Hamilton 5-0 Motherwell: Alex Neil delighted at derby win

Mickael Antoine-Curier celebrates scoring Hamilton's third

Hamilton's 5-0 demolition of Lanarkshire rivals Motherwell delighted their player-manager Alex Neil.

Dougie Imrie, Ali Crawford, Mickael Antoine-Curier, Tony Andreu and Daniel Redmond scored the goals at rain-lashed New Douglas Park that kept Accies fourth in the Scottish Premiership table.

"It's a magnificent result. I thought the performance merited the scoreline," Neil told BBC Scotland.

"We created a lot of chances. To score five goals at home against your local rivals and to keep a clean sheet is so pleasing for everyone involved with Hamilton.

"The lads work so hard. We know what we are doing, we are organised and we saw that today.

"Obviously, when the opposition are on the ball we want to get it back. When we get it, the front five or six players have got a free licence to attack and get at the opposition.

"I couldn't be any happier with them. Their work ethic and everything it takes to be a good team and a good player, they've got."

Manager Ian Baraclough says he has learned more about his Motherwell players in the painful defeat at Hamilton

Accies' last home defeat came on the first day of the league season, a 2-0 loss to Inverness in their first match since beating Hibernian in the Premiership play-off final to reach the top tier.

"The last two years have been a whirlwind for us," continued Neil, who played for 55 minutes before leaving the field to be replaced by Jon Routledge.

"We got promotion, competed really well in the Championship last year and I think we've been a fantastic addition to the Premiership this season."

Neil says additions to his squad in the January transfer window will depend on availability and affordability, but he is not worried about bids for his current players.

"It's not a problem," he said of potential suitors. "The players have come here to give themselves a platform to go and play. We play an attractive style of football.

"If they do well enough to attract interest and they (prospective buyers) are willing to pay the price, then we would never stop them furthering themselves like other lads in the past have.

"We're doing well in the league and people are attracting interest, which is great for everyone."

For Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough, the result was a wake-up call after 1-0 wins in his first two games in charge.

"It's not nice being involved in that kind of result," he said.

"We can't go around feeling sorry for ourselves.

"It's one way you see the character of a player when the chips go down.

"They outworked us. They didn't outplay us as such. They got in about the midfield and won challenges, that should be a fundamental.

"We decided to play backwards and it put us in trouble and it gave us a mountain to climb.

"I know more about the players now. I need to get more from them."