepple,Lawal,Roddy and drop Billy to the bench to come on in last 1/4 if need be.

We have no choice but to be hopeful and positive and in my humble opinion we have to go all out and attack and not relyon defending the whole game and trying to sneak a goal. We need as many goals as we can get to be sure,which means high tempo,swift passing and accuracy.

[buckett]

Having also reflected I'm now a little less pessimistic than I was when Hamilton scored their second goal.

I agree with those who would have Pepple and Lawal on from the start. Pepple always looks dangerous on the attack - dunno why he's only ever a last 15 minutes sub.

[old caley girl]

5 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

Good point. I would always played Roddy when McAllister wasn't available. I would however play him as a number 10 but where would that leave McKay I would also go for the set up prescribed by Chris. I think that we will turn it around as Hamilton looked whacked at the end. Not getting the equaliser sets the dilemma and I unfortunately suspect that Dunc will go on the defensive to start for fear of conceding. It is a HUGE game but being adventurous now has it's dangers and should have been the plot weeks ago - as should the recent chopping and changing. We could have five different starters at the weekend!!!

I hope you are right IHE 

[Huisdean]

Make no mistake,  Hamilton are there for the taking but only if Ferguson picks the correct team. As people have already said, People and Lawal have to start and Longstaff needs to be dropped as he is offering nothing.  Not convinced that Macgregor is the saviour some posters think (they're going on past reputation imo) but if things not going to plan,  he needs to ge brought on earlier than he has been. 

If Austin Samuel's is fit, I would be tempted to throw him on later in the game as he has real pace which we lack. We also need to go at Hamilton from the off and put them under pressure as I think they will struggle.  Their pitch certainly helped them last night as it was awful.

[+snorbens_caleyman]

2 hours ago, Huisdean said:

We also need to go at Hamilton from the off

I think that this is the key.  We need to take control from the start, grab it by the scruff, and take charge.

That's what we need to do.

But from what I have seen, I have grave doubts about our ability to do so.

[LisleRightPeg]

I’ve had to create a new account due to forgetting my password. Formerly BobbyDazzler. Going by what I seen on Wednesday we have nothing to fear. I think it was a case of we were extremely bad in the first rather than Hamilton being good. The second half proves what we are capable of with the right players on the pitch with a positive approach and playing on the front foot. 

[bishbashbosh]

On the plane home from hols on Monday thought “I will head to Hamilton on Wednesday”. Got a text when home from my daughter saying she had booked myself and the grandsons on the supporters bus and got the match tickets for……………….SJ v County. 
SJ were hardly a threat to county all evening. With 10 mins remaining county started running down the clock. Cowie had taken Dhanda and Simon Murray off. They got corners where all the big guys stayed back, they only had 1 man in the box and took the corners short to shield the ball looking for another corner. On 90 min county were safe for another year. Then SJ got a throw in level with county box. Ball to player, back to thrower, huge hoof into box and score 1-1.
County now have to beat a resurgent, free scoring Aberdeen on Sunday or hope SJ don’t get anything better than a draw against motherwell.

Moral of the story is we need to come out flying  on Saturday. If we get 1st goal we need to keep pushing for the second, then the 3rd etc. come off the pitch after giving it everything.

county were seconds from safety. Then bang. Would hate to see that happen to us.

As someone once said “ footballs a funny old game, Saint”

[old caley girl]

18 hours ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

I think that this is the key.  We need to take control from the start, grab it by the scruff, and take charge.

That's what we need to do.

But from what I have seen, I have grave doubts about our ability to do so.

Agree

[kenneth thomson]

16 minutes ago, old caley girl said:

Agree

There was no real desire from the team in first half ,it looked as though they couldn’t care less if we lost or won Hamilton on the other hand were going hell for leather to try and grab the game by the scruff of the neck and succeed in doing so we only started to threaten Hamilton when the subs were brought on if the same attitude exsisting Saturday we will definitely be relegated and how Ferguson thinks one goal will suffice is beyond me