Hamilton Academical 1-2 East Fife – Match Report by Oli Anderson
🏆William Hill League 1
📍Broadwood Stadium
🗓️Saturday 16th August | Kick-off: 3:00pm
East Fife grabbed their first points of the league season, after overcoming Hamilton Academical 2-1 at Broadwood on Saturday afternoon. East Fife were able to build on Tuesday night’s win in the KDM Evolution Trophy and make it two results on the bounce for the Methil Milan.
East Fife had chances from the off, when Michael McKenna and Alan Trouten both tested the Accies goalkeeper, though Jamie Smith was up to the task.
East Fife debutant Ruairidh Adams was also tested in between the sticks early doors, but he was able to make the required stops in the opening exchanges. Unfortunately, Hamilton did find a way through on the fifteen-minute mark, when Robinson converted from close range.
Hamilton let chances pass them by at various points in the first half, and East Fife came close, when Munro’s header was cleared off the goal line, but really, Hamilton probably deserved their first half lead if truth be told.
It can only be imagined what was said at the half time interval, but two attacking changes, Bah and Latona being replaced by Millar and Rob Jones, saw the Fifers come out in the second half ready for war.
Almost as soon as we were underway, East Fife were awarded a penalty, although surprisingly, Smith denied Trouten from the spot. There may have been a concern that East Fife’s best chance had just passed us by, when in actual fact, we were just getting started.
Two minutes later, McKenna slipped Nathan Austin down the right flank into space. Fash then cut the ball across for none other than the substitute Rob Jones, who grabbed his first competitive goal of the season.
We then had a whole two minutes to wait until the artist formerly known as Jobert Rones made it a brace. His goals were like London buses, although his second was a truly classy strike. Loanee Sam Culbert found himself in space in the middle of the park, before he threaded a pass through for Jones on the left-hand side of the penalty area. From there, Jonesy left his man for dead, before firing home for the Methil Milan in what was the start of a dominant second half showing.
East Fife primarily focused on keeping the back door closed after taking the lead and carried out the game plan to a ‘T’. The Accies were restricted to only shots from range as the second half progressed, and none of them were a cause for concern in the eyes of Adams.
East Fife almost had a third in the dying embers, as Jones had a crack at his hat-trick, before Trouten tried his luck against Smith. Unfortunately, the Hamilton ‘keeper was alert once more, and made sure that the game finished with just the one goal between the two sides.
The victory now sees East Fife up to seventh in the league table, and within touching distance of Hamilton, who still occupy top spot in the league despite defeat.
Reporter’s Man of the Match: Robert Jones
I am starting to feel like a broken record, but what a way to change a game! Two goals of paramount importance for the Fifers help us get our campaign up and running. However, it is not for that reason alone that Jones gets man of the match from yesterday’s game. He ran himself into the ground and used his body extremely well to cause all sorts of problems for the Hamilton back line following his inclusion into the game.
Hamilton Academical – J Smith, Kilday, Macdonald, Loughrey, Hendrie (Morgan 77’), C Smith, Bradley (McKinstry 84’), Robinson (Gallacher 75’), Trialist (Maguire 75’), O’Hara, Shaw. Subs not used: Stone, Eadie, Marks.
East Fife – Adams, McLeod, Newton (Norey 77’), Munro, Bah (Millar 45’), McManus, Latona (Jones 45’), McKenna, Austin (Peggie 68’), Trouten, Culbert (Slattery 88’). Subs not used: Nicol, Thomson, Goss.
Referee – Calum Scott
Attendance – 482
