ROBERT Earnshaw, Paul Hartley, Paddy Connolly, Andy McLaren, Paul McGowan, Stuart Gray, Sean O’Connor, Eddie Annand, David Witteveen, Stuart Findlay and even current manager Jim Duffy.

Morton have a reasonable record when it comes to exploiting the loan market — and in Aberdeen striker Declan McManus they look to have hit the jackpot.

Last night, the 20-year-old frontman helped himself to a memorable 12-minute hat-trick to book the Cappielow club’s place in the quarter-finals of the Petrofac Training Cup.

Ton were making heavy weather of Berwick Rangers and found themselves facing extra-time after Lee Currie followed up Nicolas Caraux’s spot-kick save to score deep into stoppage time.

But while everyone of a blue and white persuasion was left exasperated at the thought of 30 more minutes, McManus saw only opportunity.

For him, extra-time offered a further half hour to make his full-time fitness count and boost his goal record.

And that he did with a remarkable, rapid-fire treble that took his Ton tally to a frightening five goals in his last two matches, and three appearances in total, after his Saturday double against Stranraer.

It was a breathtaking end to an evening that began in inauspicious fashion for the home side when Berwick took a surprise lead after just nine minutes.

Scott Maxwell was the scorer, leaving Caraux stood like a statue as his rasping shot crashed into the net after cannoning off the underside of the bar.

The lead lasted just five minutes, however, as the McCluskey brothers – making their first ever appearance together in the same team — rather fortuitously combined to bring the Ton level.

McManus, though, was the architect, picking up possession wide on the right before delivering a low cross towards Stefan McCluskey arriving at full pelt at the back post.

Stefan, making his comeback after four weeks on the sidelines with a dislocated shoulder, choked his connection.

But he will be able to claim an assist after big brother Jamie followed in to stab home the loose ball and spare his younger sibling’s blushes.

Visitors Berwick did not let the equaliser spook them and offered a spirited response by testing Caraux, back in from the start after two games on the bench, three times in quick succession.

On 22 minutes, playmaker Currie’s sizzling rising drive was plucked out of the air with authority by the Frenchman.

Paul Willis was next up to try his luck, firing in from an angle after Sean Crighton had bravely blocked Berwick player-boss Colin Cameron’s initial strike.

The effort looked to be heading just wide of the left-hand post, but Caraux was not to know that and made sure he would be safe and not sorry by springing to his right to tip the ball around the upright.

And former RC Lens custodian Caraux denied Willis for a second time by dropping to his left to smother the wideman’s scooped shot from the edge of the box.

Despite some industrious play, it was the 31st minute before the hosts created another opening worthy of note, Jamie McCluskey releasing McManus with a perfectly-weighted slide rule pass.

The Dons kid hadn’t found his shooting boots yet though and saw his finish creep past the left-hand post after he’d rolled the ball beyond the outrushing Berwick keeper Billy Bald.

At the opposite end, Willis was simply allowed to stroll through the heart of the Ton midfield and defence unopposed on 43 minutes.

But Caraux was proving a formidable last line of defence and managed to push the Berwick No7’s shot onto the inside of the post with his fingertips.

The visitors’ failure to beat the Ton custodian for a second time was cruelly punished with just seconds of the first half remaining.

Jamie McCluskey was the creator this time, swinging over a teasing cross that Thomas O’Ware did superbly well to guide towards goal with a looping header that dropped in off the top of the left post.

It was O’Ware’s first goal since being deployed as a makeshift striker and boy did he enjoy it, leaping and punching the air in celebration as he headed back to the halfway line.

The visitors started the second half on the front foot but could not find a way to put the ball in the net.

Caraux was grateful to grasp headers from Jonny Fairbairn and Dean Hoskins and also patted down a David Gold shot from distance.

The home supporters were left groaning as their favourites laboured and failed to trouble their League Two opponents.

They were struggling to get a foothold in the middle, with Conor Pepper and in particular Joe McKee failing to assert themselves against a midfield marshalled by 41-year-old Cameron.

Yet, only a last-ditch, goal-line clearance from Steven Notman prevented them from adding a third on 83 minutes when McManus wriggled clear and slotted under Bald.

As the clock wound down, it looked as though the Ton had managed to ride out Berwick’s late push and eke out a second 2-1 win against them without managing to play particularly well.

That was until referee Barry Cook pointed to the spot in the fourth minute of added time for what he perceived to be a Ricki Lamie barge on Gold inside the box. It looked soft to say the least.

Nevertheless, Currie stepped up and placed his penalty low to Caraux’s right. The Frenchman guessed correctly and blocked.

But before anyone could exhale their sigh of relief, Currie followed up and knocked in the rebound to deservedly send the tie to extra-time.

After a less than impressive second 45 minutes, the next half hour was all about Morton — and McManus in particular — as they stepped up through the gears and showed their superiority.

After knocking on the door from the resumption, they went ahead on 105 minutes in spectacular fashion.

Renowned as a penalty-box predator, McManus proved he has other strings to his bow by unleashing a blistering 25-yard thunderbolt that fizzed into the top-left hand corner.

His second goal, on 114 minutes, showed off his more obvious attributes, namely his acceleration and composure in front of goal.

Surging clear of the visitors’ defence after fastening onto an O’Ware flick-on, he drew Bald, poked past the keeper as he raced out to meet him, nipped round the other side and swept home.

And McManus completed his first senior hat-trick three minutes later when he gathered a low cut-back from sub Lee Kilday, worked a yard of space and swept under Bald. Even a late red card for Jamie McCluskey, who picked up a second yellow for an alleged dive, could not put a dampener on an evening set alight by Morton’s latest loan star.