Hamilton skipper Brian Easton made Scottish Cup history with St Johnstone and hankers for a repeat with Accies.

The 33-year-old defender was in the Saints side when the Perth club won the trophy for the first time in 2014 with a 2-0 win over Dundee United at Celtic Park.

Ahead of Accies’ home third-round tie against St Mirren on Saturday, where he will make his 400th career appearance, Easton recalled the pinnacle of his career to date and revealed his dream of bringing the Scottish Cup to Hamilton for the first time.

And the academy graduate takes inspiration from the fact St Johnstone beat Livingston in this season’s Betfred Cup final.

“It was an unbelievable day (2014), a great year and the medal is displayed nicely in my living room,” said Easton.

“I can still have a look at it but the memories are still pretty fresh in my mind and I am still proud of it.

“Ever since that day, every year, every cup competition, there is that wee thing inside your head that says ‘if you get the right draw or you are good on the day we can go all the way’.

“I think that every season, not expecting to win something but believing it can happen.

“The last four years or so you are maybe thinking you can’t see past Celtic, and the way Rangers are playing this year you can’t see past one of the Old Firm winning it, but the League Cup knocked that on its head.

“If you are not looking at that thinking ‘that could be us’ then you need a bit more ambition.

“But you need to take it game by game and St Mirren on Saturday will be a tough game.”

Any cup success this season may have to be earned without striker Marios Ogkmpoe, whose hamstring injury picked up against Hibernian on February 20 now looks to have ended his season.

Manager Brian Rice said: “I am not hopeful that he will play before the end of the season.

“I would like to think he would but I am not hopeful at all.”

Rice, whose side sit bottom of the Premiership, is excited about the fixture.

He said: “It is a Scottish Cup tie and we want to win the match.

“We know the league is very important, I am not underestimating that, but, to us, so is the Scottish Cup.”

Reegan Mimnaugh and Charlie Trafford are out with knocks but Jamie Hamilton returns to the squad after recovering from injury.