Hamilton Academicals 1 Dunfermline Athletic 0
PARS boss James McPake was left “frustrated” after his side left it too late to pull back from defeat at the hands of Hamilton.
Dunfermline piled on the pressure in the second half in their quest to find an equaliser – and their first points of the season – after a poor first half which saw them lose a goal through an Accies set piece.
McPake admits his players - and he and assistant Dave McKay - had angry words at half time and felt the second half was much improved.
“It’s really frustrating,” he said. “First-half, we know - and the players know as well.
"That is probably as annoyed as I’ve seen, the players at half time which kind of allowed us to stand back a wee bit and then obviously you have your say as well.
“In dressing rooms that I can remember, players go in and kind of sort it out themselves and get a reaction. That’s the first time I’ve seen that.
"Some senior players in there, but some younger ones as well, having a say and having a go, and demanding standards that weren’t there in the first-half.
“Every supporter of both teams that watched that could see we were passive and we weren’t getting close enough to Hamilton.
“The reaction did come, but it shouldn’t take half-time and them having a go at themselves. It shouldn’t take me then having a go and Dave [Mackay] then having a go.
“We lose a really poor goal, which we’ll look at - it’s another set-play.”
The second half, said McPake, provided more optimism for the Pars.
“We do come back into the game. At that point, sometimes you say it’s too little, too late but we created probably more chances in that second-half than we have over the course of the season which gives you a positive, I suppose.”
The second half saw the introduction of 18-year-old Sam Young to make his debut and this week’s signing Josh Cooper, who both produced promising performances.
McPake continued: “I think the changes helped. Josh Cooper in particular was a real goal threat.
“He had three chances and he’s in there devastated he’s not managed to score. But I’ve seen that from the start and that’s why I was so desperate to get him in. He’ll help.
“With Sam Young again, it’s not easy for a young kid going on as a centre back. But with Sam Fisher being booked, and the nature of the performance in the first-half, it was an easy call and Sam was excellent.
“We’re sitting here frustrated and gutted that we never managed to get anything out of that game with the chances we did create in the second-half.”
The first half started brightly for the Pars and they looked the stronger team.
However, as the home side settled, they began to test Dunfermline and Deniz Mehmet had to pull off a cracking save just before the 20 minute mark.
Stephen Hendrie fired the ball into the box and Kevin O’Hara looked like he had broken the deadlock but the Athletic stopper palmed the ball onto the bar before the visitors were able to clear.
Just seven minutes later the Pars were behind. A corner was floated into the box and Reghan Tumilty rose unchallenged to head the ball into the net.
Dunfermline struggled to react however provided bursts of pressure. Shortly before half time, Chris Kane laid the ball off for Kane Ritchie-Hosler on the edge of the box but his effort went over.
Minutes later, Accies had a similar opportunity when the ball came to Scott Martin but his shot was also too high.
Dunfermline came out looking more determined in the second half and gave some hope for the travelling Pars fans.
New signing Cooper came on in the second half and caused problems.
He hit the side netting in the 66th minute after firing in a strike and minutes later let fly with another effort which went wide.
Lewis McCann fired in a cross-shot with 15 minutes to go which saw the ball skim past the crossbar.
On 82 minutes, there was another chance for Dunfermline after an exchange between Cooper and Craig Wighton ended with the ball coming to Ewan Otoo, but he couldn't hit the target.
Athletic piled on the pressure in the closing minutes however were unable to find an equaliser and remain pointless at the bottom of the table.
Hamilton Accies
Albinson, McGinty, Martin (Henderson 72), O’Hara, Barjonas (Murray 93), Maguire, Macdonald, Shaw (Todorov 83), Williamson, Tumilty, Hendrie.
Subs: Lyness, Lane, Longridge, Kilday, Newbury, Morgan.
Goals: Tumilty (25)
Booked: O’Hara, Martin
Dunfermline Athletic
Mehmet, Comrie, Ngwenya (Cooper 60), Benedictus, (Chalmers 62) Hamilton, Otoo, Ritchie-Hosler (Sutherland 70), McCann, Fisher (Young 25), Wotherspoon, Kane (Wighton 70).
Subs: Oluwayemi, Breen, O’Halloran, Tod.
Referee: Calum Scott
Booked: Fisher, Ritchie-Hosler
Attendance 1,422
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