Published: Monday, 23rd November, 2009 2:00pm

Ton's top comeback

TON OPENER: Ryan McGuffie heads strongly into the goal off the right post for Morton's first strike at Airdrie on Saturday. Picture: James McFadden

AIRDRIE 2 MORTON 4

(Airdrie: Nixon 2, Baird 4; Morton: McGuffie 43, Wake 45, 54, Van Zanten 66.)

MORTON boss James Grady talked afterwards of a psychological battle his men had to win on Saturday at the Excelsior Stadium.

Said Grady: "We spoke about it before the game, because they had it programmed into them that if we lose the first goal, nine times out of 10 we lose the game. We had to try and get that out of their heads.

"To be fair, I think we got out of jail at half-time by getting the two late goals.

"Did we merit it? I wouldn't have said so. But we get them in, obviously throw a few teacups maybe, but they came out and, all credit to them, they've dominated the second half.

"We knew we had to match Airdrie's hunger and desire, which we didn't do in the first half.

"Going from last week we knew we could play football. We were wondering did we have the heart and the fight to win the battle and, again, they proved that in the second half.

"And great credit to all the boys because last year I think we would have lost four or five-nil.

"But the thing that won us the game was Colin Stewart. At two-nil he made a great save to keep us in the game. If that goes in the game's dead and buried.

"We can talk about the four goals and the way we played second half, but I think Colin Stewart won us the game today."

Grady went on to say that the main thing was the players getting the belief back, though he stressed that they had to match teams first and work as hard as they possibly can.

"When we drop our levels of work rate and work ethic we are not good enough.

"This is what we've got to keep harping on about. We told them at half-time 'if we don't match Airdrie, we're not good enough to win the game.'

"They've answered us, and that's testament to the boys. They went out there, matched Airdrie - because we knew they would probably be getting a few teacups thrown about in their dressing room - and they did that. They played some decent stuff at times, but when it was there to battle we battled.

"Carlo Monti comes on with two minutes to go and clears one off the line, so it's a team effort."

Asked again about the possibility of extending David Van Zanten's contract beyined January, Grady replied: "I'm desperate to do that. I've always said that if we bring players to this club, I don't want them to think of Morton as the be-all and end-all.

"I want ambitious guys who want to go to a higher level - no disrespect to ourselves - and if they get to that level they've obviously been doing well for Morton. So, it's a two-way street.

"At the Christmas party we'll be there with the cameras so that we can force him [Van Zanten] to sign.

"Hopefully we'll be signing Alan Reid this week. That's his third game as a trialist."

Brian Wake grabbed another brace in successive weeks and said: "Four goals, I've got to be happy with that, but the most important thing is a couple of victories, because we were down at the bottom.

"We want to kick on now and try to get a good run going. I think we showed a bit of character today after going two down in the first 10 minutes.

"When Ryan McGuffie got our first goal it gave us a bit of momentum and it was really important. Then we managed to get another before half-time.

"It was nice to go in level. We always thought in the second half we could go and win the game.

"I had a chance with a header when anywhere else it's a goal, but you just have to keep going and thankfully we went on and scored a few more. The important thing is we don't rest on our laurels."