The hosts had sold creative fulcrum Scott Allan to Celtic on the eve of the game, and they missed his ability to unlock defences as they struggled to score against the Ton.

Jim Duffy’s men defended stubbornly - with debutant Luca Gasparotto impressive at the back - as well as riding their luck at times to go in at the break goalless.

They could, in fact, have been leading had Peter MacDonald or Stefan McCluskey managed to convert excellent opportunities fashioned on the counter-attack.

After watching his side fail to make the most of their stranglehold of the ball, Alan Stubbs turned to his bench and replaced sitting midfielder Marvin Bartley with Cummings on 57 minutes.

Within 30 seconds of joining the action, the forward stole into the Morton box unchecked to steer David Gray’s low cross past the exposed Derek Gaston.

It was a poor goal to concede and proved to be the decisive moment of a game in which Ton had just fallen short against one of the top teams in the division at one of the most testing venues.

Despite the outcome, this newly promoted Morton side can draw encouragement from elements of a respectable performance ahead of next Friday’s derby date with St Mirren.

Morton (4-4-2): Gaston; Kilday, Gasparotto, Lamie, Russell (Stevenson, 79); Pepper, Miller, Forbes (Barr, 75), McCluskey (Sabajo, 83); MacDonald ©, Johnstone.

Subs not used: Scullion, Cairnie, Orr, Adam (gk).

Booked: Forbes (37), Lamie (51).

Hibs (4-1-4-1): Oxley; Gray ©, Hanlon, Fontaine, Stevenson; Bartley (Cummings, 57); Boyle (Stanton, 85), Fyvie, McGinn, Carmichael (Henderson, 69); Malonga.

Subs not used: Harris, Dunsmore, Martin, Reguero (gk).

Booked: Fontaine (24), Boyle (36).

Attendance: 8,923 (572 away fans) Referee: Craig Charleston