MOTHERWELL boss Stuart McCall admits Hamilton Accies must be classed as favourites for tomorrow's Lanarkshire derby.

But he insists the form of both teams going into the League Cup tie will count for little when they lock horns at New Douglas Park.

Accies have stunned many with their meteoric surge up the SPFL Premiership table since gaining promotion in the summer with four wins and two draws from seven games propelling them to third.

Meanwhile, their local rivals Motherwell find themselves seven places worse off having suffered from a slow start to their campaign which has at last shown signs of promise in recent weeks.

The Fir Park club have established themselves in recent decades as the top team in Lanarkshire, with sustained success in Scotland's top tier being complemented by several jaunts into Europe.

But with Hamilton riding high at this early stage of the season, McCall said: "I'm under no illusions as to how tough a game Wednesday night will be.

"Hamilton are where they are on merit. I've seen them a couple of times this season and they deserve to be high in the league.

"It's a derby and it's on their artificial pitch, which they play well on. But that won't be an excuse.

"We now have to go there and show the same desire and togetherness that we did at the weekend. It will be a different type of game, but one that everyone in Lanarkshire will look forward to.

"If you look at the points and goals Hamilton have had this season and where they sit in the league they will be favourites.

"We've had a couple of decent results which will give us confidence but I think in a derby it doesn't really matter that much how teams have been playing.

"Going into it on the back of two good results our confidence is high, but we'll need to be at our best."

While Hamilton go into the tie on the back of a six-game unbeaten streak, Motherwell are also in buoyant mood courtesy of a promising run of results.

After last weekend's 2-1 win in Dingwall, McCall's team secured a landmark 1-1 draw at Parkhead on Sunday, their first point at the home of Celtic for five years.

The Well boss recognises the boost that result has given his team, and he hopes it can be the catalyst for a sustained cup run - starting tomorrow.

"I think our record at Parkhead has been poor. We've scored a fantastic goal and got a deserved point. But the season starts now for us," said McCall, whose side were dumped out of the League Cup and Scottish Cup last year at the first hurdle by Aberdeen and Albion Rovers, respectively.

"It's naturally important for a cup run. We're all aware of the disappointments in those tournaments recently. Some games have been unfortunate with the way they have gone.

"We all want to better in the cups but I'm sure Hamilton will want to do the same.

"It's an area we want to improve on and I feel it's an area we can improve on. That's what we'll be aiming to do."