Dundee 2 Hamilton Accies 2: Dark Blues find it hard to argue with result
Steven Milne admits it was frustrating to blow a golden opportunity to claw back some ground on Division One leaders Ross County — but admitted a draw was a fair result against Hamilton on Saturday.
Steven Milne insists he was fouled in the build-up to Accies' late equaliser.
- Published in the Courier : 13.02.12
- Published online : 13.02.12 @ 12.18pm
Milne appeared to have put Dundee on their way to winning the match — and picking up a precious three points as County were drawing with Raith Rovers — when he scored a penalty kick with 11 minutes remaining, only for Accies' Andrew Ryan to equalise soon after coming off the bench.
Jon McShane had given Hamilton the lead after 12 minutes but Dundee got back into the game through Ryan Conroy before Milne's penalty put them in the driving seat.
Unfortunately for Barry Smith's men they could not hold on to it, although they felt hard done by as Milne appeared to be fouled by Routledge in the build-up to Ryan's 85th-minute equaliser.
Despite that, Milne admits that a share of the spoils was the correct outcome.
''In the first half we were poor,'' he said. ''We were disappointed in the first half but got ourselves in a winning position in the second and lost the lead again.
''I was fouled on the halfway line. I had secure possession of the ball and there was no way he could get it off me.
''But the referee said at the time it wasn't a foul, then changed his mind after the game to say he didn't see it. He's basically covering his own back.
''A few people were really surprised because it was such an obvious foul. But we cant just focus on that. They had a few chances to win the game and didn't take them so a draw was a fair result.''
Smith also believes getting a point was the right outcome, saying: ''After the way we played in the first half we have to be happy with a point. We showed good spirit to get back into it from a goal down.''
Substitute Ryan was the hero for Accies but he was almost denied his moment of glory when the Dens announcer called his goal for Routledge.
The youngster scored his first senior goal and had family in the stand but only found out later that he'd not received the credit. But nobody at Accies is in any doubt about who rescued the point for them.
Ryan said: ''When the gaffer threw me on he told me to go on and make a nuisance of myself and try to get a goal. To do that with one of my first touches of the game was amazing. That's my eighth appearance for the first team and my first-ever goal.
''I will never forget my goal — you always remember your first.
''I didn't even know that the announcer had given it to the wrong player. I was so caught up in the moment that I didn't hear him. It was only after the game that our secretary Scott Struthers told me that they'd got it wrong.
''Scott went straight on the phone and on to Twitter to try and make sure everyone knew that it was me who scored.
''I'd be gutted if I didn't get the credit and no one ever knew about it. My mum, dad and grandad were up in the stand and I'm sure they will be delighted and very proud of me.
''The gaffer had us ready for this game. He told us to go out there and show a bit of fighting spirit and prove that that wasn't a 6-1 game, that it was a freak result.''
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