Accies move four points clear
Hamilton continued their excellent early-season form with an emphatic 3-0 win over Aberdeen at New Douglas Park.
Tony Andreu struck early in both the first and second half and Mickael Antoine-Curier sealed the victory late on to move Alex Neil's side four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
The home side headed into the match full of confidence after defeating Celtic last time out, and they looked dangerous early on as their crisp, quick passing created problems for the Dons.
It was therefore little surprise when they moved ahead after 14 minutes.
A bouncing ball at the edge of the area was forced into the box by Accies winger Danny Redmond and the Aberdeen defence were suddenly in disarray. When Ash Taylor's attempted headed clearance only landed again at Redmond's feet, he got an effort on target that Jamie Langfield parried across goal for the waiting Andreu to gleefully tap home his fourth of the season.
Despite their early dominance, Hamilton nearly gifted the visitors an equaliser, with Andrew Considine almost claiming the most bizarre assist of the campaign.
Andreu latched onto the ball around 25 yards from the Aberdeen goal and hit a stinging shot that Considine did well to close down. The rebound shot off his shins and, incredibly, found a way straight through the Hamilton defence to allow Adam Rooney a clear run at goal, but the striker could only shoot tamely at Michael McGovern.
They created a rather more deliberate but just as clear-cut chance moments later, with Rooney's strike partner David Goodwillie latching onto an incisive Johnny Hayes pass to find himself clear, but McGovern stood tall to deny the visitors again with a fine save.
Aberdeen's forwards were linking well now, and a ball over the top from Hayes allowed Goodwillie to race down the right and find Rooney at the back post, but again he miscued his effort on goal and McGovern collected after a scramble.
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes altered his tactics at half-time, replacing Considine with Peter Pawlett and moving to a back three, but this left space on the flanks which Hamilton soon exploited to double their advantage on 53 minutes.
Redmond was played into a gaping hole on the Aberdeen right, and the winger cleverly cut the ball back towards the penalty spot where Andreu timed his arrival perfectly to steer a left-footed effort low beyond Langfield.
Aberdeen should have got a goal back when Willo Flood's deep cross was headed back across the goalmouth by Niall McGinn, but Rooney failed to connect with a despairing diving header.
McGinn then went close with two almost identically situated free-kicks from 25 yards, bending the first just past the post and the second just over the bar.
Goal-scoring hero Andreu was replaced late on to receive the adulation of the delighted home support, before Antoine-Curier had them in dreamland in the 90th minute.
Ali Crawford drove at the Aberdeen defence and picked out a fine cross for Antoine-Curier to side-foot under Langfield and put the seal on another fine triumph for Hamilton, who deservedly sat proudly at the league summit.
Source: PA
