Hamilton Accies star Brian Easton feeling positive about Championship campaign after agonising cup exit

Hamilton Accies skipper Brian Easton insists the club have plenty of positives to take into their league campaign after narrowly missing out on the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup.

The New Douglas Park side were held to a 1-1 draw by Queen's Park on Saturday and even though they earned a bonus point with a 5-3 penalty shootout win, their second place finish with eight points in Group H wasn't enough to claim one of the three best runners-up spots.

After opening their campaign with a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Dundee, Accies recorded wins over Stranraer and Forfar before the stalemate with the Spiders and Easton reckons their response to that first match gives him reason for optimism ahead of Saturday's Championship opener at home to Morton.

He said: "Obviously our target was nine points after that first game with Dundee and we haven't quite made it.

"The most disappointing thing is after the way we played in the first half - where I thought we were excellent - we let it drop in the second half and that's what has cost us the game.

"We started so well. Right from the kick-off we were full of energy and pressing them with intensity. We played some good stuff, created chances, but it's frustrating we didn't get that going in the second half.

"We found ourselves dropping deeper and we didn't keep the ball well.

"It's a goal from a set play that we've lost and that's really disappointing as well.

"But there's loads of positives to take from this cup campaign.

"I think after the Dundee game we've kicked on. There's been a lot of good signs in the last three games, there's been a couple of young boys getting their debuts as well and that's what this club is all about.

"It's amazing to see, especially being involved with the