Derby double means trouble for Well
Ali Crawford scored twice as Hamilton crushed Lanarkshire rivals Motherwell 4-0 to complete a derby double.
In doing so, three days after beating Motherwell on penalties in the League Cup, high-flying Hamilton stretched their unbeaten Scottish Premiership run to seven games.
Motherwell hoped to get over their midweek misery and build up some league consistency after a fine draw at Celtic Park last Saturday.
But manager Stuart McCall's decision to make seven changes to his starting line-up backfired as the home side slumped to a third consecutive home defeat.
Henrik Ojamaa made his first start of the season, as did Bob McHugh, who formed a new striking partnership with youngster Lee Erwin.
However, it was Hamilton, with French striker Mickael Antoine-Curier back to lead their attack, who dominated from the start. And within two minutes it was his compatriot Tony Andreu who had the first attempt at goal, when his shot from 10 yards was palmed away by Dan Twardzik.
The visitors were the more settled side and after an impressive build-up Stephen Hendrie's left foot drive from 30 yards ruffled the netting as it flew narrowly over the bar.
It was 17 minutes before Michael McGovern was under any threat. As the goalkeeper raced to the edge of his box McHugh was first to a long through-ball but his cross into the box was cleared.
Otherwise all the action was towards the home goal as a reshaped Motherwell side weathered a series of attacks.
In the 23rd minute Andreu set up Crawford to curl a shot over before a neat turn and shot from Redmond forced a fine diving stop from Twardzik.
Hamilton's domination was finally rewarded after 33 minutes but the goal was a gift from the home side.
Hendrie's long ball dropped at the edge of the box but facing his own goal Zaine Francis-Angol completely missed his clearance, allowing the ball to roll into the path of Andreu who calmly slotted home.
Slack play cost Motherwell a second goal just before the break. Paul Lawson was caught in possession 35 yards from goal and Crawford sped towards the penalty area before confidently firing the ball past Twardzik.
That resulted in two half-time changes from the home side, with Craig Reid replacing McManus and John Sutton coming on for Lawson, as Motherwell restarted with effectively four strikers.
And the bold approach should have been rewarded as the home side bombarded the Hamilton goal for 15 minutes.
After a scramble in the penalty area McGovern made his first save of the game spreading himself to deny McHugh from close range.
Motherwell suddenly looked a lot more of a threatening force and two minutes later the home side should have pulled a goal back. McHugh at the edge of the box nudged the ball in front of Sutton but his effort from eight yards was somehow blocked by McGovern.
McGovern was the busiest player on the pitch and had to throw himself across goal to catch Erwin's header. On the hour mark he again denied Sutton, blocking the striker's angled drive.
Any thoughts of a Motherwell comeback were killed off after 62 minutes. Fraser Kerr and substitute Louis Longridge collided as they chased a long ball into the box and referee Willie Collum immediately point to the penalty spot.
Having missed the penalty shoot-out in midweek, Antoine-Curier calmly sent Twardzik the wrong way to make it 3-0.
Twardzik denied Crawford once again, but not the next time the Hamilton man took aim, firing in his second goal from a tight angle to make it 4-0 and add further misery to a dejected home team.
Source: PA
