Hamilton Academical 0-1 St Johnstone

Stefan Scougall's opportunistic goal curtailed Hamilton Academical's six-game unbeaten Scottish Premiership run.

Against the run of play, the attacker seized upon confusion in the Accies defence to steal in on goal and strike the decisive blow after 66 minutes.

The hosts had created by far the better chances prior to the goal.

Antonio Rojano had the best of them in the first half, side-footing over from six yards, with David Templeton and Darian MacKinnon also going close.

St Johnstone remain seventh in the table, level on points with sixth-placed Hearts, while Hamilton drop one to ninth.

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Accies will ask themselves how such an assured performance for most of this match yielded nothing.

MacKinnon's tenacious and battling attributes are often the ones that draw attention, but the biting cold did not stop the Hamilton midfielder from pinging a pinpoint pass to split the St Johnstone defence in the early stages.

Unfortunately for MacKinnon, Darren Lyon failed to apply the finishing touch, lobbing over goalkeeper Zander Clark and on to the roof of the net.

Argentine forward Rojano was guilty of missing a clearer opportunity soon after, getting on the end of Dougie Imrie's delicious low delivery from the left but turning it over the crossbar.

Hamilton were in control as November's Premiership player of the month Templeton fired a low shot narrowly wide.

Stand-in St Johnstone striker Callum Hendry had less to feed off and Blair Alston's bobbling effort from 20 yards did not trouble Hamilton goalkeeper Gary Woods too much.

Clark, meanwhile, had to be sharp to gather a powerful strike by Giannis Skondras at the second attempt, with Rojano sniffing about for scraps.

Xavier Tomas has responded well to manager Martin Canning's desire for him to be more of a leader at the back. The French defender was often a tower of strength and one of his sliding tackles inadvertently set up Templeton, who went close.

Accies were unable to convert their dominance into goals

A tidy piece of skill down the right by Greg Docherty looked to have teed up Imrie at the back post, but he was too unselfish and the chance fizzled out.

MacKinnon was the next Accies man to have a shot at goal and his drive from just inside the box was repelled by one of a clutch of St Johnstone bodies on the line.

Hamilton were in confident mood, so the St Johnstone goal that came from an Accies mistake rocked them.

Scott McMann and Imrie left a routine, angled Alston through-ball to one another and neither obliged, leaving Scougall to gratefully seize control and steer into the far corner for his first goal since joining in the summer from Sheffield United.

The guilty Accies pair were furious with each other as the inquest into the error began.

Despite the goal, the hosts resumed their dominance, Templeton curling wide before shooting over when he should have hit the target.

Tomas headed just wide from a Skondras cross as Hamilton piled everyone forward towards the end, a ploy that nearly allowed Michael O'Halloran to score a second on the break.

Hamilton Academical manager Martin Canning: "It's a hard one to assess because we did everything but win the game.

"We lost the game in the first half by not taking our opportunities.

"It's a sore one because it's a mistake that led to the goal.

"The players care and we don't want to concede cheap goals. We were in total control of the game and we're a good team at this level, so there's a lot of positives and today the result is the negative."

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright: "It's a wee bit unfair to say it's a smash and grab.

"We defended well, that's part of the job and the goal we scored was excellent.

"We had some opportunities, particularly after going 1-0 up, on the breakaway.

"I do think that the surface helped us [in the lead-up to the goal]; people can't adjust their feet quickly enough.

"Stefan did great. He's kept his composure and I'm really pleased for him, because he's done well since he's come here and that goal will give him a big boost."