MORTON were unlucky not to finish their season with a bang as they went down 1-0 to Falkirk in a spirited performance yesterday.

All eyes were on the home men as they looked to clinch the points needed to finish second in the Championship and avoid the potential banana skin of a two-legged affair with Raith Rovers in the first round of the play-offs.

But the Greenock men certainly showed they weren’t just there to make up the numbers and on another day and with a bit more composure in front of goal it would have been the Ton heading back to Inverclyde with the spoils.

But with Rangers drawing at St Mirren and Queen of the South losing to Hibs, a fifth-place finish was secured. That coupled with two quarter-final places in the two national cup competitions means everyone can be happy with a job well done at Cappielow this season.

The home side started the game brightly knowing an early goal would put paid to any nerves that might build from a partisan and noisy crowd of more than five thousand. 

This almost paid off as early as 40 seconds in when a throw-in into the box was not dealt with. The ball fell to John Baird from around six yards out. The diminutive striker could not make the opportunity count as he could only prod the ball straight into the grateful arms of Derek Gaston in the Ton goal.

This was to be the pattern of the early stages, with the Bairns passing the ball around well and Morton sitting back and looking to hit on the break. It has to be said that Ton boss Jim Duffy had his troops set out well and they looked organised and resolute at the back as the hosts looked for a breakthrough.

Falkirk were continuing to press but could only muster a few crosses into the box none of which caused any great concern to Gaston or the Morton central defensive partnership of Luca Gasparotto and Michael Miler

The first half looked to be petering out to a stalemate when in injury time the game saw its first real flash of controversy.

That man Baird was involved again, running at the Morton backline only to topple over a Gasparotto challenge as soon as he made his way into the penalty box.

At first it looked a soft decision and the Morton players were up in arms as Kevin Clancy pointed to the spot.

However, having seen a replay at half-time the decision looked to be the right call. It was all academic though as Baird stepped up to take the penalty only to see his effort saved by Gaston much to the glee of the 325 travelling Ton fans as they let the ex-St Mirren man know exactly what they felt about it in what was to be the last action of the first half.

Whatever Falkirk gaffer Peter Houston said to his men at half-time it certainly did the trick as they came out of the blocks firing in the second half and took the lead within four minutes of the restart. 

A Lee Miller cross was missed by the Ton defence only for Falkirk centre-back Paul Watson to come ghosting in at the back post to head into the back of the net and send the home crowd into delirium. 

Perhaps the ultimate irony being that Watson is only a Falkirk player because Hibs refused to offer him a deal after a pre-season trial. This lead was not the springboard for Falkirk many thought it would be and as time went on the home men retreated further and further back as the nerves took hold.

Morton were coming more and more into the game and could have been level on more than one occasion. Ross Forbes had a free-kick well saved by Rodgers and Declan McManus blazed over when he should have scored after an electric run that left four Falkirk players in his wake.

The on-loan Fleetwood striker did have the ball in the net in the 87th minute when he ghosted in behind the Falkirk defence and slotted under Rodgers but he was adjudged to be offside. 

McManus protested he was onside but the rest of the Ton camp did not seem too perturbed by the decision.

The last few minutes were absolutely frantic as Falkirk lost all composure and shape, throwing themselves at everything that moved. In the end though the Ton could not find a breakthrough and it was the home men who were celebrating at the final whistle. 

Houston was the first to comment on the away team’s efforts after the game and said: “Morton were a very good side, I’ve said that after every time we’ve played them.”