MORTON and Hamilton Accies shared seven goals at Cappielow on Saturday in a match that made entertaining viewing for neutrals.

But when all is said and done it was another ultimately unproductive afternoon for the home side who slipped to their fourth consecutive defeat.

What should be viewed as a positive will ironically be the most significant source of frustration as a toothless Ton team who have struggled for goals still lost despite scoring three times.

It was the first time they had scored more than one goal in a match since beating Dumbarton 2-0 on 9 November last year.

The fact that the last time they had managed to hit three or more in a league match was in a 5-2 win against Airdrie in April last season is a sad indictment of the current campaign.

On the flip side of that coin, it was the most they have conceded in a match under Kenny Shiels and the first occasion in which they have let in more than two goals.

The Northern Irishman has implemented a shape and organisation that has made his side much harder to break down than they had been before he took charge.

But Saturday harked back to some of the more suspect defensive displays from earlier in the season as Ton fought back from behind three times before shipping a fourth goal three minutes from time.

Alex Neil’s Accies came into the match on the back of a five-game undefeated run, of which four were wins, in need of three points in their battle with Dundee for top spot.

They made a positive push from the first whistle and opened the scoring on 13 minutes when Jason Scotland forced home from a Louis Longridge cross.

It was all too easy, with Longridge allowed to burst clear and centre for the unattended Scotland to convert from close range.

A Scott Taggart slip inside the box presented Scotland with an opportunity to double his tally five minutes later.

The Trinidad and Tobago international failed to capitalise, however. He wrapped his foot around the ball perfectly well but there was too much elevation on the effort which sailed over the top.

Taggart was responsible for fashioning an opening at the right end shortly afterwards when he released Archie Campbell with a precise pass down the inside-right channel.

Campbell controlled, pushed the ball out from his body and drilled for goal, but the finish lacked finesse and Kevin Cuthbert saved without much fuss at his near post.

But the ex-Morton goalkeeper was beaten all ends up when his former side levelled for the first time through Rowan Vine on 22 minutes.

The Englishman has now scored four times in his last three matches, including a reserve double, and his confidence was clear for all to see in the way he dispatched his finish.

He nonchalantly stepped onto Fitzpatrick’s square ball after it was missed by Campbell and bent a calm finish round a defender’s desperate attempt to recover and into the bottom corner.

Hamilton offered an instant response and went close to retaking the lead twice within the space of 60 seconds.

A mix-up between Darren Cole and Gaston saw the defender leave a dangerous Grant Gillespie cross, catching out his shocked goalkeeper who shot out his left leg to divert the ball wide.

They were fortunate again when unmarked Hamilton skipper Martin Canning met an Ali Crawford corner with a downwards header that bounced past the left-hand post in what felt like slow motion.

It was a particularly shaky period for the Ton defence, but centre-half Cole impressed in an attacking sense on 34 minutes.

In a moment of true class, the former Rangers man demonstrated real core strength to outmuscle Jason Scotland before releasing Campbell with a cleverly disguised reverse pass.

The slightly off balance Campbell was overambitious with his effort, though, shooting from an incredibly tight angle at which it would have taken an extraordinary finish to beat Cuthbert.

Vine too shot straight at Cuthbert, a four-on-two counter-attack was wasted, while Imrie was booked for an alleged dive inside the box as the hosts finished the half on the offensive.

But it was Accies who started off the second period in a more threatening manner, with James Keatings unleashing a rising drive that flashed a foot over Gaston’s crossbar.

And it was no surprise when they restored their advantage eight minutes into the second half through Louis Longridge.

There was no pressure put on Ziggy Gordon by either Imrie or Fitzpatrick, allowing the marauding right-back to look up and send a teasing cross towards the far post.

Liveley Longridge arrived right on cue and, exposing the lack of height and experience of Ton debutant Craig Knight, powered over the top of the teenage right-back to plant a firm header past Gaston.

Things threatened to fall apart for the home side as Fitzpatrick and Vine had a heated argument in front of the main stand which required manager Shiels to step in.

Yet, perhaps emboldened by the adrenaline burst, it was Fitzpatrick who tied things up at 2-2 when he scored on the hour.

And by coincidence it was Vine’s attempt to slip the left-back in on goal that led to the fortunate equaliser.

Defender Gillespie panicked and slashed at the ball in front of his goalkeeper, who looked set to gather with ease, sending it straight to the grateful Fitzpatrick.

But no sooner had he side-footed into the empty net than Ton found themselves trailing again. The teams were on level terms for just four minutes this time.

The impressive Longridge bagged his brace by firing off a shot from the edge of the box which took a wicked deflection off Stuart Findlay and sailed over the helpless Gaston into the top-left corner.

Ton didn’t let their heads go down, however, and Campbell created panic in the Hamilton ranks when he forced Mikey Devlin to turn the ball over his own bar with a fierce volley across goal.

Defender Devlin came close to putting through his own net on that occasion but found he wasn’t as fortunate when Morton restored parity for a third time on 83 minutes.

Ten minutes earlier, Garry O’Connor replaced Vine in a substitution that left some fans scratching their heads and the frustrated Englishman shaking his.

However, it was former Scotland internationalist O’Connor who opened his Cappielow account with a low shot that span around Cuthbert after taking a deflection off Devlin.

The build-up was a thing of beauty, particularly Fouad Bachirou’s precision cross-field pass to pick out Barrie McKay. The Rangers loanee then teed up fellow sub O’Connor 22 yards out.

Sadly for the hosts, there was more drama to come. Just when it seemed like the sides would have to settle for a share the spoils, second-placed Hamilton grabbed a late winner.

Longridge was allowed to wriggle away from Cole and into the box all too easily and fired across the face of goal for sub Mickael Antoine-Curier to tap in on the line and take the points.