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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Andy McGilvray

Hamilton 5, Stranraer 2: Accies run riot in Premier Sports Cup rout

Rampant Hamilton Accies ran riot against Stranraer in their Premier Sports Cup tie at New Douglas Park this evening.

Goals from Andy Winter, Andy Ryan and a Matty Shiels double inside a six-minute second-half spell had the home side cruising, before Paul Woods pulled a goal back from the spot.

Lewis Smith put the finishing touches on a superb evening for Accies as he added a late fifth, with Woods adding a second from Stranraer, again from a penalty.

That came after a stuffy first half in which League Two Stranraer started the better side.

Though Hamilton came into the game more, neither side were able to take their chances.

But the Lanarkshire side let rip with a four-goal salvo to get their fans off their seats for the first time in the competition.

Captain Andy Ryan endured a frustrating first half for Accies (SNS Group)

Hamilton head coach John Rankin made four changes from the defeat at Dundee on Saturday, with Fergus Owens, Reegan Mimnaugh, Ngandu and Lewis Smith in for Shaun Want, Scott Martin, Lewis Spence and suspended Brian Easton.

Stranraer boss Jamie Hamill switched Luke Watt for Dean Hawkshaw as his only change from their 5-2 defeat at home to Queen's Park.

Stranraer threatened first in two minutes when Scott McLean tried to catch Ryan Fulton out with a clever free kick just outside the right corner of the box, but there wasn't enough in it and the keeper gathered.

McLean then tried to set up Paul Woods in five minutes, who would have had a clear sight of goal but for a timely blocking tackle.

It was one-way traffic by that point and James Hilton sent a shot whistling past the left post in seven minutes, with Fulton at full stretch.

Woods then pounced on an error to set up Grant Gallagher on the right, but he sent his shot high and wide of the near post.

Accies got forward for the first time nine minutes in when Winter sent Shiels down the left, but his cross was taken by Luke Scullion.

A decent Hamilton move moments after that, though, ended with Winter sending Ryan through, only for a well-timed tackle to halt him.

Gallagher had a go again in 14 minutes when he checked in from the left flank and let fly with a shot that flew across goal and past the far post.

Jonny Ngandu made his first home start since joining last week (SNS Group)

Hamilton should have taken the lead in 17 minutes when Ryan knocked a Shiels ball on to Smith on an angle from the right, but his low shot was well blocked by Scullion's feet.

Stranraer could have taken the lead in 20 minutes when Ngandu pulled down Anton Brady just outside the box, but Woods blasted his free kick well over.

Accies then passed up a great chance of their own in 22 minutes when a superb angled pass from Winter sent Ryan through on the left, but he pulled his shot wide of the right post.

Steve Lawson was next to fire wide after good set-up play a minute later.

A superb Accies move sent Ngandu through in 33 minutes, but his attempted lob landed on the roof of the net.

Lewis Smith also went close for Accies during the first half (SNS Group)

Winter thought he had put Hamilton ahead in 37 minutes but his shot took a deflection off a defender that took the sting out of it.

Smith had a go just before the interval, but his low shot was well saved at the right post corner.

Stranraer had been quiet for a while, but Gallagher sent a drive wide of the left post just before half-time.

Hamilton took the lead in 49 minutes when Reegan Mimnaugh found space to send Winter through on goal on the left and he blasted the ball into the far post corner.

Matty Shiels helped himself to a quick-fire double in the second half (SNS Group)

Accies doubled their lead two minutes later when Winter was sent through on goal on the right and his shot was well blocked by Scullion, but into the path of Ryan, who blasted into the net.

That opened the floodgates and Smith sent Shiels through on goal in 53 minutes to blast a low shot past Scullion.

Two minutes later Winter cut between two defenders and the ball made its way to Shiels, who smacked it into the net for a fourth.

Stranraer pulled a goal back in 68 minutes when Woods was tripped inside the box and dusted himself down to blast the penalty high into the net.

Woods would have added a second in 71 minutes, but for a superb flying save from Fulton to deny his rising shot.

But Accies added a fifth in 78 minutes when sub Ryan One and Steve Lawson linked to set up Smith, who buried a shot into the bottom right corner.

Winter nearly grabbed his second and Accies' sixth in 82 minutes when he was sent through, but Scullion blocked well with his feet.

Another trip led to a second penalty for Stranraer, with Woods again netting, in 87 minutes.

HAMILTON: Fulton, Doyle, Owens (Newberry, 86), O'Reilly, Lawson, L. Smith (Brown, 79), Mimnaugh, Shiels (McGinn, 86), Ngandu, Winter, Ryan (One, 66).

Subs (not used): J. Smith (GK), Spence.

STRANRAER: Scullion, Woods, Girvan, Dunn (Forrest, 54), Ellis, Watt, Gallagher, Brady (Walker, 64), McLean, Robertson, Hilton.

Subs (not used): O'Connor (GK), Hawkshaw, Duffy.

Booked: McLean (47)

Referee: Graham Grainger.

Attendance: 447.

Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on Twitter via @LanLiveSport, like us on Facebook or find us on Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video.

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