Hamilton head coach Brian Rice has praised his side for their performance in a 2-0 win over Kilmarnock last weekend.
But he has warned them to keep 11 men on the pitch for the Betfred Cup last-16 clash against Killie at Rugby Park.
Rice has lost defender Brian Easton to a two-match ban following his dismissal against Angelo Alessio's side on Saturday.
That means the experienced former Burnley and St Johnstone stopper misses the game in Ayrshire and the derby visit of Motherwell on August 24.
Rice said: "We beat Kilmarnock, but they know what we’re all about as well.
“It’s a different game on Saturday and I’m not naive enough to think that because we won we’ll be favourites going down to Kilmarnock.
“We have to try to put in the same performance, keep 11 men on the pitch, and see where we are.”
Rice praised his side for their performance in the 2-0 win, and admitted he had been grumpy all week.
The Accies head coach was left fuming after last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Ross County, but said everybody stepped it up and bounced back well.
“I’m absolutely delighted with every single player,” he said. “We were surprised and shocked last Saturday with the performance but football gives you a chance to rectify that quickly.
“Even if we hadn’t won, giving a wholehearted performance – a typical Hamilton performance – was what I was looking for, and I think we got that in abundance.
"We played with 10 men for 35 minutes against the third-best team in Scotland in Kilmarnock, who haven't had many changes to their team from last season, and to get a clean sheet, put our bodies on the line, to make saved and clear it, and to score two goals, it has been a great day.
“Great credit to the players. It’s the easiest thing in the world to knock the players when they don't perform. I've told them they have to take it on the chin, and they've got to bounce back, and I couldn't ask for any more than what I got on Saturday.
"I'm happy that we got a clean sheet and with the way we defended, and I'm absolutely delighted for the fans.
"Quite a few travelled up to Dingwall last week and we let them down badly, so I hope they went away with their mates and enjoyed a pint or two, went home, had a good night and thought 'my team did me proud today'."
Rice added: “I want the players to go and enjoy themselves. I’ve been hard on them all week, I’ve been a grumpy person all week with them because every game is important to me and I take everything personally.
"I've been really bad this week from last Saturday, I felt I had let everybody down, and my missus has called me for everything, saying I'm a grumpy bugger!"
