Hamilton 1 Falkirk 2: Failure to deal with Blair switch project ensures cup wait goes on

Assistant Sports Editor

Sunday 3 March 2013

HAVING waited 78 years to reach a semi-final, you might think the Hamilton Academical supporters would be given to patience, but the abuse that rained down on Willie Collum and his officials at full-time suggested otherwise.

Blair Alston unleashes the strike that sunk Hamilton Photograph: SNS

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By Richard Winton

Perhaps it was frustration at a third Scottish Cup quarter-final exit in seven years, maybe anger at what they perceived to be the failure of the referee to award their side a couple of penalties. Either way, the home support left New Douglas Park irate last night.

Their fury would be informed, too, by the knowledge that their team had opportunities to take this tie to a replay only for a marginally more clinical Falkirk to earn the reward of a Hampden visit instead. Billy Reid's players might have considered smothering striker Lyle Taylor would blunt their visitors' advances, but the hosts failed to deal with the threat of Blair Alston.The willowy 20-year-old was an elusive presence bursting from midfield and exploited with relish the freedom allowed by the defenders' attention on his better known team-mate. Alston served notice of his threat by creating one opening for Thomas Grant and twice testing Kevin Cuthbert with shots from range. The goalkeeper was, however, unable to thwart Alston a couple of minutes before the break, Taylor and David Weatherston combining to release Grant, whose dangerous low cutback was prodded in to the net by the attacking midfielder.Falkirk should, in fact, have already been ahead by then, Weatherston only managing to jab a shot at Cuthbert just before the half hour and even the prolific Taylor culpable on the hour, rattling a drive off the underside of the crossbar. The frustration was forgotten, though, when Alston put the visitors 2-0 ahead and, ultimately, into the last four with a stunning strike. Hamilton, having cleared a corner, perhaps thought the danger had eased, but Alston watched the ball kick up in front of him 25 yards out and gracefully lashed an unerring rasp high beyond Cuthbert's grasp. "Blair has gone up to a different level over the past three months," said manager Steven Pressley. "I've asked him to add goals and that is some way to answer me."Hamilton were not without openings themselves. Assembled in one of Billy Reid's more innovative formations – eventually pinned down as a fluid 3-3-3-1 – they perhaps should have taken the lead themselves by converting one of two early chances. First, Gary Fisher's incisive pass played in Jon Routledge, only for the midfielder's scuffed shot to elude an upright, before Fisher himself could only shoot at Michael McGovern after latching on to Flynn's weak back header.Fisher continued to be Hamilton's most threatening player, the midfielder scudding over from the apex of the area then forcing McGovern to divert another effort over. He was eventually rewarded for his persistence with 16 minutes left, his fierce effort cannoning off McGovern's chest and in to the path of Andy Ryan, who forced it over the line.Having been introduced a couple of minutes earlier, Ryan should have earned his side a replay with nine minutes left. Stevie May split the defence with a rampage down the left and skidded a tempting delivery across the face, only for the sliding Ryan to divert over the unguarded goal from almost under the bar. It would be their last chance. "He's distraught and I'm distraught for him," said manager Reid, who had no complaints about the sending-off of Jonathan Page, who kicked out at Taylor as the striker ran down the clock. "The players are devastated."As the reaction at full-time demonstrated, they were not the only ones.

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Hamilton 1 Falkirk 2: Failure to deal with Blair switch project ensures cup wait goes on

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