The home club's only cause for concern about energy levels related to a set of floodlights which failed while the only worry regarding local enthusiasm levels was that more than 2000 seats were unoccupied at New Douglas Park for this extraordinarily one-sided Lanarkshire derby.

Facing a side that had won its previous two matches under new manager Ian Baraclough the Hamilton supporters who did give their team the backing they deserve could not have hoped to match the unanswered four-goal romp they enjoyed at Fir Park in September so to better it in claiming their biggest win over their near neighbours in 80 years brought unimagined glee.

"I don't think it gets much better, but I think I said that after the four nil game," said Alex Neil, the player-manager who is doing so a remarkable job on and off the field.

"The performance we put in was first class today from start to finish. It's probably as complete a performance as we've put in."

Since the ground can hold more than 6000 it really is a shame that only 3926 people, some 40 per cent of them (1596) aligned to the visitors, opted to spend Ne'er Day afternoon there because his team is a true joy to watch, offering everything a genuine football supporter could want to see from those representing his or her club.

The effectiveness of their defending is helped hugely by the pressure applied to opponents in every part of the field before opponents can get to the back four, let alone goal-keeper Michael McGovern. There is no shortage of creativity either, particularly from Tony Andreu in the middle of the pitch and, in his different way, Dougie Imrie out wide.

In tandem with fellow snarling midfielder Darian Mackinnon, the urgent tone is meanwhile set by Neill which is accentuated by his on-field presence but was evident even in his injury-enforced absence this season, reminder of which was offered when they more than doubled yesterday's margin of victory after he departed with a hamstring niggle which he put down to old age.

He was right, too, to point to the harassing of opponents by substitutes Danny Redmond and Eamonn Brophy deep in both opposition territory and injury time, as evidence of how they go about their business, while their collective goal threat was demonstrated by yesterday's sharing of the spoils.

"We had five different scorers and to be honest it could have been more," said Neill.

"We had a lot of good chances and at times we were a bit wasteful, but it's pleasing that you can say that after having scored five.

"The work ethic, what they're capable of doing and the quality we have in the side came together today and I thought we showed how good we can be."

It was evident from the off that the form which probably made them the SPFL team of 2014 would carry into 2015 for at least a day, to the extent that some were wondering whether Simon Ramsden's eighth minute departure was tactical given what Ian Barraclough had witnessed to that point in his first derby in charge.

Motherwell's new boss confirmed afterwards that it was down to injury and in any case they went behind within 30 seconds of the blameless Lee Erwin taking the field when Andreu sent Imrie into space on the left and he drilled a left footed shot past Dan Twardzik''s right hand.

As Baraclough subsequently acknowledged Motherwell were being roundly beaten in every department, albeit the second took longer to come than it might, Imrie cutting the ball back from the right byeline in looking to return the favour to Andreu whose shot was parried, only for Ali Crawford to react first and thump it high into the net.

Mickael Antoine Curier spurned several chances, including two golden ones either side of the interval, but finally made the scoresheet in 65 minutes with a combination of slight clumsiness and self-aware composure.

Crawford had broken from inside his own half and, with a three on two in favour of the attacking side, delivered early to the striker who, on taking possession inside the box on the left side, initially seemed to take too long in shifting the ball onto his right, half stumbled past Fraser Kerr, but thereafter rounded Twardzik before virtually walking the ball in.

Imrie's harassment of Craig Reid after the full-back looked to have dispossessed him, let him feed Crawford who in turn slipped the ball back to let Andreu slot his well deserved goal and in the dying stages Redmond's persistence in the face of further weak defending, earned him the fifth.

A bleak rainy day for Motherwell, then, whereas the only thing that came close to darkening Accies' day was that illumination problem which demonstrated that not even a ground with an artificial pitch is safe from the Lanarkshire elements.

Never, apparently, has the word floodlight been more apt, but referee Crawford Allan had the common sense to realise that those functioning were ensuring that all in attendance could and should get to witness the clear difference in quality between these sides.