THERE may well be Morton players still scratching their heads today and wondering how they walked away from Saturday’s match at Stenhousemuir empty handed.

Despite taking the lead through Declan McManus and throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Scott Booth’s side in the second half, the Ton left Ochilview on the short end of a 2-1 scoreline.

It was a particularly frustrating final 40 minutes for the Greenock men in which they failed to convert any of a hatful of chances and saw four penalty claims rejected.

A combination of resilient Stenny defending, the absence of a clinical cutting edge and some questionable refereeing calls prevented them from at least taking a share of the spoils.

Referee Alan Muir, below right, though, was public enemy number one for the visiting contingent after waving away those appeals, two of which looked nailed on, even on first viewing.

But before that eventful second half came to pass, Ton had gone through the motions in a very poor first 45 minutes from their perspective.

After a lacklustre opening period against Airdrie a fortnight ago, Jim Duffy had demanded his side come out and perform for the full 90 minutes against league leaders Dunfermline.

His call was answered in fine style as his players took the game to the Pars from kick-off right through to full-time. However, Saturday’s start recalled that anaemic first 45 against the Diamonds.

Stenhousemuir, on the other hand, radiated the same energy and sparkle that the Ton had against the title favourites last week.

Two of the Warriors’ star men on the day were right midfielder Gary Oliver and attacking midfielder Sean Dickson, and the pair combined on two minutes to send a signal of things to come.

Intelligent No10 Dickson was the creator, threading a pass between Thomas O’Ware and Ricki Lamie for Oliver, whose low shot was carefully smothered by Derek Gaston.

Stenny’s lone striker Martin Grehan was proving tough for O’Ware and Sean Crighton to handle, and he used his strength to hold off O’Ware before swivelling and firing a snapshot over the top.

Lamie then gifted Grehan possession with a sloppy pass but had fellow full-back Lee Kilday to thank for bailing him out by getting back in to prevent Oliver from reaching the hitman’s through ball.

Captain Crighton summed up proceedings at this stage as he attempted to elicit an emotional response from his team-mates: “C’mon Morton, we’ve not started here!” It took until 28 minutes for the visitors to register an effort worthy of note, when McManus darted to the near post to meet a Jamie McCluskey cross from out on the left.

A glancing blow might well have found the net but the striker met the centre with a full-blooded header that fizzed wide.

League One’s top marksman had signalled his intent, and fired off a stinging drive from the edge of the box one minute later.

In a moment that summed up the steel shown by Stenhousemuir on the day, both former Morton skipper Stewart Greacen and Kieran Millar threw themselves in the firing line to block.

Millar appeared to bear the brunt of the impact and was forced off for treatment while Joe McKee took the resultant corner. And it was from this set-piece that Morton would take the lead.

Midfielder McKee flighted his flag-kick beyond the far post where Crighton rose highest to head back towards goal.

McManus showed sharp predatory instincts by positioning himself immediately in front of goalkeeper Greg Fleming and flicking the ball over the custodian to open the scoring.

It was a lead their performance had not merited and one they would meekly surrender within two minutes with a goal alarmingly reminiscent of two they shipped up at Forfar last month.

As they were on those occasions, Ton were caught out on the counter after challenging for the ball on the halfway line.

On this occasion, Crighton stretched to get a foot in but only succeeded in pushing possession to Oliver who quickly released Dickson with a clever reverse pass.

Dickson outstripped the chasing McKee and squared for Grehan who gleefully swept a first-time finish under Gaston to restore parity.

Yet, Ton could well have gone in at the break leading when McKee picked out O’Ware with a teasing free-kick from out on the right flank.

Like he had on three separate occasions last Saturday, the defender leapt like a salmon but failed to hit the target with his header, bulleting it back across goal and wide of the upright.

Had O’Ware found the net, it would have been incredibly harsh on a Stenhousemuir side who had been on top for the majority of the first half.

And they picked up where they left off after the interval, turning the game on its head by taking the lead on 48 minutes. Intelligent attacking midfielder Dickson was causing the visitors problems and it was he who found the net with a firm header after Grehan and Oliver had combined to open Ton up down the right.

Kyle Faulds was afforded far too much space on that same side moments later and picked out Ross Meechan’s lung-busting run. Fortunately for Ton, the right-back miscued and screwed his shot wide.

The visitors had conceded two poor goals and were not at the races until they were seemingly jarred into life by a sense of injustice.

Over the course of the final 40 minutes, referee Muir waved away four penalty claims, two of which video and photographic evidence have suggested were clear spot-kicks.

The man in the middle waved away appeals when Warriors goalkeeper Greg Fleming felled McManus after the hitman had run clear and knocked the ball round him on 53 minutes.

On closer inspection of video footage and a press photographer’s still pictures, it appeared clear that Fleming, who was celebrating his 28th birthday, had cleaned out the Aberdeen loanee.

Three minutes later, Muir ignored another roar for a spot-kick when Robbie Crawford’s cross was blocked by Millar’s hands. Again, the same photographer’s stills showed the cross striking both of Millar’s unnaturally positioned arms.

The perceived wrongdoing finally created a sense of urgency about Morton and McManus latched onto a Lamie throw in and unleashed a dipping volley that Fleming did well to grasp under the bar.

It was Lamie’s last contribution. He was replaced by Mark Russell — a more attacking option at left-back — and took out his frustrations on the inside of the away dugout.

McCluskey should have done better after McKee had slipped him in on goal with a clever angled pass in the 70th minute but shanked his shot from inside the box.

The pair then linked up to work a short corner routine that ended with McKee picking out Crighton at the far post. The Ton skipper, too, was off target, heading wide on the stretch.

The visitors saw another penalty shout turned down on 74 minutes when right-back Kilday was booked for an alleged dive as he brushed between two defenders on his way into the box.

Ton really piled on the pressure in the final quarter of an hour as they carved out chance after chance, with McKee’s corner kicks causing problems.

One inswinger was glanced wide by O’Ware, while another short corner ended with McCluskey picking out Kilday on the edge of the box.

Like many before him, the right-back did not manage to trouble Fleming, his side-footed effort comfortably clearing the crossbar.

When Russell did force the keeper into a smart near-post block on 86 minutes, he really should have elected to pull back for team-mates arriving in the centre rather than shoot from a tight angle.

Striker Andy Barrowman had a quiet game but could have made the difference when sub Jon Scullion picked him out with a dinked cross to the back post.

But the hitman became the latest in the line of Ton players to miss the target when he sent his header over the top. And when Scullion saw a low drive hacked off the line by a defender shortly before McKee’s net-bound thunderbolt was blocked by O’Ware, it seemed clear it would not be Morton’s day.

They had time for one last penalty appeal in the third minute of stoppage time when the ball appeared to hit Greacen’s arm. This, though, seemed accidental and would’ve been a harsh award. Stenny had defended for their lives, with the likes of Greacen and in particular ex-Greenock Juniors and Largs Thistle centre-half Ross McMillan outstanding as they battled to keep Ton out.

Although their heroic efforts were rewarded, the hosts had ridden their luck too — with some contentious officiating and profligacy in front of goal proving costly for Duffy’s men.