Reid urges Accies to seize final chance

HAMILTON manager Billy Reid is urging his young players to grab the opportunity of being involved in a cup final by seeing off First Division rivals Livingston at New Douglas Park.

Reid said: “In my time with Hamilton Accies as a player and a manager the club have been involved in three Challenge Cup finals. I won one as a player, was suspended as Hamilton won another, and then I was manager when we lost to St Mirren in 2005. They were all great occasions and it would be fantastic for the likes of Stephen Hendrie, Ali Crawford and Grant Gillespie to get that under their belts early in their career.”

Reid welcomes fit-again Lee Kilday and Willie McLaren back into his squad but Alex Neil and Kyle Wilkie both miss out while Jordan Kilpatrick faces a late fitness test.

Livingston manager Gary Bollan only featured in the Challenge Cup once as a player, ironically in a Clyde side managed by Reid, and he is determined to put one over his old boss tomorrow.

Bollan said: “I was in the Scottish Cup final with Dundee United and a League Cup final with St Johnstone but never did much in the Challenge Cup. It is great to have the opportunity to do it as a manager after a couple of disappointing seasons in cup competitions for Livingston.”

Bollan will be without Cameron MacDonald and Keaghan Jacobs. David Sinclair will be included in his starting XI if he passes a fitness test.