DECLAN McManus converted an injury-time penalty as Morton came from two goals down to claim a draw with Brechin City at Cappielow this afternoon.

Despite a reasonable start from the hosts, they found themselves trailing after former Ton striker Andy Jackson opened the scoring on 10 minutes.

It was an appalling goal to concede, with Kyle McAusland breezing past a flat-footed Stefan Milojevic and picking out a criminally unmarked Jackson, who had time to control and fire home.

Ton went to pieces afterwards and were all over the place at the back as the Glebe Park outfit threatened to run riot.

They doubled their advantage on 18 minutes, Jamie Masson lashing past Derek Gaston after McAusland had pounced on a Lee Kilday error and fed the Aberdeen loanee on the overlap.

It was 2-0 at half-time but it could have easily been four or five if ex-Ton youth player Alan Trouten had brought his shooting boots or if an alert Gaston hadn’t twice raced off his line to clear.

Jim Duffy resisted the temptation to make changes but saw his side emerge from the game with a draw after an improved second half.

Ton dominated possession, with Jamie McCluskey and Jon Scullion offering encouraging flashes of ability that suggested they were capable of making something happen.

And it was McCluskey who threw them a lifeline on 64 minutes when he accepted a Scullion pass and charged forward down the right before finding the net with a powerful angled drive.

They upped their search for an equaliser but were left frustrated time and again as they struggled to get the breaks in the final third – until the second minute of stoppage time.

It was then that a hopeful Joe McKee ball into the box was handled by Paul McLean and McManus assumed responsibility from 12 yards, confidently firing into the top-left corner.

Although they were more of an attacking force in the second half, they were still far from secure at the other end and looked capable of conceding almost any time Brechin broke on the counter.

Never was this more evident than when, after salvaging a draw in stoppage time, they almost contrived to throw it away again seconds later.

Bobby Barr burst clear down the left and burrowed into the box all too easily before finding Trouten with a precise pull-back.

But Gaston was equal to the effort, plunging low to his left to make a heroic block and ensure his side would claim their first league draw this term.

Morton (4-2-3-1): Gaston; Kilday, Milojevic, Lamie (S. McCluskey, 80), Russell; McKee, Miller; J. McCluskey, Scullion, McManus; Barrowman ©.

Subs not used: Crawford, Allan, McNeil, Cairnie, Adam [Trialist] (gk).

Booked: McManus (43), Russell (60), Scullion (68).

Brechin City (4-4-2): Smith ©; McLean, McLauchlan, D. McCormack, Hamilton; Barr, Fusco (Molloy, 77), McAusland, Masson; Jackson (Thomson, 90), Trouten.

Subs not used: Ferguson, Cameron, McNeil, J. McCormack, Tough (gk).

Booked: Barr (66), McAusland (80), Masson (90), D. McCormack (90+2).

Attendance: 1,108 Referee: Stephen Finnie