Mark McLaughlin sparked an Accies late show as the league leaders dumped their nearest rivals to open up a four-point gap at the summit. McLaughlin scored their first with seven minutes left and sub Paul McLeod added the gloss with number two in the last minute. Dundee had clearly arrived at New Douglas Park looking for a point and seemed to have secured it until that collapse in the dying stages. The Dens Park men opted for a cautious approach from the outset with four at the back including on-loan Motherwell defender Martyn Corrigan and five across the midfield. Hamilton tried to grab the early initiative and had a penalty shout turned down by referee Dougie McDonald after Richard Offiong and Gary MacKenzie clashed. Martin McLoughlin headed a Tony Stevenson free-kick wide as they kept up the pressure. A clever piece of defending by Paul Dixon stopped David Winters breaking into the Dundee box as the home side launched another raid. However, the visitors showed how dangerous they are on the break when Freddie Daquin raced down the right and crossed for Jan Zemlik but his header drifted past. Accies claimed a penalty again when Mark Gilhaney went down after robbing MacKenzie of possession but ref McDonald felt Milan Palenik's challenge was fair. The home side were fortunate when Stevenson lost possession to Scott Robertson who found Zemlik in the box but the striker delayed his shot and what looked a promising attack fizzled out. Dundee were given another chance when the referee awarded them a free-kick 25 yards from goal but Gavin Swankie fired wide. Swankie was proving a real threat on the left and his wicked cross appeared to be heading for the giant Zemlik until McLaughlin rose brilliantly to reach the ball first and nod clear. Corrigan was booked after 37 minutes for a rash challenge on Gilhaney near the centre circle. Dixon again did well to foil the threat of Winters when he looked set to get on the end of Gilhaney's cross. Just before the break Dundee had a narrow let off from a Stevenson corner. David Elebert's shot rattled Craig Samson's left hand post and bounced wide off the leg of Offiong. Gilhaney was getting little joy in the wide left position but early in the second period cut inside and drilled a shot that slid just wide of the target. Dundee were forced into a change after 55 minutes when Palenik limped off to be replaced by Danny Griffin. Dixon went close with a long-range shot for Dundee but clear-cut chances continued to be few and far between. It began to look as if the only hope for a goal was from a set piece and McLaughlin went close to providing one from a short corner. Stevenson found Gilhaney but his cross was headed over the bar by the Accies number six. Gilhaney then drifted past Corrigan for one of the few times in the game but was brought down on the edge of the box. The free-kick was in a dangerous position out on the left but Dundee were able to scramble the delivery clear. Hamilton sent on Stuart Taylor for Stevenson as they attempted to alter the pattern after 68minutes. A minute later the injured Offiong hobbled off with Brian Wake heading the other way. Zemlik was replaced by Derek Lyle in the 75th minute and two minutes later Dundee almost grabbed a goal. Kevin McDonald, who was having a quiet game by his standards, burst into the Hamilton box shrugging off three defenders on his way but dragged his effort wide of goal from 10 yards. In 83 minutes the home side at last made a breakthrough. McDonald was booked for pulling back James McCarthy in midfield and from Winters' delicate free-kick McLaughlin pounced to head powerfully past Samson. In the final minute substitute McLeod side footed a second goal for Hamilton after good play by another one of their replacements Wake.
