West Brom captain Wallace sidelined by injury
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Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin opens up on 'bitter disappointment' of transfer embargo after Dumbarton defeat
The Lanarkshire side lost 1-0 to Sons to round off a miserable week for the club Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin admits his squad have a tough challenge ahead this season after the 'bitter disappointment' of their season-long transfer embargo. The Lanarkshire club were punished by the SPFL on Friday for failing to notify the SPFL they had been in default of their tax obligations to HMRC on three occasions, and now can't sign senior players for the entirety of this campaign. It is a huge blow to their League One title aspirations this season, having been relegated from the Championship last season off the back of a 15-point deduction from the SPFL for multiple rule breaches, including relating to the non-payment of players. Hamilton's woes were compounded today when they lost 1-0 at home to League Two side Dumbarton in their final Premier Sports Cup group game and Rankin has spoken for the first time since the club were hammered by the SPFL. The likes of Ricki Lamie, Charlie Telfer and Aaron Comrie had contract offers withdrawn due to the ruling and Rankin admits the embargo leaves them with a mountain to climb in the league this term. Speaking to the club media, he said: "We are absolutely gutted. We were on the training pitch preparing for today's game when we got the news and I broke it to the players. "It is very tough. The players were raw, flat and it is tough even now but we had to make sure we approached today in the right manner. "The players obviously had questions to ask because they came in and saw boys come in and train and be here for the full pre-season. "I feel for everyone with what we've got just now in the squad because we can't bring anyone in because of this embargo. "I am deeply gutted and it is something we've had to swallow. "But the commitment and the professionalism from the players over the last day has been great. They are all together and right now there is nothing else for it. "Hopefully we can overcome the challenge that lies ahead because, let's be honest about it, if we can't sign players for over a year it is going to be a tough challenge with the squad that we have. "But with the character we have, once we get over the initial bitter disappointment, we will come together and we will be fine." Despite the embargo, Accies are able to sign under-19 players or amateurs and the ruling saw the club hand a debut to 16-year-olds Josh Carson and Aaron Eadie. In the end, it was former Airdrie striker Ally Roy who shot down Accies as he pounced on a short header and lobbed Dean Lyness on the stroke of half-time to net the game's only goal. Reflecting on the match, Rankin added: "The hard part after yesterday's news was to make sure that everyone was ready and in the right mind to play. "We got clearance for two tralists at 1.30pm and we weren't able to name the team until then. "We gave Josh Carson his first start within that and we had to make sure that we protect people for next week in the league campaign, because that is the most important thing. "That was my first thought, to make sure we are ready for next Saturday. "But we looked really lethargic and I get that after the news yesterday, so it was about trying to motivate them to make sure they go and play. "Just before half-time the game changes with a mistake, it's a short back pass and then they get their goal. "After that, I felt we upped the tempo in the second half, huffed and puffed. "We made changes towards the end to give some boys minutes and protect others. "We took Connor Smith off to protect him and Kayden Aitken made his debut. We had chances and good opportunities but it just looked like it was one of those days. It sums up the feeling over the last 24 hours." Accies host Montrose in their League One opener on Saturday.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Hearts gaffer McInnes talks Sunderland rout, Braga & Aberdeen league opener
Hearts comfortably saw off Premier League Sunderland in their final pre-season fixture while honouring Craig Gordon. Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hearts made Sunderland look second best in every area of the park as they swept the English Premier League side aside 3-0 in Craig Gordon's testimonial match. Head coach Derek McInnes acknowledged that his side were some way ahead of their opponents in terms of their respective pre-seasons but was pleased all the same with the manner of the victory. Claudo Braga, Lawrence Shankland and Alexandros Kyziridis scored the goals as the Jambos wrapped up their final preparations before next week's Scottish Premiership opener against Aberdeen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Speaking after the Sunderland match, McInnes said: ' I think I've been so happy with the pre-season as a whole. Players have been fully committed, fully motivated. Hearts put Sunderland to the sword in Craig Gordon testimonial match 'I think it played out really in that performance. You come through the various training and put the demand on them through the hard work. 'The week before we go to Spain, then we play a couple of friendlies, then you go into the League Cup business and everything seems to be quite straightforward. But there's always that feeling of we've not really played a team of a similar level or better than us. 'It was almost a perfect day for Craig and the family. But for us at Hearts in the dressing room, the whole thing culminated in a really strong performance against a team who have spent over £100 million in terms of transfers to be ready. They're a team that used to win and they've come up from the Championship for a reason because they're literally good players. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It was important for us, despite us being ahead of them in their preparation, clearly, it was important for us to try and take a step forward and not be cowed by playing against good players, but almost to take that challenge on. The team picked was a team with Sunderland's shape in mind. We couldn't know what would be about us. 'They're a possession-based team, their movement is first class. They've got a brilliant manager who does a really good job with them and they test your organisation. So we set up with a team that we thought could nullify that in a sense. It would always be our view of going to a back four in the second half, which we did. 'I thought in both systems, the players' intelligence was as much as pleasing as their commitment. We scored some very good goals.' Claudio Braga was the player who opened the scoring, turning in a pin point accurate cross from Oisin McEntee with a fine header. That makes it four goals in total since his summer move and he's a player the gaffer was full of praise for. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'He's a boy who's so willing to work,' said McInnes. 'He's desperate to please. He's also got the quality to go in the back of that but with that quality, there's a real honesty. He's desperate to do well in a hard shirt. He's living his best life when he signed here. He couldn't be any happier. 'I think that plays out on the pitch, to be honest. So, he's really embraced us so quickly. The fans will really take to him if he keeps scoring goals, first and foremost. But even aside from his goal, his work rate and his link-up play has been very good.' Hearts transfer news latest from Derek McInnes There is still plenty of transfer business expected at Tynecastle before the window shuts both incomings and potentially outgoings. McInnes was asked about Valur Reykjavik midfielder Tómas Bent Magnusson, who the Evening News reported an offer has been made, and players who could exit before the end of August. 'I don't really want to comment on anything until anything's over the line,' McInnes said on Magnusson. 'So, you know, I think, like with all signings, we always seem to keep it in a secret at heart, so everything gets out. And we're interested in a few players.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In terms of potential outgoings, he added: 'I've been speaking to the boys regular, and I can't guarantee certain boys a lot of game time. So these conversations have been ongoing, really. I want to work with boys who work hard. 'There's a lot of boys here, all of them want to stay part of it, and are motivated to stay part of it. But ultimately, when the games start properly, as you indicated, it's difficult to keep everybody happy. We've got a few injuries at the minute, which is making sure we're a wee bit stretched in certain areas than we are in others. But I think that will all come quite naturally over the next few weeks, to be honest. 'You know, players want to play, and if they're not going to play, then it can be difficult for them. But in terms of me trying to shove players out the door, it's none of that. No player has shown anything other than a first-class approach to their work.'
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Airdrie 'shot themselves in the foot' in Alloa defeat, says gutted gaffer Rhys McCabe
The Championship side missed out on the last 16 in agonising fashion to their League One counterparts Frustrated Airdrie boss Rhys McCabe admits they only have themselves to blame for being knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup by League One Alloa. The Diamonds had fought back from a first-half header from Owen Foster in their winner-takes-all clash at the top of Group C to lead 2-1 after an hour at New Broomfield. But a stunning striker from skipper Aidan Wilson and a Euan Henderson penalty for the Championship side counted for nothing as two errors from summer signing Sean McGinty gifted the Wasps a last-gasp win that sent them through as group winners. The former Hamilton Accies defender gave away a penalty just five minutes after Airdrie had taken the lead, fouling Kurtis Roberts in the box before Scott Taggart converted the spot-kick after 65 minutes. And in the 89th minute, McGinty gave the ball away to Steven Buchanan with a loose pass just inside the visitors' half and the Wasps striker punished Airdrie by charging forward and unleashing a low drive into the bottom corner. It means Airdrie miss out on a place in the last 16 as one of the three best runners-up due to them having scored fewer goals than the current third-placed team, Dunfermline. And gutted McCabe said: "We've had a wee chat in the dressing room and we know that we shot ourselves in the foot today. "But I don't want to take anything away from Alloa. They've had a great campaign, four wins out of four. They had a solid game plan but the way that we gifted them a way back into the game when we go 2-1 up is something that shouldn't be happening. "Sean is experienced enough to know that five minutes after you score, you don't take unnecessary risks. It was one of those ones where he has mistimed it. He thinks he can get the ball, but the boy nips in front of him and gets the ball. "But that was easily avoidable and that is the frustrating bit. "At the final goal, he tries to play in somebody [Dylan Williams] short but he turns his back at the wrong time and it is just a wee bit of miscommunication there. "Overall, we controlled a lot of the ball, we were decent in spells, but we didn't test their goalkeeper enough for all the possession we had. "I think we spent a lot of time in their half but we need to be more effective. "Of course I am disappointed. It's raw and I'm emotional after the game, but it has been a positive start [aside from this result]." The Diamonds had two goals ruled out in the first-half by referee Sean Murdoch, with Aidan Wilson and Chris Mochrie seeing their efforts chalked off for offside and handball in the build-up to their strikes. Asked what he made of the decisions, McCabe added: "I don't know, to be honest. I don't ask the referees anymore. "If he has given offside, sound, he's given offside. I've got no clue what they were ruled out for." Airdrie now look to their Championship opener next Saturday when they play host to Ross County.
