Motherwell and Hamilton meet for the first cross Clyde meeting of the season on Saturday. The form table suggests the visitors are favourites but the artificial surface at New Douglas Park may give the home side some comfort.
Since their last league point, at Rugby Park in August, the Accies have endured a tough and pointless run of four clashes against top half opponents. They will be desperate to stop the rot this weekend. Martin Canning has criticised his team for the loss of easy goals and warned of the threat that Motherwell will bring – “they’re very aggressive, very intense and very good”.
Our last visit to NDP
Reports suggest that Hamilton may have as many as six first team regulars missing. Woods, Sarris, Devlin, Templeton, Gillespie and Crawford are said to be unavailable. The enforced changes will give several of Canning’s fringe players a chance to impress.
Both clubs had a couple of players on Scotland U21 duty in the last week. Cadden and Campbell played in both game alongside the Accies’ Ferguson in goal while Docherty played in Middlesbrough for the final ten minutes.
Motherwell are likely to be the more confident side. The comfortable win against Partick Thistle was the perfect way to enter the international break and Moult’s award of POTM for September paves the way into the trip to Hamilton.
Stephen Robinson has no player shortage to cope with and he will have the welcome problem of choice among a number of contenders for places in the starting eleven. It will be hard to change the winning team and any alteration is likely to be tactical.
There are few occasions when we cross the river with high expectation but this is one. Even the bookies have us as favourites and there may be a pound or two collected after a 3-1 win