LAWRENCE Shankland couldn’t wait to get back on the scoresheet for Morton against Hibs on Saturday afternoon — claiming he was always going to take the penalty kick after it was awarded by referee Bobby Madden.

Shankland sprinted to pick up the ball for the spot-kick after Jamie McDonagh was fouled by Darren McGregor, following the substitution of designated taker Michael Tidser moments earlier.

And the on-loan Aberdeen ace says there was NO chance he was going to pass up the opportunity to hit the leveller for his first goal since January.

He told the Tele: “It’s been a while since my debut here when I scored, so when the penalty came up I was quick to get my hands on the ball, and I was hitting it.

“Michael Tidser usually hits them and he had just went off — and I remembered that right away as soon as the penalty was given! I just bee-lined for the ball and got my hands on it, and luckily stuck it away.

“It was an important goal to score. Hibs are obviously a strong team and it’s a big point for us. It’s a good team coming here and we’ve come from one goal behind as well, that was a big goal obviously to get us level and I’m delighted.”

Shankland believes Ton deserved their point against the table toppers and that the Greenock men held their own again against Neil Lennon’s side.

And the striker praised Morton’s defence after another solid display against the likes of Jason Cummings, ex-Ton star Brian Graham and former Norwich City striker Grant Holt.

He said: “We definitely deserved the point. Look at the table, Hibs aren’t up at the top for no reason. 

“They’re there because they’re a good team with huge resources. 

“They’re a strong side, you seen that with the goal where Cummings has stuck it away well.

“I think we more than matched them all over the pitch at times. The pitch made it a bit sticky and there were a lot of long balls with the dry conditions, but we battled away and matched the battles on the pitch.

“I thought our back four in particular were really good for us and going forward we had to try and do what we could do. Thankfully that was get the penalty and a draw.”

Twenty-one-year-old Shanks was unlucky not to score last weekend against Dumbarton, and was equally unfortunate not to start Saturday’s clash after being dropped for Gary Oliver.

But after Oliver went off injured on 40 minutes, his team-mate was allowed the opportunity to ruffle Hibs’ feathers, and he believes he did well against Efe Ambrose and McGregor at the heart of the visiting defence — insisting that the type of game it was on Saturday suited his playing style to a tee.

He said: “It’s a good squad we’ve got, and I think you don’t mind not playing if it’s a good player playing ahead of you. That’s the squad we’ve got here, so I had no complaints whatsoever about not starting the game.

“I just had to be ready for when the gaffer gave me the call and Saturday was earlier than usual because Gary Oliver took a knock and had to come off. 

“The kind of game with long balls and turning them, battles with defenders, probably suited my game. 

“That’s the kind of player I am, I like to back into defenders and give them a problem that way. Whereas Nizzy [Aidan Nesbitt] and Gaz [Oliver] run off them and play.Those kind of games suit me better and I thought I did well. 

“I enjoyed it, I gave them a couple of problems and managed to create the pass for the penalty. And it’s always good to get on the scoresheet.”