The weather was nice, the telly was rubbish and the tickets were free, so off I wandered to a new venue for myself, New Douglas Park, for a mid-table clash which saw two re-built sides meet each other.
Accies are trying to build on last seasons very late and lucky promotion after Morton collapsed after their Christmas dinner last year in allegedly mysterious circumstances whereas Saints have cut costs after ridding themselves of a managerial midden in Billy Stark.
Both sides started brightly, David Hamilton making the by-line only to see Mark Corcoran blaze over after 2 minutes.
Saints looked as if they were here to make a fight of it though and Paul Sheerin showed nice skill before putting in a pretty harmless volley only a minute later, but they went much closer on 11 minutes when McConalogue found McCann who hit the crossbar before Accies scrambled clear.
Then it was up the other end as Brian McPhee, who recently 'saw' his eyeball pop out in a freak accident, took his turn to hit the bar.
All the early promise then fizzled out as despite much pressure from the home side, the remainder of the first half saw only a couple of noteworthy incidents, two dreadful attempts by Saints on-loan Ger Allan McGregor at coming for cross balls which he flapped at and was lucky to see his defenders clear, then a rash challenge by Derek Ferguson on half time which should have earned him a yellow card.
Ricky Waddell replaced Scott Tunbridge at the interval for Hamilton and the switch instantly paid dividends for the home side as Waddell started the move which led to the opening goal.
He played a neat pass down the left to Ryan Blackadder who in turn found Mark Corcoran who neatly finished from around 12 yards by slipping the ball under the advancing McGregor to give Accies a well deserved lead on 46 minutes.
The home sides lead was only to last 60 seconds though as St.Johnstone equalised with a very strange effort. Mark Baxter found space at the left edge of Accies penalty box and looked as if he was trying to centre the ball but his half-volleyed cross breezed over home keeper McEwan who stood still in the centre of the 6-yard box.
McGregor then made amends for his first-half fumbles when he made the best save of the match, a point-blank close-range block from a McPhee header that Stefan Klos would have been proud of before gathering the rebound.
Home side defender Mark McLaughlin who put in an impressive solid display started to push forward more as the match went on and put in a fine cross which the dismal Pat Keogh should've tested McGregor with but his header went just over, but the match drew to a disappointing end with neither side able to find a winner.
Allan McGregor looked very inconsistent and from this showing, a return to Ibrox would seem unlikely.
Strangest incident of the day was when a ball over the top of the home defence seemed to put McConalogue through late in the match but the ball took yet another very strange bounce off the astroturf and ended up landing behind the striker!
Hamilton: McEwan, Lumsden, Tunbridge (Waddell 46), Thomson, McLaughlin, Hamilton (Fyfe 70), Ferguson, Blackadder, Keogh (Aitken 83), McPhee, Corcoran
Unused Subs : Walker, Jellema
St.Johnstone: McGregor, Anderson, Fotheringham, Hannah, Rutkiewicz, Maxwell, Baxter (Tait 72), McCann (McManus 81), McConalogue (Hay 89), Moore, Sheerin
Unused Subs: Hardy, Cuthbert
Attendance: 1,904
Referee: Craig McKay
Man of the match : Mark Corcoran. Tricky and entertaining as well as getting that first goal.
Accies are trying to build on last seasons very late and lucky promotion after Morton collapsed after their Christmas dinner last year in allegedly mysterious circumstances whereas Saints have cut costs after ridding themselves of a managerial midden in Billy Stark.
Both sides started brightly, David Hamilton making the by-line only to see Mark Corcoran blaze over after 2 minutes.
Saints looked as if they were here to make a fight of it though and Paul Sheerin showed nice skill before putting in a pretty harmless volley only a minute later, but they went much closer on 11 minutes when McConalogue found McCann who hit the crossbar before Accies scrambled clear.
Then it was up the other end as Brian McPhee, who recently 'saw' his eyeball pop out in a freak accident, took his turn to hit the bar.
All the early promise then fizzled out as despite much pressure from the home side, the remainder of the first half saw only a couple of noteworthy incidents, two dreadful attempts by Saints on-loan Ger Allan McGregor at coming for cross balls which he flapped at and was lucky to see his defenders clear, then a rash challenge by Derek Ferguson on half time which should have earned him a yellow card.
Ricky Waddell replaced Scott Tunbridge at the interval for Hamilton and the switch instantly paid dividends for the home side as Waddell started the move which led to the opening goal.
He played a neat pass down the left to Ryan Blackadder who in turn found Mark Corcoran who neatly finished from around 12 yards by slipping the ball under the advancing McGregor to give Accies a well deserved lead on 46 minutes.
The home sides lead was only to last 60 seconds though as St.Johnstone equalised with a very strange effort. Mark Baxter found space at the left edge of Accies penalty box and looked as if he was trying to centre the ball but his half-volleyed cross breezed over home keeper McEwan who stood still in the centre of the 6-yard box.
McGregor then made amends for his first-half fumbles when he made the best save of the match, a point-blank close-range block from a McPhee header that Stefan Klos would have been proud of before gathering the rebound.
Home side defender Mark McLaughlin who put in an impressive solid display started to push forward more as the match went on and put in a fine cross which the dismal Pat Keogh should've tested McGregor with but his header went just over, but the match drew to a disappointing end with neither side able to find a winner.
Allan McGregor looked very inconsistent and from this showing, a return to Ibrox would seem unlikely.
Strangest incident of the day was when a ball over the top of the home defence seemed to put McConalogue through late in the match but the ball took yet another very strange bounce off the astroturf and ended up landing behind the striker!
Hamilton: McEwan, Lumsden, Tunbridge (Waddell 46), Thomson, McLaughlin, Hamilton (Fyfe 70), Ferguson, Blackadder, Keogh (Aitken 83), McPhee, Corcoran
Unused Subs : Walker, Jellema
St.Johnstone: McGregor, Anderson, Fotheringham, Hannah, Rutkiewicz, Maxwell, Baxter (Tait 72), McCann (McManus 81), McConalogue (Hay 89), Moore, Sheerin
Unused Subs: Hardy, Cuthbert
Attendance: 1,904
Referee: Craig McKay
Man of the match : Mark Corcoran. Tricky and entertaining as well as getting that first goal.