Source: Team_Talk
Accies blitz Killie to reach safety
A 15-minute second-half blitz saw Hamilton sweep aside Kilmarnock 3-0 and secure their SPL status for a third successive season.[LNB] A goalless draw looked on the cards until Dougie Imrie bundled home 18 minutes from time, before Flavio Paixao added a stunning second and Joel Thomas wrapped up a thumping win with his third goal in two games.[LNB]Killie never seriously threatened Tomas Cerny's goal in what was both sides' first post-split fixture and the defeat left them in the thick of the relegation battle.[LNB]In-form Hamilton kept faith with the starting XI that thrashed Hibernian 4-1 last weekend as they eyed the win that would guarantee a third successive season of SPL football.[LNB]Struggling Killie made four changes, recalling fit-again captain Craig Bryson, Mark Burchill, Jamie Hamill and Liam Kelly.[LNB]Accies had hauled themselves clear of danger thanks to a run of one defeat in eight games, including a 2-1 victory at Rugby Park last month.[LNB]In stark contrast, their opponents boasted just one win and seven defeats in all competitions.[LNB]They also had the worst away goal haul in British league football, having scored just four times on their travels this season.[LNB]Accies were having no problem finding the net and Cameron Bell did brilliantly to claw Grant Evans' header behind from Imrie's cross inside five minutes.[LNB]Kelly picked up a ninth-minute booking after chopping down the latter, while neat interpassing just after the quarter-hour ended with James McArthur firing left-footed straight at the goalkeeper from 20 yards.[LNB]Mickael Antoine-Curier was then involved at either end midway through the half, blocking the ball on his own line after Hamilton failed to deal with a corner before being gifted possession by Manuel Pascali, bearing down on goal and shooting too close to Bell.[LNB]Killie enjoyed a brief spell on top but they were living up to their reputation of being shot-shy on their travels.[LNB]Accies regained control but, in fairness, were also unable to test the goalkeeper.[LNB]Hamill picked up the visitors' second booking five minutes before the break for a lunging tackle on Flavio Paixao.[LNB]The resulting free-kick and two corners all went begging as the first half ended goalless.[LNB]Accies withdrew Evans for Marco Paixao during the interval.[LNB]Less than four minutes after the restart, Antoine-Curier and Mark McLaughlin were both appealing for what they appeared to think was handball on the line from Garry Hay after a Flavio Paixao corner.[LNB]Both sides had cranked up the aggression but although tackles were beginning to fly in, referee Dougie McDonald was unmoved.[LNB]He had a big call to make just past the hour mark when Antoine-Curier got the wrong side of Tim Clancy and went down under pressure from the defender.[LNB]It looked a decent penalty shout but McDonald decided to book the striker for diving instead.[LNB]Hostilities briefly ceased when Cerny required treatment just outside his own penalty area before Antoine-Curier had a golden chance to put Hamilton ahead in the 68th minute.[LNB]Hamill's clearance careered off Marco Paixao straight to the striker, whose shot was turned behind superbly by Bell.[LNB]Killie responded by replacing strike force Allan Russell and Burchill with Chris Maguire and Danny Invincibile.[LNB]But they fell behind almost immediately, Bell failing to claim a Marco Paixao corner and Imrie sweeping home from point-blank range.[LNB]Hamilton then brought on Thomas for Antoine-Curier before McArthur was booked for a foul on Garry Hay.[LNB]The some side soon had a second goal and it was as spectacular as their opener was scrappy.[LNB]Imrie's 77th-minute cross was headed clear by Pascali but the ball was met full on the volley by Flavio Paixao and rocketed into the bottom corner.[LNB]Killie looked beaten, while their opponent were now full of confidence, though they had to replace Cerny with Sean Murdoch soon after.[LNB]Their afternoon was capped three minutes from time when Thomas made it 3-0, outmuscling Simon Ford before rifling a left-foot finish into the bottom corner.[LNB]Killie's misery was complete when Clancy was booked in stoppage-time for clattering into Flavio Paixao.
