MORTON take a break from the rigours of league duty tomorrow as they join the long and winding road to Hampden for the third round of the Scottish Cup.

Truth be told, the tie represents a bit of a busman’s holiday for them, having drawn fellow League One club Airdrie at Cappielow.

You could also argue that the timing of the fixture is a bit of a nuisance, coming as it does straight after the club recorded their biggest result of the season thus far.

Jim Duffy and his men have been buoyed by their last-gasp victory at Dunfermline last Saturday afternoon and could perhaps be forgiven for preferring another league fixture tomorrow, in the hope that they could carry on the good work.

Instead, their promotion bid will temporarily be put on hold as attention switches to the country’s biggest knock-out competition.

But Ton go into the tie in fine spirits, and have also landed one which affords them a good chance of progression.

Managers are always after a draw which gives them home advantage, and Morton have certainly not been short of them this season.

They have also already beaten the Diamonds at Cappielow this term, coming from behind to record a 2-1 win over Gary Bollan’s men back in September.

They repeated the comeback trick last weekend but this time it was a much bigger deal.

When they fell behind at East End Park early in the second half, everyone of a blue and white persuasion probably expected the worst.

Morton have struggled away from Cappielow while their hosts had not yet shipped a single goal on their own turf.

In those circumstances, Faissal El-Bakhtaoui’s second-half strike merely seemed like it would continue the trend of Ton being unable to avoid defeat on the road.

Not only would that have extended the gap between the two full-time clubs and title race principals to an uncomfortable-looking eight points, it would have been a hugely damaging and deflating blow for morale in the camp too.

But the great thing about football is that it only takes a second to score a goal, and everything can change in an instant.

When Thomas O’Ware bulleted home a headed equaliser to restore parity, a point looked like a really good result for the Greenock men.

They were having none of it though and — perhaps sensing the hosts had been rocked by conceding for the first time in front of their own fans — pushed forward. The game’s dramatic denouement saw Declan McManus bury a winner deep into injury time to send the travelling fans, players and staff wild.

It could eventually prove to be a big moment in the overall context of the campaign, one which Morton can draw inspiration and take real belief from.

While the players richly deserved their exuberant celebrations, the coaching staff should also have savoured the moment.

They deserve credit for making adjustments to the team’s set-up ahead of the fixture, dispensing with the midfield diamond and sending versatile O’Ware into the engine room to add a bit of solidity.

It was a move which recognised that the team has perhaps lacked a bit of steel at critical times so far this term, and one that evidently spurred his colleague Joe McKee to dig in admirably beside him.

Being able to effect change during a game is a much harder task but Duffy and sidekick Craig McPherson came up with the right answers again when they tweaked things at half-time, responding to Dunfermline’s not entirely unexpected periods of pressure.

With the shape adjusted and the strikers asked to split and pressurise when the Pars had possession, Ton established a foothold in the game which they were eventually able to profit from after the initial setback they suffered.

Tomorrow they will not be able to count on the man whose goal ultimately delivered all three points, with on-loan Aberdeen striker McManus precluded from taking part in the fixture on the orders of Dons’ boss Derek McInnes.

While Morton would obviously rather have his services, they should still have enough in reserve to put themselves in the hat for the next round of the competition.

Indeed, of much more importance is whether they can work to extend the Scotland under-21 man’s stay until the end of the season.

Given the absence of McManus, it remains to be seen how the team will line up tomorrow.

It may be that this is an opportunity for the likes of David McNeil or Jon Scullion to come in and show what they can offer from the start of a game beside the established Andy Barrowman.

Airdrie were toiling when these two clubs last met but they showed enough that day to suggest that they could be obdurate opponents.

The Diamonds have shown moderate improvement since then, managing to put a few points on the board in the league, but they remain second bottom of the table.

While a degree of patience may be required to break them down, Morton can feel confident of making the fourth round draw if they show the sort of commitment and work-rate which characterised last Saturday’s East End exploits.

TEAM LATEST AS revealed in Tuesday’s Tele, Declan McManus will not feature against Airdrie at the behest of Aberdeen, who do not want the loan striker cup-tied should he return to Pittodrie in January.

Midfielder Robbie Crawford, on the other hand, is available for selection, with parent club Rangers giving Jim Duffy the green light to play him in tomorrow’s Scottish Cup tie.

Utility man Michael Miller is still sidelined with plantar fasciitis, but Jamie McCluskey (Achilles) and Stefan McCluskey (calf) have both joined in training this week and Duffy is optimistic they will be available. Left-sided defender Jordan Allan missed training yesterday due to a virus and is a doubt for the Diamonds’ visit.

TRAVEL NOTES THE Albert Hotel Morton Supporters’ bus for tomorrow’s Scottish Cup third round tie against Airdrie at Cappielow will leave the hotel at 2.30pm.

Prices are £3 for adults return and £2 for concessions return. There’s no need to pre-book and all are welcome. Gourock Tartan Army are also taking names for the up and coming Republic of Ireland and England games. Both buses will leave the Albert Hotel at 6pm with pick-ups available en-route.

To book a seat on any of these buses call or text Sean on 07939 898359.