Watering a plastic pitch...

Hamilton 2-1 Dunfermline
New Douglas Park
Attendance: 3,383
£14 Adult
£1.20 Mince Pie

A nice sunny day but with a good touch of wind about and the travelling support of 2,000 headed to Hamilton for the first game of the season and the start of our league winning promotion back to the SPL. I can't say that I've ever been to Hamilton before and if I have its been in passing, so first time to 'New Douglas Park' and the home of Hamilton Academical FC "The Accies", founded in 1874.

So what to expect from the new season and for us in a lower league, well for most Pars fans they expect win after win. For the sports pundits they have either Dunfermline or St Johnstone tipped to win the league. So I guess we all expected to win, maybe not comfortably but a win all the same, see us start in the manner we'd continue.

When we got to the ground it felt extremely weird, what are we doing here was my thoughts. It felt so lower league it was crazy. Their club mascot appeared at one point and we had a laugh for a bit trying to figure out what the hell it was. Eventually we discovered it was a hamster called 'Hammy', looked more like a ginger Bat to me. Our crowd was in fine form, all excited and chanting songs at the smaller home support. Beach balls bounced around (in honour of our Uefa Cup campaign to come) and everyone was having a laugh. By the end of the match though I'd had the whole 'reality thud' that myself and many of our fans needed. We lost and Hamilton deservedly won.

I've often said that there isn't much difference between the bottom of the SPL and the top of the 1st Division. The Accies played well last season and where near the top for most of it. I believe (although I only read this today and can't confirm it) that they haven't lost a home match in 12 months. They play of a plastic pitch which is quite frankly rubbish, no excuses though as Dunfermline had a plastic pitch for a season too but the quality level was a whole different story. When the ball bounced on our pitch it carried on in the the direction it was going and that can't be said of the pitch at Hamilton.

We started well and ran about like a proper 'passing' football team, it was all us, they never had the ball. But when they did get it for the first time in the match they ran down to the other end and scored. Easy as that. Half way through the first half we equalised and we hoped that would be the start of it but to be honest the rest of the half was dull and nothing of note happened. Second half and pretty much at the beginning of it one our defenders is red carded and they have a penalty. 2-1 to Hamilton. So after that we are a man down and nothing works out for us, we don't have a shot on goal for twenty minutes. Two substitutions later and we have a few chances but by the end we are holding on against a rampant Hamilton who can smell a win. Most of our team had given up, some looked very tired.

Its a big physical league this First Division and they are going to have to learn to adapt if they want to win it. Midweek we play Manchester United in a friendly, oh dear, please be gentle.

Dunfermline League position: 9th