MORTON’S hopes of avoiding relegation were all but ended today with a 1-0 home defeat to eighth placed Alloa Athletic.

It was a crushing blow in their bid to beat the drop and leaves them 12 points adrift of Cowdenbeath, who beat Dundee, and 15 behind third bottom Raith Rovers.

Manager Kenny Shiels made changes in an effort to improve his side’s attacking potency, switching to a 4-1-3-2 formation.

Archie Campbell took Barrie McKay’s place in the starting line-up and partnered Garry O’Connor in a two-pronged strikeforce.

After an open first 15 minutes in which the game swung from end to end, Alloa went ahead through Ryan McCord.

The midfielder ghosted in behind the static Ton rearguard and had all the time in the world to control Graeme Holmes’ clipped pass and fire past Derek Gaston.

Thereafter, the hosts were second to every ball and totally disjointed in their attempts to attack. They had the look of a group of strangers thrown together.

They did manager to end the half on front foot, though, with O’Connor and Dougie Imrie both going close in the closing minutes of a dreadful first 45 minutes.

Six minutes after the restart, Gaston made a fantastic one-handed save to deny Eddie Ferns and keep his side in with a chance of a comeback. But it was not to be. Darren Cole fired narrowly over the top, Marc Fitzpatrick failed to hit the target after sub David Robertson teed him up inside the box, while McKay fired two efforts straight at Scott Bain.

The chance of the second period fell to Rowan Vine. The former Hibs man was well off the pace in the first half but improved after he was moved up front on 55 minutes.

It was on 66 minutes that he burst onto a Dougie Imrie cutback and pushed past a man, creating space for a clear shot on goal.

However, his left-footed finish was far too close to goalkeeper Bain, who dived to his right to make a save he really shouldn’t have had a hope of getting to.

And the tin lid was put on a miserable afternoon when skipper Imrie was shown a straight red card for a last-man challenge on Wasps sub Derek Riordan.

Morton (4-1-3-2): Gaston; McCormack (Robertson, 55), Cole, Findlay, Fitzpatrick; Taggart (Smith, 80); Imrie, Bachirou, Vine; O’Connor (McKay, 55), Campbell.

Subs not used: O’Brien, O’Ware, Russell, McIntyre (gk).

Booked: Vine (28), Findlay (48).

Sent off: Imrie (90+2).

Alloa Athletic (4-3-1-2): Bain; Doyle, Gordon, Lindsay, Meggatt; Young, Simmons, Holmes; McCord (Flannigan, 85); Ferns (Riordan, 79), Cawley.

Subs not used: Tiffoney, Creaney, Caddis, Kirk, McDowall (gk).

Booked: Simmons (75), Gordon (82).

Attendance: 1,628 Referee: John Beaton