STAND-IN captain Alex Neil has urged his Hamilton team-mates to raise their game and dump Livingston on Saturday.

Nov 30 2006 By Andy McGilvray

Midfielder Neil (25), deputised for injured skipper Marvyn Wilson on Saturday and was disappointed to draw 0-0 with Ross County at New Douglas Park.

He feels Accies should be winning games on their home turf.

And he’ll be gunning for John Robertson’s men when they come calling this weekend.

Neil said: “We’re not happy with the draw. We want to win any game here, no matter who it is we’re playing.

“No disrespect to Ross County but we expect to win games like that so you could tell at the final whistle how disappointed we were.

“It’s important for us to beat Livingston on Saturday but, as I say, we look to win any home game, whether it’s Livi, St Johnstone, Gretna or whoever.

“When they come here we expect to beat them. That’s definitely the mindset I’ve got when we go out and play.

“Even in away games we expect to go and get results wherever we’re playing, but you need to get maximum points at home.

“Livingston will be a hard test. They’re a good team — who beat St Johnstone on Saturday — but we just need to up our game and make sure that we get three points.”

Neil insists Accies only have themselves to blame for not taking all three points against Scott Leitch’s Highlanders.

He said: “I thought we kept the ball all right at times but to be honest we didn’t create enough chances to win the game.

“There were a few dodgy decisions made by the ref but you make your own luck, so we should have risen above it and done more.”

He added: “I think we’ve got to demand more of each other but make sure we stick together and give 100 per cent.”

Neil was delighted to be asked by boss Billy Reid to step in as captain. He reckons Accies will have an extremely strong team when the injured players return.

Hamilton are missing top-team regulars Derek Fleming, Mark McLaughlin, Wilson, Mark Gilhaney, Richard Offiong, Scott Tunbridge, Ross McCabe, and on-loan Hearts player John Neill, while goalkeeper Dave McEwan still isn’t 100 per cent. fit.

Neil said: “The gaffer asked me to be captain while Marvyn’s out, and I’m quite happy to take on that role.

“I think most of the senior lads are really all acting captains anyway, though, because we’re trying to lead the younger boys.

“You’re always trying to help them through the game, although sometimes they don’t need it — like young Paul McLeod, who played really well on Saturday.”