BEN Armour insists Morton boss Jim Duffy was right to criticise his players following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Queen of the South at Cappielow.

Ton took an early lead but were pegged back by the Doonhamers before half-time — before eventually succumbing to a second goal after the break. 

The hosts were unable to force a way back into the game and Armour reckons the rollicking he and his team-mates received at full-time was warranted.

He told the Tele: “I know the manager wasn’t happy with the performance. He came in after the game and said that he had asked for a performance and the players didn’t give him one. So we got a bit of a rollicking after the game and I think it was thoroughly deserved.

“It was just absolute disappointment because you want to win every game but it wasn’t good enough on Saturday. We as players know that ourselves.

“But as for the backlash since then, if I’m honest I don’t know too much about it because I’ve been with the 20s the last two days [training on Monday and Sunday’s game against Turriff].”

Armour saw five minutes of action against Queens after penning a contract extension to keep him in Greenock until at least the end of the season. And the 19-year-old insists there’s no place he would rather be after signing on the dotted line to remain a Morton player.

His contract was due to expire in January but he has improved since the summer and made a handful of cameo appearances already this season.

Having proved his worth to manager Duffy, Armour hopes to now be able to switch all his focus back to football after admitting he was beginning to feel a bit nervous about whether he’d be offered a new deal or not.

He said: “I love the club and I love the players. There are four great coaches there who teach you something new every day and the opportunity to stay until the end of the season is fantastic.

“It was creeping into my thoughts that my contract was up in January but I was pleased the manager came in and gave me the extension to allow me to stay and continue to improve.

“It was starting to affect my game a wee bit because I was beginning to over-analyse everything I would do. But I was delighted with the manager’s comments about my attitude because I pay attention to his interviews in the Greenock Tele and with the club. So it’s nice that he has been able to notice how hard I’ve worked.

“The manager offering me the contract two months before my other one ran out removed any worry or doubt in my head and it now allows me to concentrate fully on my football.”