Hamilton Accies are out of the Premier Sports activities Cup after conceding a late equaliser at house to Queen's Park.
John Rankin's males appeared to be on the street to qualification for the knockout levels when Andy Winter struck after 4 minutes to web for the third recreation in succession.
Nevertheless, Hamilton's resolve was damaged 12 minutes from time when Jake Davidson curled the ball house contained in the field to stage.
Within the shootout for the bonus level within the Group H conflict, Accies prevailed 5-3 in a consequence that despatched either side out.
Rankin's males end the group in second spot on eight factors nevertheless it is not going to be sufficient to qualify as a result of their purpose distinction.
Accies made one change from final week’s 3-0 win away to Forfar as summer season signing Jonny Ngandu dropped to the bench and Andy Winter got here in after netting of their success at Station Park.
The guests additionally had a solitary alteration from their final outing, a 2-1 defeat at Dundee, with Liam Brown being changed in midfield by Alex Bannon.
Former Accies star Louis Longridge was among the many Spiders 11, whereas Josh McPake began on the bench following his mortgage transfer from Rangers earlier within the day. Ex-Cambuslang Rangers striker Scott Williamson was additionally among the many substitutes.
Inside the primary 90 seconds Accies got here agonisingly near taking an early lead when Steve Lawson's out-swinging nook discovered Dan O'Reilly darting into the field, however his downward header was hoofed off the road by Dom Thomas.
And that early strain paid off within the fourth minute. Winter latched on to Lewis Smith's by ball and the ahead drilled a low strike previous Calum Ferrie into the underside nook for a deserved lead.
Moments later Accies breathed a sigh of aid because the break of the ball fell kindly for Thomas contained in the field, and his shot whistled previous the far submit with no-one capable of flip the ball goalwards.
The hosts had been having fun with the perfect of the play early on with Matty Shiels firing simply vast and Dan O'Reilly persevering with to trigger issues at set items with one other header turned away after 20 minutes, this time deflected over the bar by his personal team-mate, Andy Ryan.
Some stoic defending from skipper Brian Easton stored the Spiders at bay as he obtained his head to most issues into the field and put his physique in the way in which to get an important block on Patrick Jarrett's strike on the fringe of the field after half an hour.
As half-time approached Ryan can have felt he was about to attain when Lewis Smith's header excessive of the defence appeared to have performed him in for a strike 10 yards out, however the outstretched boot of Charlie Fox pinched the ball away from his grasp, simply as he appeared like pulling the set off.
4 minutes into the second half Accies had been relieved to see the offside flag go up as Simon Murray nodded the ball previous Ryan Fulton on the again submit.
Accies had one other escape when Thomas honed in on purpose and lifted the ball over the out-rushing Fulton, just for his effort to land narrowly vast of the empty web.
In 63 minutes Queen's Park launched McPake for his debut alongside Williamson as they chased an equaliser.
Down the opposite finish O'Reilly was a menace within the air once more and, fortunately for Queen's Park, a bullet header from one other Lawson supply was blocked within the field.
Tensions falred when Owen Coyle to exception to one thing and marched over to the Accies dugout, however a telling off from referee Don Robertson for each managers cleared the air.
The Spiders had been persevering with to ask questions of Hamilton's resolve and ultimately it broke within the 77th minute.A little bit of pinball within the field noticed the ball fall to Jake Davidson 10-yards out and he stored his cool to curve the ball previous Fulton after a few of his team-mates had fluffed their traces earlier than him.
Each side pushed for a winner as Andy Ryan had a header properly saved within the dying minutes whereas Jack Thomson fired straight at Fulton.
And within the ninetieth minute an outstanding cease from Fulton denied Thomas Robson a winner as he broke into the field and tried to search out the far nook and the perimeters needed to accept some extent.
Within the shootout Steve Lawson, Matty Shiels, Dan O'Reilly, Andy Ryan and Jonny Ngandu all netted in an ideal show of spot-kicks. For Spiders Liam Brown, Grant Savoury and Simon Murray whereas Jake Davidson missed the essential kick on the third spherical of kicks.
Accies now stay up for league motion and host Morton, managed by Hamilton legend Dougie Imrie, in subsequent week's Championship opener.
HAMILTON: Fulton, O'Reilly, Need, Easton, Doyle, Shiels, Martin (Spence 71), Lawson, Ryan, L Smith (One 81), Winter (Ngandu 71).
Scorers: Winter 4
Bookings: Need, Martin
Subs not used: J Smith, Owens, McGinn, Mimnaugh, Brown.
QUEEN'S PARK: Ferrie, Fox, Davidson, Robson, Bannon, Longridge (McPake 63), Thomas (Thomson 73), Brown, Jarrett (Williamson 63), Savoury, Murray.
Scorers: Davidson 78
Bookings:
Subs not used: Heraghty, Kilday, Gilles, Bruce, Naismith, Moore.
Ref: Don Robertson
HT: 1-0
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