Louis Longridge and his Hamilton teammates could be forgiven for nursing a sense of grievance over their defeat at Tynecastle last weekend.

A contentious penalty award by referee Craig Thomson for an apparent trip on Sam Nicholson by Accies sub Shaun Want was hotly contested by the visiting players and management team.

Longridge says though that the Hearts game is in the past, and that extra motivation is certainly not required for this weekend’s Lanarkshire derby against Motherwell.

He reckons the Hamilton players will be wound up enough for the clash with their local rivals without the need for any tub-thumping address from their manager in Fir Park’s visiting changing room.

“It’s the big one being the derby,” Longridge said.

“When you put so much into the game to be done by a decision - we didn’t think it was a penalty - it cost us. Their fans get behind them, they get a lift and the decisions go against us.

“We can’t dwell on that though. Although we felt we should have got something we need to put that behind us and focus on Motherwell.

“There’s no motivation needed for this one. I think everyone can get themselves up for it.

“The record has been pretty good since we came up. We just need to look at that and know if we perform, work hard and want it more then we can come away with all three points on Saturday.

“You know what’s expected. The manager can only get you up for it so much. He just explains that it is a derby and the rivalry throughout the years.

“The players are quite good at motivating themselves and getting themselves up for it. There’s no dramatic speech to be had, he goes through the normal routine for a game.

“The players know the importance of the game and what beating Motherwell means.

“Before other games the manager sometimes emphasises what’s needed. But we know the fact that it’s our rivals the players can get themselves up for it.

“We’ve done that throughout the years and managed to have a good record against Motherwell.

“It’s a very important game but in this league every game is big for us.”

Longridge’s own season had got off to a flyer, with the 25-year-old bagging three goals in league and cup before a hamstring injury curtailed his momentum.

Now fit again, he feels he is ready to again show the improvement that his loan spell at Raith Rovers last season has brought to his game.

“I feel like I’ve been doing well,” he said. “The loan at Raith last year helped a lot.

“I’ve come back fitter, stronger, just feeling good about myself and more confident.

“It’s a pity I picked up a hamstring injury because I felt before that I was in form, my confidence was sky high, but the manager and everyone at the club has been good with me.

“I’ve missed a couple of weeks but I’ve stayed positive and hopefully I can get a wee run-out on Saturday and continue the form I produced earlier in the season and try to get goals.

“That’s the most important thing for me this year. Performance levels previous years have been quite good.

“But I need to add more goals and I’ve managed to do that earlier in the first games of the season.

That’s something I’ll look to continue during the season.”