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HUGH macDONALD chief SPORTSwriter at NEW DOUGLAS PARK hugh.macdonald@heraldandtimes.co.uk
Nikica Jelavic’s first-half strike was enough to separate the sides. The striker’s 13th goal of the season was ultimately to prove unlucky for a tirelessly energetic Accies. However, the difference between the teams at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League and the bottom is the ability to seize the day, even if that only includes one opening.
Rangers took their chance, Hamilton did not take their gilt-edged offering. There was an inevitability to the miss by Dougie Imrie from the penalty spot after 16 minutes. The roar from Hamilton fans when Steven Davis barged down Imrie was accented with joy when Alan Muir pointed to the spot.
Their anxiety was almost palpable as Imrie had to re-spot the ball. They wearily accepted Allan McGregor’s routine save as yet another disappointment in a long, hard season.
Hamilton, determined to play football with intricate passing triangles and the odd, dangerous diagonal ball, are now 12 points adrift at the bottom of the table. Rangers, who endured one of their most sterile days, are within two points of Celtic at the top.
As Rangers now prepare for a frantic league finish, there is a suspicion that Hamilton are preparing for life in another division. This was given some substance by the pre-match news that Damian Casalinuovo is heading to Duisberg on trial and Marco Paixao, continuing his rehabilitation from injury in Portugal, will not have his contract renewed.
The reason, though, for Hamilton’s lowly presence was not hard to discern throughout the match, though the score perhaps explains it best in its stark reality. Hamilton, playing a 5-4-1 with Alex Neil heavily influential as a sweeper moving into midfield, slowly imposed themselves on the game in the first half but never fully convinced the neutral observer that they would take anything from the match.
However, with Imrie, Gary McDonald and Ali Crawford gaining confidence as Rangers struggled to find any rhythm, Hamilton fashioned a series of chances.
The best , of course, was the penalty. Imrie drove into the area but was barged by Davis. A moment’s delay when the ball was repositioned on the spot may have done little to settle the Hamilton player’s nerves, and he drove his penalty too near McGregor.
There were, though, other opportunities. The diagonal ball out left gave the home side two excellent chances in the first half. The first came when Crawford cleverly released Imrie but his cutback was sclaffed by McDonald. The second followed Crawford’s venture down the left flank and a driven cross that both David Buchanan and McDonald could not control was gathered by McGregor.
Rangers did not lack effort but seemed unable to produce a genuine chance until the goal. Steven Naismith and Neil were booked for a disagreement and Maurice Edu’s yellow card soon followed for a foul on Imrie.
This was born of frustration as the visitors collectively could not force a breakthrough. Then, suddenly, Rangers were ahead. Tomas Cerny saved spectacularly from Edu then made an excellent block of a Jelavic volley.
He was forced to dive forlornly, however, when Jelavic chipped a free-kick over the wall and into the net. It was a desperate moment for Hamilton. The free-kick was conceded easily with Neil fouling Jelavic after Simon Mensing had failed to clear a long ball. The finish was excellent. It was the sort of foul teams in relegation trouble give away. It was the sort of goal £4m strikers score.
This, in two linked incidents, was the difference between the sides. It provided the gap that shaped the play of the second half. Jamie Ness came on for Gregg Wylde as Rangers sought to stifle any attempts by Hamilton to come back into the match. The 20-year-old midfielder freed Jelavic but the striker was too sluggish to profit.
The best chance for Hamilton was a drive from Jim McAllister that McGregor saved well. With James Chambers firing two excellent passes to his fellow substitute in McAllister, there was the slightest hint that Hamilton were finding room on the right flank but they could not hurt Rangers.
Rangers, who brought on both John Fleck and El-Hadji Diouf, had to be careful rather than resilient. McDonald, played in by Imrie, could have provided a late equaliser, but could not force a save from McGregor. Diouf then escaped from Neil to set up a chance that Fleck fluffed.
The two Rangers substitutes looked at each other in frustration. It had been that kind of afternoon but their mates had earlier produced one moment, one goal and three points.
