Damien Rascle continued in goal for Kilmarnock after
replacing the injured Alan Combe at half-time in the previous week's
home defeat by Inverness, and Willie Gibson, a second-half substitute in
that match, started in place of Allan Russell.
Kilmarnock came close to an opener after seven
minutes.
following a free-kick in midfield, Gibson scampered
down the left and floated a cross into the box which Simon Ford put just
wide of the far post.
Gibson himself then went for goal after a Garry Hay
free-kick, but his first effort from the edge of the area was deflected
back to him and he put his second over the bar.
Kilmarnock continued to press as Hamilton failed to
threaten at the opposite end winning a free-kick just outside the left
side of the area on 15 minutes, but David Fernandez headed over from
Gibson's delivery.
Alex Neil's free-kick for Hamilton was then cleared
to launch a counter-attack which saw Fernandez send in a diagonal shot
goalkeeper Tomas Cerny dived to smother.
There was little in the poor second quarter to warm
either set of fans on a freezing Lanarkshire day.
James McArthur had a half-hearted shot on target on
the half-hour, but it never posed any kind of threat to Rascle, and
Manuel Pascali glanced a header wide of the left-hand post from Jamie
Hamill's cross.
Kilmarnock defender Frazer Wright was booked 10
minutes from the interval for a thumping challenge on James McArthur,
but teenager James McCarthy squandered the subsequent free-kick.
Mark McLaughlin then headed straight into Rascle's
arms while Kilmarnock finished strongly, with Fernandez releasing Craig
Bryson for a burst down the right ending in Canning heading his cross
clear.
It was Hamilton who finally opened the scoring six
minutes after the restart, when David Graham's pass allowed Offiong to
claim the ball inside the right corner of the penalty area.
The striker turned and shot, drilling a diagonal
effort past the diving Rascle and into the bottom left corner for his
third goal in as many matches.
It heartened Accies, who fashioned another
opportunity minutes later from Neil's midfield free-kick, leading to a
scramble in the six-yard box before the ball was finally cleared for a
throw near the left corner.
Kilmarnock had a glorious opportunity to equalise
just after the hour mark when Taouil's cross to the right-hand post
found recently-introduced substitute Simmonds, but he contrived to blast
his effort wastefully over the bar from no more than five yards.
The visitors tried beating a path upfield in search
of an equaliser, with Gibson to the fore, but found themselves up
against a resolute defence.
McArthur could have doubled Accies' lead just before
the game entered its final 10 minutes, but after some good work in
keeping possession and weaving in from the right to a good position in
the box, he fired over the top-left corner.
Both teams had their share of possession in the
closing stages, with play flowing up and down the pitch.
McCarthy made a good run for the hosts and, for
Kilmarnock, Gibson fired a ball forward into the box but Cerny reached
it well ahead of substitute Allan Russell.
Hamilton had to survive late scares when Gibson's
corner flashed across the face of goal and when Ford shot into Cerny's
arms in the fourth minute of added-time, but they clung on for the three
points.
