MORTON boss Jim Duffy admits he’s disappointed to be without Michael Tidser and Connor McManus for this afternoon’s trip to Paisley — because games can be won and lost in the engine room.

Ton are without both players going into the second derby of the season and Duffy says the team will miss the pair of them. 

But Duffy insists he’ll make sure the players who are available for selection are fully prepared for the battle that lies ahead.

He said: “The injuries are not ideal because it’s in an area where you want to have more options. 

“It’s a dynamic area of the pitch where players put in an awful lot of work and one you can’t run out of steam in.

“That’s where the games are played mostly these days.

They’re played at 100 miles per hour, particularly the derbies, so ideally you’d love to have more options in that area.

“But that’s unfortunately where we are and what can happen in football. 

“You have to focus on who is available and make sure we get the right balance in the team and the correct team selection. 

“If we do that we’ll have a good chance at getting a positive result.”