Neil: League Is Our Priority

Photo by Jeff Holmes

Hamilton player/boss Alex Neil says he would happily sacrifice Wednesday night's League Cup clash with Motherwell if it would guarantee Accies victory in Saturday's Scottish Premiership derby. The top-flight new boys face their Lanarkshire rivals at New Douglas Park before travelling to Fir Park at the weekend looking to cement their five-game unbeaten run in the league. Accies have made a flying start to life in the Premiership and sit just two points behind joint leaders Dundee United and Inverness. Neil is desperate to see his team's impressive run continue and has not ruled out Accies making a bid for the League Cup. But the 33-year-old admits he is worried fighting on multiple fronts will take its toll on his paper-thin squad. Now he has warned he may risk resting some of his senior figures on Wednesday as he keeps his powder dry ahead of the all-important league showdown with Well. Neil told said: "With Hibs, Hearts and Rangers being in a state of transition, there is a chance for a lot of the smaller clubs to have a good cup run. "There is no reason why we can't think of doing the same as Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Aberdeen, who have all won it recently. "But the only concern I would have is that I don't want us to take our eye off the ball in terms of the league. "That is our bread and butter and we want to do really well in that competition. We want to have a good cup run too, but we have a really small squad and it might be difficult to manage the two. "Would I name a weakened side on Wednesday? Well, my team will be determined by who is fit and who is not. But I would have no problem putting some of the younger boys in on Wednesday. "But if I had to chose which of the two derbies we could win, I'd take the league game, without question. "We want to continue our league form. I'm not writing the cup off - not at all - but the league is our priority."