Dundee 1-1 Hamilton

Apr 27 2008 Brian Welsh At Dens Park

DENS boss Alex Rae couldn't bring himself to hail the team who pipped his men in the title race. Rae turned his back on proceedings and walked away as his players formed a guard of honour to applaud Billy Reid's newly crowned champions on to the pitch.

Dundee striker Mickael Antoine-Curier didn't look too clever either as he refused to clap.

And there was more controversy in the second half when Dundee sub Derek Lyle, set to join Reid's outfit in the SPL next term, had a touchline bust-up with Rae.

Lyle stormed up the tunnel when Rae refused to put him on for a farewell appearance. He was booed by the home fans and further enraged them by applauding the Accies supporters.

Asked about Lyle afterwards, Rae said: "I didn't see him applaud the Accies fans."

Andy Waterworth's first goal for Accies was cancelled out by Colin McMenamin's injury-time header but this game will also be remembered for a sickening head injury to Hamilton keeper Tomas Cerny.

The Czech was stretchered off and hooked up to an oxygen mask on the hour after being accidentally booted in the head by Dundee sub Freddie Daquin.

Rae had been forced to include 47-year-old goalkeeping coach Bobby Geddes as sub with third-choice keeper Michael White shrugging off a shoulder injury to start. So it was ironic that Accies ended up with their own keeper crisis.

The match had anti-climax written all over it given it would have been labelled a "championship decider" but for Dundee's recent collapse.

Despite the fact the game was effectively meaningless, there were a few meaty challenges going in early on.

Hamilton went in front seven minutes before the break.

Grant Gillespie's hopeful through-ball split the Dundee defence and allowed Waterworth to blast home unchallenged from 15 yards .

Dens full-back Paul Dixon took out his frustration at the loss of a goal by scything down James McCarthy and earning a yellow card for his trouble.

The second half was a nonevent until Cerny was kicked in the head. The accident happened as Daquin tried to connect with a loose ball that the Accies keeper was attempting to smother.

Cerny was treated for three minutes on the pitch before being stretchered off to be replaced by Brian Potter.

Rae was forced to make his final change with 15 minutes left when Scott Robertson limped off.

But he chose Patrick Noubissie to replace him, prompting Lyle's huff.

Just as the Accies fans chanted "You're only 10 points behind us", McMenamin headed home in injury time to save some face and ensure the final gap was seven.

After the game Reid said: "Tomas is OK. He came in to see us in the dressing room at full-time, which was a relief."

MoM: Stevenson (Hamilton).