Billy Reid warns Accies to be on guard against the 'Wasps'

Jan 6 2011 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

HAMILTON boss Billy Reid this week warned his side not to underestimate Second Division Alloa Athletic in Saturday’s Scottish Cup fourth round clash.

Former Accies manager Allan Maitland brings the Wasps to New Douglas Park and will be confident of an upset as the hosts still chase their first home win of the season.

But Reid told his troops to be on top form or risk suffering an embarrassing bloody nose against a side which surprisingly dumped First Division high-fliers Raith Rovers in the third round.

But the Accies gaffer, who has been linked with the vacant hot seat at Preston North End, is no mood to let complacency creep into his side’s preparations.

He said: “We should win the game – we’re a Premier League club going to play one from a lower division – but it’s never that easy.

“Alloa will come here, they’ll keep it really tight and we’re going to have to go and break that down.

“People are saying it’s a great chance to bang in a few goals but I don’t look on it like that at all.

“I have a lot of respect for Allan Maitland, who I know very well, and myself and Stuart Taylor have already watched them.

“We’ll give them every respect they deserve.”

Reid saw improvement in last Saturday’s performance as Accies and Motherwell battled out a 0-0 New Douglas Park draw, and believes they will come out of their current poor run of results.

He said: “If we keep showing the same application and keep believing in ourselves we’ll be fine.

“I certainly believe in the players, and I have a belief in what I’m doing at the club. We’re going through a sticky spell but I’m not going to change what I’ve been doing for the last five or six years, and what we’re currently experiencing will make me stronger.

“Hopefully some of the players can learn from it as well.”

Reid added: “In recent weeks we’ve always been in games. We aren’t losing heavily and nobody has been much better than us – but we can’t buy a goal at the moment.

“I thought on Saturday we were the better side. We were always on the front foot, had numerous shots on goal and their goalkeeper had to work a few times.

“Dougie Imrie was through one-on-one, he’s had a decent strike but it’s gone the wrong side of the post. Had that gone in we would have won the game.

“But in terms of effort, application of our team and how they’re organised I can’t have any complaints.

“We had a wee go [at the players], defensively, because earlier in the season we were conceding cheap goals and we’ve worked hard to make sure we are solid. If we get that wee bit extra in the final third then we will start winning games.”

Reid hopes to add to his squad during the January transfer window and hold on to as many players as he can.

With a hectic schedule that will see Accies take on 13 games between now and February 26, Reid knows he will need his whole squad available.

Meanwhile, Hamilton secured the services of young striker Andy Ryan on a three-year deal on Monday.

The 16-year-old has been tipped for the top and it’s believed that Accies held off the advances of several top clubs to keep “Chucky” on their books.

Reid, whose reputation as a nurturer of young talent has led to him being linked with jobs down south, said: “Andy is a young talent – one of the most talented players in our system, in fact.

“We’re happy with his progress and he is a player who has enormous talent, but although he trains with the first team now we need to see what happens when he gets into the big boys’ playground of the SPL.

“But he’s a good player and Andy knows he’ll get his chance here.”

Hamilton are due to entertain Celtic next Wednesday, January 12, in a rescheduled game that will be screened live on Sky and kicks off at 7.45pm.