Oli Shaw hit a stunning seven-minute hat-trick late on to help Hamilton Accies leapfrog Greenock Morton in the Championship.
The striker took his tally to nine goals for the season with a fine late show at New Douglas Park, which ended Hamilton’s three-game losing streak.
A game that looked to be heading for a drab draw came to life in 77 minutes when Shaw poked home from a Connor Smith free-kick and he then made it 2-0 four minutes later when he poked Sean McGinty’s goal-bound strike into the bottom corner.
But he saved the best for last when he got on the end of Reghan Tumilty’s lay-off and lashed home a fine strike beyond Rangers loanee Lewis Budinauckas with 84 minutes on the clock, moving Accies up to sixth in the table.
New signing Stuart McKinstry started on the bench as Accies made four changes from last week’s defeat to Falkirk. There was a switch in goal as Charlie Albinson came in for Dean Lyness, while Ben Williamson, Reghan Tumilty and Stephen Hendrie replaced Jackson Longridge, Jamie Barjonas and Barry Maguire.
Depleted Morton managed to address their goalkeeping crisis by bringing in Rangers youngster Lewis Budinauckas on an emergency seven-day loan from the Ibrox club and he started between the sticks.
It took both sides a bit of time to find their feet but it was Morton – a side that knocked Accies out of the SPFL Trust Trophy earlier this month with a narrow 1-0 win – who got the first sight at goal after 15 minutes.
Michael Garrity whipped in a free-kick from the left and when Albinson managed to come through a sea of bodies and get a hand to it, the rebound fell kindly for Filip Stuparevic at the back post. But the on-loan Motherwell man fired into the side-netting from six yards.
Nine minutes later, Stuparevic came even closer to breaking the deadlock when he glanced a header agonisingly wide of the far corner after a brilliant delivery from Cameron Blues across the face of goal.
Blues then made a vital interception to deny Accies moments later when Reghan Tumilty’s cross picked out Kevin O’Hara at the far post, and Blues poked the ball away from his toes just as he was about to pull the trigger. From the resulting corner, Tumilty fired narrowly wide on the half-volley after Connor Smith’s delivery came all the way through to him at the back post.
Oli Shaw should have done better just before the break when Smith’s corner was knocked on by the knee of Sean McGinty, right into his path six-yards out. But he got his body shape all wrong, as up he looped his effort up into the air and the chance was gone.
Both teams started the second half just as slowly as they did the first and both continued to cancel each other out.
In 61 minutes Accies got a sniff at goal when Stephen Hendrie played a great ball over the top to release O’Hara but his cut-back trying to pick out Shaw was cleared.
John Rankin turned to his bench moments later to hand McKinstry his debut alongside Steven Bradley for Euan Henderson and the ineffective Ben Williamson.
Accies had Albinson to thank for a huge save in 68 minutes. Connor Smith carelessly gave away possession on the edge of the Accies box and this was pounced upon by Owen Moffat. He looked like he only had to pick his spot to slot it past the Albinson, but the Accies No.1 sprung off his line quickly and made a great stop with his body to keep the scores level.
And that was a pivotal moment, as nine minutes later Accies were in front. Smith sung in a free-kick from a central position and when Morton failed to clear, the ball popped around until it fell kindly for Shaw to blast into the bottom corner for his first goal in four games.
Just four minutes later, Shaw doubled his and Accies’ tally. The ball broke to Sean McGinty on the edge of the box and when it took a slight deflection towards goal, Shaw was on hand to get a touch and divert it into the bottom corner from close range.
There was still time for a third and in 84 minutes Shaw completed the win, latching on to Tumilty’s pass and lashing a fine strike beyond Budinuckas to seal the points.
Accies are back in action next Saturday when they travel to Lanarkshire rivals Airdrieonians.
HAMILTON: Albinson, Tumilty, McGinty, Kilday, Hendrie, Martin, Williamson (McKinstry 67), Henderson (Bradley 67), O’Hara (Barjonas 73), Smith (McGowan 86), Shaw (Todorv 86).
Scorers: Shaw 77, 81, 84
Bookings:
Subs not used: Lyness, Longridge, Olufunwa, O’Connor.
MORTON: Budinauckas, Delaney, Broadfoot, King (Gillespie 71), Baird, Wilson, Lyall (McGinn 70), Garrity (Samuels 64), Moffat, Blues, Stuperavic.
Scorers:
Bookings: Garrity, Moffat
Subs not used: O’Boy, Davies.
HT: 0-0
Ref: Lloyd Wilson
Att: 1,071