Hamilton 2 Queen's Park 1: Steven Bradley stunner ends Accies' losing streak in style

Hamilton Accies ended a three-game losing streak in the Championship with a well-earned win over Queen's Park to mark the club's 150th anniversary.

Steven Bradley bagged a deadly double in a terrific first half from the hosts, slotting home inside the box and curling home a stunning 25-yard free-kick either side of a Zak Rudden penalty for Spiders.

It was a strong showing from Accies in a week they celebrated their big milestone and it has the South Lanarkshire side sitting sixth in the table. They also closed the gap on fifth-place Queens to seven points, with a game in hand.

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Boss John Rankin made three changes from last week’s defeat at Dunfermline as Bradley, Barry Maguire and Stuart McKinstry all came into the Accies side for Kevin O’Hara, Jamie Barjonas and Connor Smith. Hamilton's Jackson Longride also came up against brother and ex-Accie Louis, who started for the visitors.

Accies fired an early warning shot to the visitors when McKinstry crossed and Regan Tumilty's header at the back post landed narrowly wide of the target inside 90 seconds.

And with three minutes on the clock, the hosts found themselves in front. Good work down the left led to Kyle MacDonald feeding Bradley in the box and he made no mistake as he slotted a first-time strike into the bottom corner beyond Calum Ferrie.

The hosts continued to threaten and a Tumilty cross from the right almost found a way past Ferrie in 13 minutes, with the Spiders keeper having to tip his delivery away from under the crossbar.

However, the Spiders pulled themselves level from the penalty spot in 16 minutes. Stephen Hendrie was deemed to have nudged Jack Turner off the ball as the duo raced into the area, and referee Chris Graham showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Rudden stepped up and coolly sent Charlie Albinson the wrong way from 12 yards.

In 22 minutes, Accies should have regained the lead when a delicious delivery from McKinstry whipped the ball towards the front post for Tumilty, who could only poke the ball over the bar from six yards out.

Spiders were being kept quiet and on the half hour mark it took a fantastic save from Ferrie to deny Accies a second, turning Oli Shaw's curling, top corner-bound strike round the post.

In the 37th minute, though, Ferrie could do nothing to stop Bradley bagging his second of the day. Accies won a free-kick 25 yards out when Bradley was felled by Louis Longride and he dusted himself down to dispatch as terrific curling strike into the top corner beyond a helpless Ferrie.

It was all one-way traffic and four minutes later a brilliant point-blank stop from Ferrie denied Shaw adding a third, as Accies went in at the break just a goal to the good.

In the second half, Accies continued to enjoy the better of the ball and kept their visitors well-contained.

Spiders' day was summed up when Rudden got on the end of a ball into the box and was booked for diving, having felt pressure from Sean McGinty in 70 minutes, as they deserately sought a way back into the game.

Resolute defending from the Accies rearguard kept Spiders at bay until the 88th minute when Jack Thomson hit the post with a header and Rudden then smacked the crossbar with an outrageous strike from distance, but Accies saw the game out after six minutes of stoppage time.

Accies are back in action next Saturday when they travel to league leaders Falkirk.

HAMILTON: Albinson, Tumilty (Barjonas 90), Longridge, McGinty, Hendrie, Martin, Maguire (Smith 45), MacDonald, Bradley (Henderson 65), Shaw, McKinstry (O'Hara 80).

Scorers: Bradley 3, 37

Bookings: Maguire, Hendrie, Tumilty, McGinty, Albinson

Subs not used: Lyness, Todorov, Williamson, O'Connor, Morgan.

QUEEN'S PARK: Ferrie, Kerr, Murray, Duncan (Scott 45), Fieldson, Welsh, Thomas, Longridge (Drodz 84), Thomson, Turner (MacGregor 67), Rudden.

Scorers: Rudden 16 (pen)

Bookings: Longridge, Scott, Rudden, Kerr

Subs not used: McGovern, Mauchin, Thompson, McLeish, Hinds, Drodz, Hickey-Fugaccia.

HT: 2-1

Ref: Chris Graham

Att: 1.076