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Hamilton progressed on penalties following a goalless League Cup draw with local rivals Motherwell.

Simon Ramsden was the only player to miss from the spot, with Craig Watson converting the crucial kick to make it 6-5 in the shoot-out.

Accies lost Stephen Hendrie to a second booking on 66 minutes, while Motherwell twice hit the woodwork.

Motherwell's Mark O'Brien was dismissed for during extra time, also for picking up two yellow cards.

It was frustration for Motherwell, while the victors were drawn to face Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

The raucous nature of a derby encounter was limited to the two sets of supporters.

A flare was let off in the Motherwell end, sending smoke billowing out towards the pitch. It provided a distraction, not least from events on the field that had been earnest and industrious, but lacking any imagination or cutting edge.

The pace was swift enough to suggest that a breakthrough might be possible, but the passing of both sides in the final third tended to be scrappy.

Half-chances were collated, almost as if out of a sense of obligation.

Louis Longridge saw a shot blocked inside the penalty area, and Lionel Ainsworth sent an inviting cross flashing across the face of the Hamilton goal, but there were no takers.

There was effort, industry and plenty of sweat spilled for the cause, but little accomplishment.

Motherwell goalkeeper Dan Twardzik had to punch clear from underneath his own crossbar following an Alex Neil header, while another Longridge effort drew a fine acrobatic save from Twardzik.

With Neil controlling the shape and tempo of Hamilton's play from a deep-lying midfield role, the home side were solid and offered little opportunity for the visitors to impose themselves.

The play was aggressive enough for the game to be littered with yellow cards, including the Motherwell centre-back Mark O'Brien being booked inside the away dressing room during the interval, after a bad tackle on the cusp of half-time.

The bookings left several players vulnerable to their impetuosity.

Hendrie was booked in the first half for a foul on Lionel Ainsworth and received a second yellow card for a trip on the same player in the 65th minute.

The visitors might have felt there was an element of justice in the decision, since they were aggrieved by another decision by the referee Craig Charleston moments earlier.

Ainsworth struck a shot from the edge of the area that ricocheted off some Hamilton defenders, prompting loud claims for a penalty by the Motherwell players, but they went unheeded.

Encouragement surged through the visiting side, and Sutton swept a shot wide while grounded inside the six yard box, then Vigurs' shot from close range brought an acrobatic save from Michael McGovern, the Hamilton goalkeeper.

Good fortune was also on hand to assist the home side, since even when Motherwell did break though the Hamilton defence, Law's shot struck the crossbar. The ball rebounded to Ainsworth inside the penalty area, and his first-time effort struck the post.

As if to compound their frustration, Motherwell were also reduced to 10 men in the first period of extra-time.

O'Brien was penalised when Ali Crawford bounced off the defender as they challenged for the ball and despite it not looking like a foul, Charleston showed the defender his second yellow card of the evening.

The earnestness and work rate continued, but even when Longridge had an opportunity in the final moments, he pulled his shot wide.

Only penalties could separate the two Lanarkshire sides on the night. Sutton, Stephen McManus, Henrik Ojamaa, Jack Leitch and Josh Law all scored for Motherwell, while Grant Gillespie, Crawford, Mikey Devlin, Longridge and Dougie Imrie all scored for Hamilton before it went to sudden death, when Hamilton prevailed.

Hamilton player-manager Alex Neil: "It's good to be in the next round.

"I've got about seven first-team players out at the moment.

"I had three 18-year-olds playing towards the end with 10 men and one of the 18-year-olds pops up and scores the winning penalty, so you couldn't really write the script.

"For the last year and a bit everything seems to be really falling into place.

"One thing about us is we've got huge energy in the squad. We're doing well at the moment, we're proving a hard nut to crack."