MORTON manager Jim Duffy reckons Hibernian were more than deserving of their victory on Saturday and that the table-toppers are streets ahead of his Ton side in terms of strength in depth.

The Greenock men were swept aside by an impressive Hibs outfit that included Jason Cummings, on-loan Birmingham City midfielder Andrew Shinnie and former English Premier League striker Grant Holt. 

And it was that sort of class which oozed from Hibs all afternoon that Duffy was talking about when he admitted his team were outfoxed by a superior side on the day.

Duffy, pictured, said: “We have to accept that the level Hibs are at is a million miles away from where we are just now. We were beaten by a very good side.

"They had good quality both with and without the ball. Whenever we had it they didn’t give you a minute to breathe.  

"They are really on top of you, and physically they were stronger than us. But they were very good technically as well.

“Hibs have so many options now; you look at their strength and look at their bench and the players that weren’t even playing and the new signings they’ve got. 

“They’re at a different level from most clubs in this division, I know they were strong favourites [to win the Championship] but they’ll be even stronger favourites now.”

Despite his disappointment, Duffy was still quick to praise his team’s work ethic. And while he knows his side weren’t at their best on Saturday, he accepts the gulf in class had a major impact.

He said: “The players never caved in. They had the right attitude, they worked hard, they kept chasing back even when they made mistakes but we were beaten by the better side.

“We didn’t play at our best and that’s the only thing that disappoints me. If you play at your best and you’re beaten by the better team then you get on with it. But we underperformed a bit and Hibs, with and without the ball, were on a different level.”

There was a tinge of controversy in Hibs’ second goal when Grant Holt rose highest to head in from a John McGinn cross. The former Norwich City attacker seemed to bundle into Ton goalie Derek Gaston but referee Alan Muir saw nothing wrong with the leap. 

And while Duffy believes it should have been a foul on the keeper, he admits that even had it been chalked off, it wouldn’t have made a difference to the result in the grand scheme.

And the gaffer also remembered the stroke of luck his side received during last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Dumbarton when referee Mat Northcroft ruled out what looked to be a late Sons winner for a similar looking incident.

He continued: “I thought it was a free-kick on Gats because he’s got a lump on his thigh from the challenge and I think he had the ball in his hands.

“But I don’t think it had an overall effect on the game in terms of who would’ve won, but if it’s 1-0 or 2-0 it is a big difference in terms of going in at half-time when you can keep it nice and tight as long as you can.

“I do think it was a free-kick but I’m not going to stamp my feet about it because sometimes you get them and sometimes you don’t. Last week we got a break and today we didn’t.”