Reid still cautious over Accies' title bid

Mar 19 2008 By Andy McGilvray

BILLY REID believes his Hamilton side are within touching distance of the First Division championship after they dumped title rivals Dundee on Saturday.

But the cautious New Douglas Park gaffer warned his players to guard against complacency in case they throw it all away.

James McArthur’s first-half strike put Hamilton six points clear of the Taysidersy.

And with Dundee due at Dunfermline on Saturday while  Accies travel to relegation-haunted Stirling Albion, Reid knows Hamilton can potentially stretch their lead — but only if they do their job.

He said: “We’ve got one hand on the championship. There’s a long way to go but it’s up to us now — we can only lose it, and I’ve got belief in what we’re trying to do.

“That was a big game for us. I wasn’t interested in how the game went. I’ve been there before and it was about the three points. I don’t have any doubts that when we get the ball down and play, we’re as good as anybody.

“It was up to us to go out there and prove we have the better team by winning the game and we did that.”

He added: “It got scrappy but give Dundee credit because they bang the ball back-to-front and their strikers fight for everything.

“They play a different way from us and it works for them, but it’s not about them, it’s about what we do.

“We’ve played 15 league games at home and conceded goals only three times. That’s the catalyst for us being at the top end of the table.

“There are six games to go for us. We’re six points clear but Dundee have a game in hand and we’ve got to go to Dens Park on the last day of the season.

“We’ve also got St Johnstone here at home, so there’s a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season and we’re taking nothing for granted.”

Reid says he’ll drill the message home to his players that they can’t risk turning up at Forthbank on Saturday expecting to win, or last week’s win could count for nothing.

“There are big games ahead, and we need to focus on the next game, as we’ve done all season,” he said.

“We’re at Stirling Albion and Dundee are away to Dunfermline so it’s another big day. Stirling are fighting for their lives and we’ll be ready for it.

“We can’t go there in a complacent mood. I can guarantee that we’re taking nothing for granted.”

l Four Hamilton players have received international recognition.

James McArthur has been called up for Scotland Under-21s’ UEFA qualifier against Finland at Pittodrie, and Andy Waterworth will feature for Northern Ireland Under-21s in a friendly against Romania in Ballymena, both on Wednesday.

James McCarthy has been selected for the Republic of Ireland Under-19s’ friendly double-header against France on Tuesday and Thursday, and Euan Lindsay is in the Scotland Under-15 squad for a match against Belgium on April 1.