MICHAEL Doyle says Morton must cut out the mistakes or risk more disappointments like Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Dundee United.

Ton left Tannadice disappointed to have lost a game that they deserved something from and Doyle insists he and his mates in the squad should have ‘shut up shop’ after Bob McHugh bagged the equaliser.

But the visitors were unable to hold out and a defensive mix-up allowed Australian international Scott McDonald to score the winner for the Tangerines.

The 26-year-old pulled no punches in his assessment of his side’s defending at the goals, saying: “We’re really disappointed, especially to lose a goal like that in the last few minutes when we should have just held out. 

“We need to learn from that. The first goal was similar to their chance in the first half when Gats pulled off a fantastic save and we need to learn.

“Unfortunately we didn’t because it happened again and it was almost identical. 

“We’ve equalised thanks to big Ricki Lamie heading the ball across and Bob McHugh doing what he does best, he’s a goalscorer.

“But we should have just killed the game there. We need to learn from it all. Coming away from Tannadice at 1-1 is not a bad point because we were doing really well. 

“But it’s just really disappointing to lose a goal the way we did. 

“It comes off the post and they get a bit of luck with Scott McDonald being in the right place at the right time.

“He’s made a career out of that. So it’s a tough one to take, the boys are really gutted. 

“We’ve had a couple of chances at the end there but we’ve got to be better defensively to hold games out. 

“A 1-1 draw wouldn’t have been a bad result so we’re gutted. We should’ve just shut up shop and took the point.”

Ton were denied what looked a stonewall penalty in the last few seconds when Robert Thomson headed a Gary Harkins corner off the outstretched arm of United defender Stewart Murdoch.

From Doyle’s point of view it was a stick-on. 

But the defender admits his team were ultimately undone by their own inability to hold out as opposed to not being handed a spot-kick at the death.

He added: “I thought his hands were very high, the ball has hit his hands above his head. 

“I don’t think he has necessarily meant to hand ball it but his arm is raised well above his head.

“But these decisions go your way or not, they’ll even out over the course of the season. 

“We can’t say that the reason we’ve lost is because we didn’t get a hand ball. We’ve got to cut out the mistakes and work on it.”