Dun and dusted

They might have already been relegated to League One, but there was an unexpected exuberance about the celebrations that accompanied their shock win over table topping Dundee.

Maybe it was a simple case of schadenfreude or an instinctive territorial pride shared by a support delighted that a league rival could not lord any potential success over them in their own stadium.

Either way, this unexpected triumph was a rare bright spot in an otherwise dark and dismal season and provided a weary fanbase with a brief injection of enthusiasm.

Although it was otherwise meaningless for Kenny Shiels’ already doomed side, this was a result that had real significance in terms of the title race.

It allowed Hamilton Accies to leapfrog the Dark Blues at the top of the table after their own victory at home to Alloa.

Falkirk, too, hauled themselves back into the thick of things by besting Raith Rovers 2-1 and currently find themselves two points off the summit.

Ton could still have more to say in terms of the trophy’s final destination as they face the Bairns at Cappielow next week and then travel to New Douglas Park to face Accies on the final day.

And for a side with nothing to play for except pride and potential contract extensions at Cappielow, or elsewhere, those occasions could provide a welcome motivation to perform. It certainly seemed to have the desired effect heading into the top versus bottom clash at the weekend in any case.

Whilst Paul Hartley’s side were recording a resounding 4-0 win over Cowdenbeath the previous week, Morton were relegated after their lame 2-0 loss at Alloa Athletic.

And with the Dark Blues requiring the three points in their bid to stay a step ahead of Hamilton at the top, a convincing away victory seemed something of a formality.

Shiels stuck with the exact same starting XI which suffered that stinging loss at the Wasps, with teenage left-back Mark Russell handed his first home start.

Dundee included ex-Ton men Jim McAlister, Willie Dyer and Peter MacDonald, and it was midfielder McAlister’s corners that caused problems in the first half.

He picked out Declan Gallagher with a precise flag-kick on 19 minutes, but the towering defender headed over the bar unopposed at the near post.

However, just like they had in the League Cup tie against Celtic, Ton survived a barrage of corners – 13 to their own zero in the first half alone – as they kept Dundee out.

On 23 minutes a corner from the opposite side was cleared as far as Nicky Riley, who headed back into the danger area.

MacDonald, who was recently shortlisted for the Championship player of the year award, fastened onto it in a flash but saw his snapshot turned wide by Derek Gaston’s outstretched right foot. In the meantime, Morton skipper Dougie Imrie was forced off for treatment after he was left covered in blood from a head wound caused by an elbow from Iain Davidson.

The former Raith Rovers man somehow went unpunished for the at-best careless connection but then received a caution for dissent due to cursing after a throw-in went against him. Go figure.

Although there was a steady flow of traffic towards Gaston’s goal, Dundee did not create much in the way of clear-cut openings.

And when they threatened to, Ton’s young defence, with an average age of just under 20, did well to snuff out the threat. Celtic loanee Stuart Findlay in particular was coming up with the answers whenever Dundee asked questions of him, with one expertly-timed tackle on Riley inside the box particularly impressive.

Fellow teenager Russell was also catching the eye at left-back. The 18-year-old has a reputation for being an unflappable figure. Not much seems to faze him.

And that was on clear display on the half hour when he allowed a cross from the opposite side to run across his body before hooking it nonchalantly over Martin Boyle’s head and bombing forward. On the occasions the visitors did find a way through, Gaston was proving unbeatable between the sticks.

Like when MacDonald’s quick thinking saw him send Craig Wighton clear on goal with a dinked free-kick while Morton were in the midst of organising themselves.

Gaston was maintaining his own vigil, however, and bounded from his line to confront the callow striker.

Faced by that imposing figure, the Scotland Under-17s frontman attempted to lob the ball over him but saw his effort batted down by Gaston with the authority of a towering NBA star. Yet it was the hosts who crafted what was arguably the best opening of the first half less than 60 seconds after that save.

That paragon of honest endeavour, Fouad Bachirou, led the charge, sweeping forward before feeding Barrie McKay on the edge of the box.

With the merest of connections, the Rangers loanee intelligently flicked the ball on through a gap in the Dundee rearguard to thread Rowan Vine in on goal.

The Englishman was handily positioned 12 yards out with just Kyle Letheren to beat but scooped a woeful effort high over the bar before casting a glance at the turf to blame a bobble.

Dundee stepped up through the gears at the beginning of the second half but still could not find a way past Gaston. MacDonald, Ton’s top scorer in both of his seasons in Greenock, was not at his deadly best and would prove to be the main culprit in his side’s failure to score.

Within 10 minutes of the restart, the 33-year-old hitman had missed a hat-trick of excellent opportunities.

First, he dragged a harmless left-footed shot across the face of goal after a simple up and under caught the Ton defence cold.

A similarly direct approach presented MacDonald with another opening five minutes later. His initial chest control and turn was sublime; the sliced finish which swung wide not so much.

But his most regrettable miss, and consequently Gaston’s premier save, came on 54 minutes when Gallagher’s cushioned header found him free six yards from goal.

He looked the proverbial mile offside, and this might have been on his mind when he pulled the trigger and saw Gaston block his unconvincing finish.

A Riley shot from distance was flipped over the top while sub Christian Nade fired into the side netting after the Ton No1 had forced him wide.

However, the keeper’s afternoon came to a premature end after a collision with Findlay left him nursing a thigh injury and unable to continue, with Nicolas Caraux coming on in his place.

After riding their luck in that period, Ton were creeping into it and had a few glimpses of goal at the other end.

In a sign of things to come, Imrie whipped narrowly wide from just outside the box after Vine had battled to tee him up on 65 minutes.

Bachirou then combined with Darren Cole down the right and burst into the box to meet the centre-half’s return cross with a volley which span wildly off the outside of his boot and away from goal.

The sudden surge of Morton pressure sparked the home support - including a boisterous hospitality section - into song, and the increase in volume had the cyclical effect of spurring the players on.

They seemed to take a visible lift, none more so than Vine, who showed great perseverance and tenacity to burrow his way into the box down the right on 77 minutes.

After wriggling along the byeline, he picked out Imrie with a measured pull-back, and the club captain slammed a side-footed effort high into the top-left corner from 12 yards.

It was Imrie’s ninth goal of the season, and sparked the sort of celebrations not seen since he netted his penalty at Parkhead last September.

The club’s Under-11 and 12 sides, gathered in club tracksuits at the back of the Cowshed after playing earlier in the day, created a memorable scene as they streamed down the stairs to join in.

And Bachirou could have taken the roof off the place had he converted McKay’s angled pass nine minutes from time. His lung-bursting break through the centre took him into nosebleed territory, though, and his effort was blocked by Letheren.

Imrie, meanwhile, put the exclamation mark on an all-action display when he popped up on the line to hook clear from MacDonald and effectively seal Ton’s first home win over Dundee in five years. When the full-time whistle sounded, it was greeted with a defiant fervour and passion that was as impressive as it was unexpected when the match kicked off.