Reid frustrated by penalty rejection

Published: 07 Feb 2010 - 12:16:39

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Mike Tumilty waved away appeals deep in injury-time when Stevie Hammell charged Flavio Paixao off balance as the Hamilton substitute tried to force Martin Canning's header home at the back post. Lukas Jutkiewicz had scrambled home the only goal in the 68th minute to keep Hamilton bottom of the SPL. Accies moved bottom following shock wins for Kilmarnock and Falkirk in midweek and Reid insists his men just need their luck to turn. "It was a strong penalty claim," Reid said. "I haven't seen it yet but the players certainly thought it was. But we didn't get it and there's no point moaning. "That's four games we've lost 1-0, I don't think anyone can deny we deserved a point. "Once again we've conceded a scrappy goal. There have been four or five incidents at the other end and for some reason the ball has not gone in for us, which is a concern. "I thought we battered them for the last 25 minutes and probably deserved to get something. It's been the same for quite a few weeks, balls crossing about the line and it's just not going in. "We just need a break, and we've not had one in recent weeks. The penalty could have been a break." Motherwell moved six points off fourth-placed Dundee United after their fifth consecutive clean sheet in the SPL and fourth win under Craig Brown, but the Fir Park manager was unimpressed after a Lanarkshire derby high on commitment but lacking in finesse. "It was a poor performance, hopefully we can play an awful lot better than that," Brown said. "Hamilton made it difficult for us, Billy Reid is one of the most astute tacticians in the game and he did well trying to frustrate us. "But we played the poorest we have since I came in. There was no sharpness about us, no threat in front of goal. "I genuinely believe a nothing-each draw was what the game deserved. It was competitive but it wasn't quality." The dreadful Fir Park pitch appeared totally unsuitable for quality football but Brown refused to use that as a factor. He said: "The players don't complain and I don't complain too much about the pitch. "Some of the pitches we have played on away from here have been similar. "I wouldn't like to use the pitch as an excuse, we're scraping the barrel if we're doing that."

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