ALEX NEIL hailed his sharp-shooting Accies attack as they fired out of the blocks to keep up the pressure on title rivals Dundee with a 3-0 win over Alloa on Saturday.

Louis Longridge had the visitors ahead after just 26 seconds at Recreation Park and the game was all but over by the midway point of the first half as James Keatings converted from the spot and Tony Andreu netted from close range.

Victory away from home keeps Accies just one point behind the Dees at the top of the Championship standings and Neil was delighted to see his side hit the ground running once again.

He said: "In the last two games we have played really well in the first half and that was just another example of it on Saturday.

"The game was done and dusted by half-time at 3-0. It should have been four, but Ali Crawford's strike hit the bar.

"I thought we played some great stuff and controlled the game. I am really pleased for them. They deserve all the credit, they were excellent."

With just 10 games remaining this term, Accies are well in the hunt for the second tier title, with third-placed Falkirk keeping up their promotion bid with a 4-2 win over Raith at the weekend.

Dundee were 2-0 winners at home to Morton, but Neil insists he won't cast an eye over the fortunes of Hamilton's promotion rivals.

He said: "As I have said to the players, we are not focusing on what is happening in the league, we are just focusing performance wise and making sure we are playing well.

"We are taking each game as it comes. We have done that in the last three games and it has served us well."

While Accies eased to a comfortable three points on Saturday, Paul Hartley's team had to sweat it out until a late Paul MacDonald strike added to Christian Nade's first Dundee goal to sink bottom of the table Ton.

Defeat leaves the Cappielow club 12 points adrift at the foot of the standings and boss Kenny Shiels was frustrated as his side fired a blank.

He said: "We just did not have enough about us to convert anything. It is disappointing again to have no goals to show for our efforts and to lose again. But it is a transitional period for us and Dundee are working hard to get into the SPFL."

Elsewhere in the Championship, Dumbarton dropped out of the play-off positions as they went down 3-1 at fellow promotion hopefuls Queen of the South.

Sons sub Michael Miller netted a consolation for Ian Murray's side at Palmerston as they saw their eight-game unbeaten run come to an end and the Rock boss admits the visitors got what they deserved from a below-par showing.

He said: "The first 45 minutes was a really poor performance. Nobody in this league is good enough to perform like that and expect to win."