After battling back to beat Stirling Albion 4-3 in their last game of 2014, Ton boss Jim Duffy decided to stick with the same team against Diamonds.

The only change involved goalkeeper Derek Gaston, who suffered a recurrence of his recent thigh problem and was replaced in the starting line-up by trialist Grant Adam.

Adam came under early pressure and was forced into a couple of punched clearances as well as two straightforward saves as Airdrie got at the shaky home defence.

Morton eventually settled around the 30-minute mark, and Conor Pepper, Declan McManus, and Andy Barrowman all passed up excellent chances to score.

But the Greenock men’s recent history of conceding immediately after half-time would, crucially, repeat itself.

They shipped a goal just over one minute into the second period against Stranraer, while Peterhead’s Jamie Stevenson netted following just 13 seconds of play.

And it was around 90 seconds after the break today that Jim Lister forced Nathan Blockley’s low cross into the net from barely one yard out.

Ton controlled the majority of possession thereafter but lacked quality in the final third as well a sense of urgency at times and couldn’t make the breakthrough.

Top scorer McManus went closest, crashing a snapshot off the face of the crossbar on 63 minutes in what was his last appearance before heading back to Aberdeen for the rest of the season.

For those left behind at Cappielow, a major upturn in form is necessary if they are to achieve promotion to the Championship.

Morton (4-4-2): Adam [Trialist]; Kilday, Crighton, Milojevic, Russell; Pepper (Orr, 78), McKee, O’Ware, J. McCluskey; Barrowman ©, McManus.

Subs not used: Miller, Allan, Lamie, McNeil, McGowan (gk).

Booked: Milojevic (71).

Airdrie (4-4-2): McNeil; O’Neil, Gasparotto, Richards-Everton, Bain; Docherty (Watt, 72), Blockley, Fitzpatrick, Fraser (Gray, 78); Lister, Prunty.

Subs not used: Boyle, Stewart, Watson, Richford, Ferguson (gk).

Booked: O’Neil (66).

Attendance: 1,712 Referee: Nick Walsh