Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin says he has banned all talk of their SPFL Trust Trophy Final with holders Raith Rovers next month.
The New Douglas Park side will be contesting cup silverware for the first time in 11 years when they take on Ian Murray’s men at the Falkirk Stadium on Sunday, March 26.
But Rankin insists his players have been warned to focus on their relegation battle in the Championship - and nothing else.
Accies face a huge week in the league with back-to-back games against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the space of four days and Rankin told Lanarkshire Live Sport : “I’ve banned all talk about the cup final.
“I’m not interested in the cup final right now.
“It’s six weeks away and I have said that to the players. They have been told in no uncertain terms to just focus on the next game in front of them.
“I’ve got a focus on what I want to do at this moment and we will tackle games one at a time over the next six weeks.
“The cup final has been put to bed for now and it’s one we can think about nearer the time.”
The SPFL have confirmed the cup final will have a 4.15pm kick-off and the clash will be shown live on BBC Alba.
Accies will be competing in their fifth Challenge Cup final, having lifted the trophy in 1992 when they defeated Ayr and in 1993 with a win over Morton.
They have lost their last two finals in the competition, having been beaten by St Mirren in 2007 and Falkirk in 2012.
Sixteen-year-old Ryan One hit an extra-time winner to get Accies into this season’s showpiece, as Accies edged past League One side Queen of the South with a 2-1 victory.
Rankin added: “We got through the semi-final last week and it was a great occasion, great for the players and great for our academy that one of our 16-year-olds came on and scored the winner.
“But our sole focus is on Inverness.
“We can’t have any distractions like cup finals, until the week of the game.”
Inverness - who Accies knocked out of the Trust Trophy in December - play host in the Highlands on Saturday before the sides meet again in South Lanarkshire on Tuesday night, when Accies play the game in hand they have over nearest rivals Arbroath.
Going into Saturday, Accies are just three points adrift of Arbroath and face a side they have beaten in both of their previous meetings this season.
However, Rankin will be wary of Billy Dodds’ side having seen them stun Premiership Livingston in the last 16 of the Scottish Cup as his side lost 2-0 to Hearts.
He said: “Inverness go in off the back of a great result last week. Going to Livi and winning 3-0 - I don’t think anyone saw that coming because it is a tough venue to go to.
“But they did it and they will be buzzing being in the quarter-finals of the cup.
“We go into off the back of our first defeat in seven games so we are looking to get back on a run again.
“We’ve already been up there this season and we know how difficult it will be to get something from the game, like we managed last time we were there.
“We set standards up there the last time and we need to find them again.”
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