It was heartbreak for Raith Rovers when Hamilton grabbed a dramatic winner three minutes into stoppage time as Jason Scotland came off the bench to fire home from 18 yards and keep Accies within one point of Championship leaders Dundee.
Rovers boss Grant Murray, whose side are just four points ahead of second-bottom Cowdenbeath in the race to avoid the play-offs, said: “The players are disappointed but we are not worried about the teams below us, we have plenty of matches left to take care of ourselves.
“We gave everything and I thought at one point we had the three points, but it wasn’t to be.”
Unbeaten against the Kirkcaldy side in their three meetings this season, Accies were rightly brimming with confidence, beginning the evening defending a six-game unbeaten run, which began with a 4-2 victory over Raith Rovers at Stark’s Park, the last time the two clubs locked horns.
But it was Rovers who threatened first with a flashing 20-yard dipping volley after 17 minutes by Grant Anderson just going over the bar.
Accies finally sprung to life in 25 minutes when Ali Crawford sent Louis Longridge away on the right.
His first-time low cross flew across the face of the Rovers’ goal, but Antoine-Curier somehow failed to finish as he slid in.
Antoine-Curier passed up another glorious chance in 32 minutes when Crawford sent him clear, but the striker’s shot was blocked by the legs of goalkeeper Lee Robinson.
Accies carved out another opening four minutes later when Darian Mackinnon drifted past midfielder Fraser Mullen to set up Frenchman Tony Andreu, but he clipped the ball wide from eight yards.
Three minutes from the break Devlin must have thought he had gifted Raith the lead when he slipped at the vital moment to let John Baird race through, but he shot wide with the goal gaping.
Right on the break Baird atoned when he ran on to a terrific ball from Callum Elliott to drill the ball low past Kevin Cuthbert to give the Fifers the lead.
But the Lanarkshire side scored twice in three minutes to go in front. Accies drew level in 65 minutes when Antoine-Curier linked with Andreu, whose 18-yard shot took a wicked deflection off of Jason Thomson and flew past Robinson.
Three minutes later Longridge’s cross from the right was headed home at the back post by James Keatings. Rovers raced to the other end and were level within a minute when Baird got his second of the night from an acute angle.
Accies boss Alex Neil said: “We fought really hard. We had that bit of quality. I’m delighted for the players, delighted for the club and now we move on to Saturday.”