It wasn’t quite the wonder strike this time but Lawrence Shankland’s early goal secured a 1-1 draw for Dundee United at Hamilton.
Shankland’s superb volley against St Mirren had lit up that game and his second in successive matches got the action going early against Accies.
There were just four minutes on the clock when he sidefooted home from close range after a lovely move and, although the hosts hit back on 75 minutes through Hakeem Odoffin’s header, this wasn’t a bad day’s work from Micky Mellon’s men.
The Tangerines, playing in purple, were unchanged from the team that beat the Buddies 2-1 at Tannadice.
There was, though, a notable returnee on the bench, with central defender Mark Connolly fit again following his ankle injury.
Accies made four changes, including the return of Lee Hodson after his period of coronavirus self-isolation.
United took hardly any time to get their noses in front.
It was a lovely move that saw Logan Chalmers show terrific pace up the right wing before picking out Adrian Sporle inside the box.
The Argentinian then did well to find space before he cut back to Shankland, who sidefooted home from close range for his second goal in successive weeks.
Chalmers came close to making it 2-0 on 16 minutes when he showed some great skill to take a pass at the edge of the box and beat his man but he scooped his strike over.
Tunde Owolabi had a golden chance to level for Hamilton on 22 minutes but he nodded down and wide from great position.
The game was quite open and the visitors’ Luke Bolton was next to threaten when his deflected shot spun just an inch or two by the far post.
David Templeton fired a freekick over for Hamilton just seconds before the break but United finished the first half looking pretty comfortable.
United were forced into a change on 54 minutes when Connolly replaced Sporle, who looked to be carrying knock. The Irishman joined Mark Reynolds and Ryan Edwards in a back three.
The second period had taken time to get going but, on 58 minutes, United midfielder Calum Butcher’s low ball across the face og goal deserved to be converted.
On the hour, the Tangerines came even closer when Nicky Clark found himself free in space inside the area after being played in by Shankland but his shot was saved at point-blank range by goalie Ryan Fulton.
United brought on Peter Pawlett for Chalmers on 66 minutes and they continued to look for a second goal.
Clark has a strike charged down before Dillon Powers replaced Butcher.
Accies were back in it when they equalised on 75 minutes.
Odoffin nodded home at the back post after being picked out by Templeton’s freekick from the left.
Both sides kept plugging away, looking for awinner, but the spoils were shared.
Hamilton Accies: Fulton, Odoffin, McMann, Martin, Templeton, Want, Mimnaugh (Callachan 46), Winter (Ogkmpoe 46), Munro (Collar 85), Hodson (Hamilton 62), Owolabi (Smith 82). Subs not used: Gourlay, Trafford, Moyo, Johnson.
Dundee United: Siegrist, Sporle (Connolly 54), Reynolds, Clark, Edwards, Chalmers (Pawlett 66), Robson, Butcher (Powers 74), Bolton, Harkes, Shankland. Subs not used: Deniz, Powers, McMullan, Pawlett, Cammy Smith, Mochrie, Appere, Neilson.
Referee: Alan Muir.
