Dundee United 1 Hamilton Academical 3
Mixu Paatelainen offered a scathing assessment of Dundee United’s top flight credentials after their capitulation on home turf to a much more urgent looking Hamilton left them one defeat away from relegation.
With their ‘Dee Day’ at Dens Park now looming he was clearly disgusted by their failure to capitalise on second bottom Kilmarnock’s defeat at Inverness that had offered the prospect of renewed hope.
With fans gathered outside the ground chanting their frustration at, in particular, Stephen Thompson, the chairman but also Paatelainen, the manager accepted his share of the responsibility but aimed most of his criticism at the players.
“We realised early doors that the majority of the playing squad are possibly not yet ready for the Premier League,” he said.
“It’s a fact. Maybe they’re too soft, maybe they’re simply tactics they don’t realise about this league. Defensively and offensively we haven’t been sharp enough at all and of course I don’t count myself out of that at all. I’ve been here a few months and made mistakes definitely so I’m in the same boat as the players.
“Our supporters are out there in numbers now protesting and they’re not happy with the situation and I totally understand that, totally agree with that, totally accept that.
“We deserve all that because we were so poor today. It has been a long-suffering season for the supporters and for the players as well. I cannot understand why so many simply don’t respond in the manner we need them to. First half I didn’t see any fight, didn’t see any real determination to make things happen, close the opponent get the upper hand, instead of chasing shadows.
“I thought we had a good opportunity today to put Kilmarnock under pressure but we didn’t do that.”
Pledging to stay on and build a tougher squad he all but accepted that there is no hope left of avoiding relegation which could happen as early as next Monday when they make the shortest trip in the game to visit Dundee.
“It is very, very close to it now. Of course mathematically it is still possible but I’m not stupid,” said Paatelainen.
“Certain individuals will find it difficult to lift themselves so from that respect it would be good if the end of the season came quicker, but on the other hand we’ve already started building towards next season.”
Hamilton had enjoyed very much the better of the match even before their 12th minute opening goal which was, for its rarity value as well as its quality, a remarkable strike as Grant Gillespie's sumptuously timed left-footed shot from 25 yards out streaked past Eiji Kawashima then ricocheted off the goal-keeper’s left post on its way in.
It was the 24-year-old’s first Premiership goal and only his third in all in the seven years since he made his Accies debut.
The response from United was negligible and Hamilton had a decent shout for a penalty turned down when Carlton Morris felt he had been impeded by Guy Demel before, just ahead of the interval, Kawashima made an excellent save diving low to his right after a long range Ali Crawford free kick had been met well by the head of Lucas Tagliapietra 14 yards out.
While it was for an unnecessary foul on Greg Docherty, a yellow card for Mark Durnan almost immediately after the break suggested renewed sense of urgency within home ranks and twice they almost got on terms with Michael McGovern making a fine save from Billy McKay from close range after the striker’s initial headed attempt had rebounded off a post, before the European Championships bound Northern Ireland goal-keeper then pulled of fine reaction stop which hit both his hand and head, as well as the cross-bar, after half-time substitute Edward Ofere clipped a volley goalwards from a corner on the right.
That was their last hurrah as Hamilton doubled their advantaged in the 52nd minute, Greg Docherty heading Dougie Imrie’s delightfully weighted cross over Kawshima onto the bar and the ball rebounding to Morris who, eight yards out with the ‘keeper beaten, had only to hold his nerve and did so, heading into the unprotected goal.
Morris showed similar composure to register the clincher in 73 minutes when, after he initially out-muscled Guy Demel to break clear on the left to slide the ball cross-field to Crawford, following up to pick up the scraps as Kawashima slapped the midfielder’s shot into his path and volley it home left-footed.
United finally got the sort of break teams in their predicament require when a mishit Simon Murray effort lobbed over the helpless McGovern to get them on the scoresheet but in every sense the substitute’s goal was the definition of too little too late, the sense of foreboding at Tannadice amplified as senior players John Rankin, club captain Sean Dillon and on-field captain Paul Paton were last to leave the field before the latter handed his shirt into the crowd.
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