MORTON boss Jim Duffy has warned his stars that today's opponents Falkirk are a much better outfit than their current league position suggests.

The Bairns experienced a disastrous start to the 2017-18 Championship campaign and then-boss Peter Houston ultimately paid the price by losing his job.

However, since the arrival of one-time Ton loan star Paul Hartley in October, the well-travelled ex-St Johnstone, Hearts and Celtic midfielder has got them motoring.

Despite picking up good results since the turn of the year, the eighth-placed Bairns are not yet safe from the dreaded relegation play-off spot.

They are currently locked in a battle with ninth-placed Dumbarton as both clubs try to avoid finishing second bottom.

As a result, Duffy is convinced Hartley’s side must not be taken lightly when Ton make the trip to their patch.

He told Tele Sport: “Their form over the last couple of months is actually very good and now they have created a fair gap between themselves and Dumbarton.

“I always thought Falkirk were a team who would improve, absolutely no doubt about it.

“And look at their players. Paul’s a very knowledgeable manager and he’s been there and done it.

“But he’s changed it now with the personnel — and quite dramatically.

“And I think that has shown in their results.

“Even in their Scottish Cup game against Rangers last weekend, there were periods where they played really well.

“And they will take the game to us a lot more than they did against Rangers.

“If you go to Falkirk at any time it’s a very difficult fixture.

“There’s the 3G pitch and, depending on the conditions, it’s open and if it’s windy, it’s quite difficult at the best of times.

“But it does not matter who we play, or how we play, home or away, we’ll try our best and give it everything we’ve got.

“And although they’ll make it difficult, we’ll try to make it difficult for them as well.”

Duffy believes the teams are so evenly matched in the Ladbrokes Championship that no result can be predicted with any amount of certainty.

He said: “That’s the reason why it’s so cut-throat in this division, any team can beat the other.

“The division is notorious in that if you lose a couple of games, you can fall down three or four places.

“And if you win a couple of games you can move up three or four.

“Everyone is so evenly matched. And it’ll remain that way from now until the end of the season, no doubt about it whatsoever. 

“I don’t see that changing.”