Hamilton 0-0 Partick Thistle

Mar 30 2008 Kenny Macdonald At New Douglas Park

FRUSTRATED Billy Reid has told his stuttering stars not to panic - and refused to accept their bottle had crashed as their dreams of SPL football suffered another blow.

The Hamilton boss saw the club's lead over Dundee, who have a game in hand, cut to four points. And he knows his men now face the difficult task of holding onto their fragile advantage.

Partick Thistle keeper Jonny Tuffey produced a series of stunning saves to deny the dominant home side a deserved win, and set up a tight finish to the campaign.

Reid believes the title race is too close to call but had high praise for the Jags shot-stopper.

He said: "We're not going to panic as there's a long way to go but I don't think their goalie will have a game like that again in his life.

"The conditions played a wee part in how the first half went with the strong wind and rain, but it was a brilliant second half.

"But they didn't pin us back or cause us too many problems."

There was a scare at the start for Accies when defender Mark McLaughlin crashed to the deck inside 30 seconds.

He needed treatment after going over on his ankle but recovered to play on and held together a tight defence.

The match was a tense affair with little in the way of chances and it took until 15 minutes for Hamilton winger David Graham to carve out the first opening.

He sped down the right and turned defender Marc Twaddle inside out before delivering a low cross that fizzed inches past the on-rushing Mark Gilhaney.

Both defences crowded their areas and gave little away but Accies hitman Richard Offiong looked a constant threat.

He wriggled free in midfield only to be hauled down in 17 minutes by Jags defender Willie Kinniburgh, who escaped a card.

Graham again had the crowd on their feet with another jinking run, before knocking the ball inside to Offiong who couldn't it and the Jags quickly cleared.

However, Thistle rallied and created a fine chance six minutes later following good work down the right by Simon Storey.

He put in a fine cross which fell neatly to Mark Roberts 10 yards out but he guided a knee-high shot inches past the right post.

Offiong caused more problems 10 minutes from the break when he broke free on the left and looked to have beaten Kinniburgh for pace yet again, only to be brought down 25 yards from goal.

Ref Charlie Richmond flashed the yellow card but James McArthur's free-kick was poor and thundered into the wall.

Accies responded to a half-time roasting from blazing boss Reid and look determined to score.

Just two minutes after the break Offiong latched onto a teasing cross by Gilhaney from the left but his header looped wide.

Accies' hitkid James McCarthy then produced a moment of brilliance in 55 minutes when he juggled the ball 25 yards out then hit a volley that tested Tuffey.

Sub Stuart Taylor then crashed a ferocious six-yard shot which Tuffey blocked and McLaughlin headed inches wide at the death.

Jags' boss Ian McCall hit out at the plastic pitch and said: "I hate it. It's anti-football but Billy Reid is a friend of mine and I don't want to take away from the tremendous job that he has done."

MoM: Tuffey (Partick Thistle)