THE initiation process at Hamilton Academical can be pretty gruelling.
Teenagers eager to join the first team are subjected to various tests of their character, the latest of which probed whether they could survive the intensity of a local derby before prospering via a penalty shoot-out. Once again, they passed with flying colours.
The boldest of the bunch was Craig Watson. The 19-year-old volunteered to take a penalty following 120 minutes of goalless League Cup action and was pencilled in to take the sixth, if required.
Ten perfectly executed kicks meant sudden death and, after Motherwell's Simon Ramsden saw his shot saved by Michael McGovern, the spotlight fell on Watson. He would later claim to be "very nervous" as he made the long walk up to the penalty spot from the halfway line, but there was little sign of it in his demeanour. One comfortably despatched shot later and Watson had booked Hamilton's place in the quarter-finals.
"I was very nervous taking it, but I've thought about chances like that all my life when I was growing up," he said. "You always think about scoring the winning penalty in a shoot-out. I took no chances with it. Normally, I'd put it to the side, but I took no risks and just put it down the middle.
"Nobody was missing [their penalties] and I began to think it might come down to me. I was sixth to take one, so when Michael saved their sixth one, I realised it would come down to me. It was a long walk to the penalty spot, that's for sure. I volunteered to take one as I was quite confident. These chances don't come around too often and I thought I may as well just go for it."
It may be asking too much to expect Hamilton and their band of baby-faced brothers to keep this form going for the remainder of the season, but so far it is all going rather swimmingly indeed. Third in the SPFL Premiership with just one defeat in seven, and with a League Cup quarter-final tie against Aberdeen to look forward to, there has been little sign of nerves or insecurities overwhelming the side just promoted in the summer. Injuries to senior figures have presented an opportunity to the club's army of youthful aspirants and none have let the side down.
"If you look at the team the other night it was full of academy graduates," added Watson. "The gaffer has faith in the younger ones. If you look at the bench there was me, Greg Docherty, Jaison McGrath and others. Young players are always in and about the squad. For the younger ones at the club, it's good to know that if you stay you'll get your chance.
"I made my debut in 2012 against Ross County but didn't get much game time after that. I was in and out the squad with a few appearances last season, but I'm hoping to get as much game time as possible this year."
Hamilton have never won a major honour in their 140-year history and a tie at Pittodrie makes their chances of going all the way in the League Cup difficult to say the least. However, they are not without hope.
"It will be a big ask to get through, but we'll give it our best shot," added Watson. "Our first team is as good as any in the final third of the pitch, and we're solid at the back as well.
"We can't get too carried away, but our start to the season has been fantastic. I just hope it can last as long as possible."
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