REPORT: Stranraer 2 Morton 0

The Ton had been in fine fettle prior to the Ainslie Park reverse having gone six games unbeaten, and they were keen to prove it was simply a one-off slip up by returning to winning ways at Stranraer.

But Stevie Aitken’s in-form side only served to sink spirits further with a comfortable 2-0 win that sent the Cappielow club tumbling from the League One summit and down to fourth place.

On a miserably dreich, dark winter day in the former ferry port, Jim Duffy’s men were second best for most of the 90 minutes of a match they ended in a hopeless position with just nine men.

And yet they made such an uplifting start, looking as though they had managed to pick themselves up from their cup catastrophe.

Within three minutes, returning midfield pair Robbie Crawford and Conor Pepper combined to create a fantastic opportunity to take the lead.

Coming in off the right, Crawford took advantage of a wide open Stranraer to slip Pepper through on goal down the inside-right channel.

The Irishman bustled clear but lacked composure at the crucial moment and saw his hurried effort well blocked by outrushing Stranraer goalkeeper David Mitchell.

The earlier pressure was relentless, but there were no takers when Andy Barrowman flashed a dangerous low centre across the six yard box.

Declan McManus, available again after his loan agreement forced him to sit out the Spartans Scottish Cup tie, looked rusty as a poor touch denied him the opportunity to break clear.

When these sides last met, at Cappielow back in mid-August, the match turned irretrievably in the Ton’s favour when keeper Mitchell was sent off for hauling McManus down as he rounded him.

And it looked as though lightning might strike twice when he burst past the custodian and went to ground on 17 minutes.

But the hosts breathed a sigh of relief when it turned out referee Gavin Ross was pointing for a goal kick rather than a spot-kick, adjudging the incident to be neither a foul nor a dive.

With Stranraer pinned back for much of the opening 20 minutes, Ton’s trialist goalkeeper Grant Adam had little opportunity to showcase what he could do.

It wasn’t until right-back Craig Pettigrew unleashed a thunderous rising drive that the he gave an indication of his capabilities with a clean catch, particularly impressive considering the conditions. The effort seemed to herald a momentum shift, with the hosts seeing out the remainder of the half on the front foot even if that was without creating much in the way of clear cut openings.

Crucially, they did manage to score in that period by making the most of a free-kick awarded in a dangerous area after Joe McKee had cut off a home player on the edge of the box.

Midfielder Grant Gallagher took the kick and gave Adam no chance by whipping the ball over the wall towards the top right-hand corner.

The Stranraer No7 could only watch in agony as his effort crashed down off the underside of the crossbar and back out.

But that anguish quickly turned to joy as striker Craig Malcolm reacted quicker than the statuesque Ton defenders and followed up to head into an empty net as Adam scrambled back to his feet.

The remainder of the half passed without much incident besides Pepper picking up what would later prove a significant caution for an overly robust aerial challenge two minutes from the break. After struggling for the first 20 minutes, Stranraer had edged the remainder of the half by becoming increasingly physical and combatant.

Ton needed to emerge for the second half with their sleeves rolled up ready to compete if they were to grind out a result.

And yet they started the second half in the worst possible fashion, showing a real lack of mental resolve by conceding a shoddy second just a minute and a half in.

Defender Pettigrew caught the Ton defence sleeping with a slide-rule pass down the inside-right channel for Jamie Longworth.

While Ricki Lamie was caught in an advanced position in the build-up, Stefan Milojevic wasn’t tight to the Stranraer No 9, which afforded him ample time to pick out his strike partner.

Crighton’s inability to readjust his body and cut out the cross presented Malcolm with the simple task of slotting past the helplessly exposed Adam.

Things went from bad to worse when Crighton was sent off after picking up two bookings in the space of eight minutes.

The first was for two strong tackles in quick succession. Crighton appeared to win the ball on both occasions but left Sean Winter in a heap and must have been cautioned for use of excessive force.

Irrespective of whether or not the first yellow was harsh, to then pick up a second booking, and for pulling back an opponent by his shirt, just eight minutes later was thoughtless.

It came just as Ton had seen a few flickers of hope, with Pepper carving out a promising opening which McManus failed to convert when he swiped at the ball.

Thereafter it was one-way traffic towards the visitors’ goal, with only Adam and linesman Ross Haswell’s flag preventing from deservedly adding to their lead.

Former St Mirren shot-stopper Adam showed a safe pair of hands despite the treacherous conditions as he clutched Frank McKeown’s powerful header from a Gallagher free-kick.

He also held onto Winter’s speculative shot from 25 yards as well as Longworth’s fierce snapshot as the hosts ramped up their hunt for goals. Ton rarely punctured Stranraer’s dominance in the remaining time but were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position on 76 minutes. Joe McKee stepped up and went close to reducing the deficit when his effort clipped the wall and span narrowly over Mitchell’s goal and onto the roof of the net.

It was just a brief interlude, though, and Winter thought he had made it three when Adam made a fine save to thwart former Ton man Stephen Stirling and he pounced to slam into the net.

The home celebrations were cut short when it became clear Haswell had his flag raised for offside against the wideman.

Winter was a man possessed, however, and seemed intent on personally ensuring the league leaders were put to the sword.

On 82 minutes he whipped in a dangerous low delivery that Malcolm stabbed at goal from inside the six-yard box.

The hitman must’ve though he had completed his treble when he connected only to look up and see Adam pull of a sensational point-blank reaction block.

Ten-man Ton were already up against it when Pepper’s aggressive slide tackle earned him a second caution and saw them reduced to nine bodies five minutes from time. An ineffective afternoon was summed up when the usually reliable McManus lashed high over the top from 10 yards after sub Jordan Allan had bundled his way into the box.

There was no respite at the other end, though, as Aitken’s side hunted down more goals with a real zeal.

That Ton managed to keep it down to two was largely thanks to Adam, who made further fine saves to foil Stranraer subs Chris Aitken, Anthony Marenghi and Barry Russell in stoppage time.

On the one occasion they found a way past the 23-year-old, Malcolm was deemed to have slotted home from an offside position.

A Stranraer official confirmed that one of the smallest Ton travelling supports in recent memory amounted to 64 paying customers who entered the stadium via the away terracing.

For a section of them a miserable day was made complete when their coach home was delayed for over an hour after it became mired in mud in the designated parking spot outside Stair Park.