MORTON were knocked off the top of the First Division as Hamilton Accies won 2-0 at Cappielow to end Ton's 100 per cent home record.

After having slightly the better of the match, Allan Moore's men were sunk by subs Paul Currie and Grant Anderson, both of whom grabbed a goal apiece in five devastating second-half minutes.

The defeat sees Morton drop to fourth in the league after managing to cling to top spot as defeats against Queen of the South and Partick Thistle sandwiched a narrow victory over Falkirk.

With Andy Graham suspended and Stuart McCaffrey and Michael Tidser ruled out through injury, Ton boss Moore reshuffled his pack.

Marc Smyth started in the centre of defence for the first time in eight matches after finishing the 5-0 defeat at Partick there. His place in midfield was taken by Kevin McCann, while Peter Weatherson came in at right-back.

With the teams placed first and third in the table at the start of the day, the opening 20 minutes had the feel of two heavyweights tentatively feeling each other out.

The first attempt on goal took 24 minutes to arrive. Former Ton midfielder Jim McAlister, who made 272 appearances in eight years at Cappielow, fired off a dipping left-footed volley which forced Colin Stewart into an acrobatic save to tip the ball over the crossbar.

Morton were next to threaten when Weatherson released Peter MacDonald with an intelligent through ball, but the striker failed to pull the trigger and the chance was gone.

Weatherson took it upon himself to try and break the deadlock with a long-range drive which flew wide, and a 30-yard free-kick held by Tomas Cerny.

The sides went in at the interval locked at 0-0, which was a fair reflection of the game, as neither side had been particularly dominant.

Ton were missing playmaker Michael Tidser, whose ability to put his foot on the ball in the centre of the park was conspicuous by its absence.

The hosts started the second half much the better team, and would have taken the lead but for some inspired goalkeeping by Cerny.

In the 51st minute, the former Czech Republic under-21 scrambled across his line to claw a MacDonald header behind after Paul Di Giacomo had picked out his team-mate with a dangerous centre.

The Hamilton number one had the woodwork to thank for keeping his clean sheet intact when, from the resultant corner, Marc Smyth's acrobatic overhead kick cracked against the bar.

Cerny thwarted Ton again just after the hour mark by springing to his right to push Di Giacomo's angled drive wide, after Fouad Bachirou had created the chance.

The hosts were dominating the game, and a home goal seemed inevitable. However, this was something Accies boss Billy Reid was clearly aware of, and he made three substitutions in quick succession - and the treble change paid off in sensational style.

Just two minutes after entering the field, former Stenhousemuir winger Grant Anderson whipped over a searching cross for fellow sub Paul Currie to head home from close range after ghosting into the box unnoticed.

Then, in the 77th minute, the energetic Anderson pounced on Grant Evans' sloppy backpass and strolled round Stewart before firing into an empty net to wrap up the points.

The manner in which the goal was conceded seemed to serve a real psychological blow to a Ton side whose collective body language was now that of a beaten team.

And although they were offered a glimmer of hope when Cerny looked as if he would have to be replaced between the sticks by an outfield player after picking up an injury, the keeper decided to play through the pain barrier and help his side see out the game and leapfrog Morton in the table in the process.