MORTON manager Jim Duffy says his side deserve massive credit for managing four league wins on the bounce and hopes they can make it a famous five with a derby win over St Mirren.

Ton have picked up 12 points over the course of the last month, beating Alloa Athletic,  Dumbarton, Livingston and Queen of the South to move up to fourth place.

That impressive run currently makes them one of the form teams in the country, with only Celtic and Hibs presently on a longer winning streak.

Despite winning League One last term, the Ton did not manage to win five league games on the bounce, and achieved it just once during the 2012-13 campaign in which they finished second to Partick Thistle.

The Greenock men have the opportunity to equal that run in style tonight in a high-profile derby screened live on BBC Alba.

And Duffy says their recent form has given them a valuable platform as they attempt to record their visit competitive win in Paisley since triumphing 5-1 at Love Street in 1999.

He told the Tele: “To win four league matches in a row in this division is, for us, a club at our level coming up last year, a fantastic achievement and the players deserve a lot of credit for it.

“It’s difficult to win a succession of games in any league at any level, so to do that is pleasing — but you want to win another one, to keep it going.

“And this is the one the fans want you to win. We understand that — the derby against St Mirren is one you always look forward to

“When you play it on a Friday night there’s a wee bit of extra spotlight on the game, like there was the last time too, and that’s good for both clubs and both sets of players.

“But we also have to understand what it means to us as a team: winning another match gets you three more points, keeps consistency and confidence levels high and keeps your momentum going.

“We know the next few matches ahead of us will be extremely tough, but hopefully the players can do themselves justice. The run we’ve been on gives us that bit of a platform to go on and continue doing well.

"We do go into these matches with a bit of belief, a bit of confidence. We know that if we work as hard as we have been working, it doesn’t matter who we play we have a chance of being successful.

“If we continue to have that commitment, work ethic, and desire to try and win matches, and continue to work as hard as we have done, we’ll always have a chance in any game. And if the players show the same desire tonight as they have done all season then it will be a tough match for St Mirren.”

The Buddies, by contrast, come into the game on the back of three consecutive defeats, but Duffy expects the Paisley side will be looking at this clash as an ideal opportunity to ignite their season.

He added: “On the flip side, if it hasn’t been that way, sometimes these are the games that can turn your season. I’m sure St Mirren will be looking at it that way. They’ve had a sticky start and they know a win against us will get their fans back onside again and give them belief they can go on a good run.

"We know that they’ll have that extra determination to kick-start their season, to get it back on track really.

“They’ve changed their management structure there by bring in Alex [Miller], who is a guy I know very well.

“He is a terrific coach with a really good knowledge of the game and he’ll use his experience to try and improve things quickly alongside Ian Murray.

“But they have their jobs to do and we have our jobs to do and that’s to try and continue winning matches and showing people we’re a decent side.”

Ton already hold a 12-point advantage on their arch rivals and could extend it to 15 points with a victory.

But Duffy considers analysing such possibilities as a negative way of thinking and if anything would be casting glances upwards to close the gap on the teams above. He said: “I don’t look and think if we win this it will give us a gap over St Mirren or anyone else. People will say it gives you breathing space.

“But to my mind that tells you you’re almost allowed a couple of bad results. But that’s not what I want the players thinking. I don’t want them thinking they can take the foot off the gas, saying to themselves: ‘Oh well, we’ve got that cushion therefore if we lose two and they win two, we’ve still got this over them …’

“To me that’s too negative. The gap is immaterial to me, it’s about building something positive and closing the gap on the teams in front of you, if anything.

“The target is to win games and get as many points on the board as we can and see how many we can accumulate, to push yourself and stretch yourself over a season, not look over your shoulder.”