Needless to say, Hamilton Academical’s start to the season has been fractious. After being relegated due to administrative breaches — accompanied by a transfer ban — and relocated following a dispute with the stadium owners at New Douglas Park, fans have openly protested outside their new temporary home in Cumbernauld. It puts into perspective the admirable work that manager John Rankin is doing on the pitch to keep his side resilient amid the off-field distractions and top of the William Hill League 1 table.

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The league opening

To open the season, Hamilton handily dispatched a tricky Montrose side. Oli Shaw and Charlie Telfer, who appeared as a trialist, bagged the goals as Accies began their nomadic season away from home in comfortable fashion.

The second game, against Queen of the South, saw Hamilton blow away the Dumfries side and collect a few goals for the highlight reels. Connor Smith opened the scoring with a thunderous strike from 25 yards inside the half-hour mark, and Charlie Telfer rattled in a sensational half-volley into the top corner. Reece Lyon nodded one in for Queen of the South just after half-time following a slick move, but they were swiftly brought back down to earth by Connor Smith’s second — an inspired curling effort from 20 yards. Steven Bradley bagged the fourth to cap a dominant display against one of the title hopefuls.

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First wobbles?

However, it’s not all rosy in the garden. Last week, Hamilton faced a very different test in the shape of Dick Campbell’s East Fife. Alloa have already had a taste of the effective, physical football that the Methil side brings, and the challenge proved too much. At Cumbernauld, the visitors grabbed all three points. While Scott Robinson opened the scoring and Hamilton went in at the break ahead, an inspired second-half substitution in Rob Jones changed the game. The big striker scored twice in just eight minutes on the park as Hamilton fell completely out of the game.

Hamilton remain on top of the pile and on paper, Hamilton might expect to keep up the form they showed last time in League 1, when they kept pace with back-to-back title winners Falkirk early in the season. But it perhaps highlights a lack of depth to change the game if the starting eleven begin to fatigue which will certainly be a interesting element to keep an eye on as the season continues.

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New signings with a twist

Despite the transfer ban, Hamilton have added to their team — albeit through amateur contracts.

• Cale Loughrey, a 24-year-old Canadian centre-back, arrives after a spell in the Romanian second tier.
• 21 year-old midfielder Michael Stone also joined on amateur terms after leaving Huddersfield Town last season.
• Idris Munir, a Nigerian U23 international, joined from Drumchapel United, where he was their Young Player of the Season.

It’s a big step up to League 1, and it remains to be seen whether that leap is too much for all the trialists. You’d imagine that if they’re good enough, they’ll attract paid offers elsewhere. Nonetheless, it’s been a very different summer transfer window — one with a few left-field signings whose progress will be interesting to monitor.

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Last meeting

Hamilton and Alloa last met in the League 1 play-offs in May 2024. It was a winner-take-all affair after a 2-2 first leg in Clackmannanshire. While the Wasps scored early through Quinn Coulson, Reghan Tumilty and Lewis Smith turned the scoreline on its head to make it 2-1 to the hosts. A complete moment of madness from Morgyn Neill saw the defender booked and then red-carded within a minute of the second goal. While the 10 men of Alloa battled back through Conor Sammon in the 57th minute, the man advantage proved too much, and Akeem Rose secured Hamilton’s passage into the final to face a beleaguered Inverness — a match in which Accies ultimately won promotion comfortably.