St. Johnstone vs Hamilton Academical. Scottish Premiership.
McDiarmid Park.
Report as Saints dominated possession and chances but, with Stevie May and Chris Kane passing up opportunities in either half, were frustrated throughout by a resolute Accies defensive display.
Wednesday 30 December 2020 18:12, UK
Hamilton held on for a hard-earned point as St Johnstone's winless run stretched to eight games in this 0-0 draw.
Hamilton could - and probably should - have been ahead after just a minute.
Brian Easton's long ball from defence was won in the air by David Moyo and Nathan Thomas was quickest to react.
He made a bee-line for the box, skipping past a couple of home defenders to earn himself a clear sight at goal. However, Zander Clark denied the striker brilliantly with an outstretched foot.
It was a bright opening from Accies and Moyo headed a Thomas cross wide in the 12th minute.
But thereafter St Johnstone took control.
Hamilton defenders took the sting out of Shaun Rooney and Callum Booth shots before Ali McCann had a penalty claim waved aside in a foray forward that climaxed with Booth curling an effort just too high.
Saints then carved out their best chance in the 29th minute. David Wotherspoon's in-swinging cross picked out May in the clear but he failed to get enough on his header from six yards and the ball slipped past the far post.
Hamilton briefly relieved the pressure with efforts from Andrew Winter and Thomas but the first-half finished with the home side again on the attack.
Chris Kane outfoxed his marker with a deft turn on the edge of the box but his subsequent drive was too straight to seriously trouble Accies keeper Kyle Gourlay.
The second period continued in much the same vein as the first, with St Johnstone pushing hard for the breakthrough and Hamilton defended stoutly.
Booth twice threatened, but the Saints wing-back drilled his shot just wide in the 50th minute and then saw another effort deflected onto the roof of the net seven minutes later.
Hamilton enjoyed some brief respite on the hour mark when Thomas ran from well inside his own half, using his pace to scamper clear of the home defence, but he screwed his eventual shot high and wide.
McCann and May both shot wide before Saints created a gilt-edged opportunity to clinch all three points with just six minutes left.
Danny McNamara's cross was perfect for the unmarked Kane but he glanced his header off target from just six yards out.
In an increasingly desperate finish from the Perth side, Wotherspoon then headed wide before substitute Michael O'Halloran sliced his shot into the side netting after Craig Conway stabbed a pass into his path on the corner of the six-yard box.
St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson said: "After Hamilton's early chance in the first couple of minutes, we dominated the game and the attitude of the players was terrific.
"I thought we created enough chances to win two or three games but we didn't take them and, ultimately, we've come away with a draw.
"In the first half, I was critical that we didn't get our shots off early enough; we were trying to walk it into the net, I think.
"But in the second half they did what I asked and on another day we would have won the game comfortably.
"All credit to Hamilton, they came and defended for their lives. They chucked themselves at things and they ensured they made it as difficult as they could.
"After the run we've been on, sometimes you go and shut up shop and try to take a point to get back on track.
"But I thought the players tried to win the game, and I'll take that all day. But it is two points dropped after the way we've played."
Hamilton manager Brian Rice said: "It's a good point for us. To come here and get a clean sheet, I'm delighted with the point.
"We defended well as a team and I think we had the best chance of the match in the first minute.
"It was a hard-working, gritty, honest performance and we deserved the point.
"St Johnstone had a couple of good chances but my goalkeeper has only had to make one save.
"I just asked them to go out and make sure they were hard-working and hard to beat, and the chances would come, and I think they responded fantastically."
