Hamilton Academical 0 Dundee 0

Last updated : 31 December 2005 By Footymad Previewer
Hogmanay is traditionally a time of joy and laughter, but no one was smiling at New Douglas Park as Hamilton and Dundee played out one of the most tedious fixtures of the season.

Dundee were first out of the blocks and gave Accies defence a scare after only 10 minutes when a hopeful high ball was pumped into the area. Dundee defender Callum MacDonald was able to outjump Hamilton keeper David McEwan to the ball, but his header flashed across the face of the goal with no Dark Blue shirt on hand to capitalise.

The visitors looked the likeliest out of the two sides and should have opened the scoring after 37 minutes when Craig O'Reilly picked up a Bobby Mann pass before trying his luck from 16 yards. McEwan sprang like a gazelle to punch the shot away from goal just as it looked like the ball was about to settle in the bottom corner.

Dundee brought on the league's top scorer, Simon Lynch, at half-time in an effort to introduce some urgency up front while Hamilton tried to play their trump card by including Mark Gilhaney into the action, and both switches almost paid off in the second half.

Gilhaney picked up a Steven Thomson pass on the edge of the area before turning on a sixpence and curling his shot just wide of the upright after 69 minutes which, coincidentally, was Accies only real chance of the game.

Dundee thought they had won the match in the 76th minute when Simon Lynch met Bobby Mann's cross just six yards out. The former Preston striker tried to deftly flick the ball into the net, but just as it looked as if all three points would be going back to Tayside, McEwan's reflexes kicked in to produce a phenomenal point-blank save to ensure the home side kept a clean sheet and a share of the points.