JIM Duffy expected Saturday’s match with table-topping Forfar to be a stern examination of his young Morton squad – and he reckons they passed the test with flying colours.

Dick Campbell’s seasoned Loons side were in total control when they defeated the Ton 3-2 at Station Park back in August.

They have continued to impress since then, building up a four-point lead on the Ton at the top of League One ahead of their rematch at the weekend.

And Duffy was delighted with the way his team stood up to the challenge and cut the gap to one point with a well-earned 2-0 win.

He said: “It was a good overall team performance. We started the game very well and were terrific in the first 25 minutes.

“We passed the ball very well and scored a great goal through wee Jon [Scullion]. But Forfar then changed it a little bit and pressed us a bit higher and we didn’t get as much possession after that.

“The second half was more even but I still think we deserved to win.

“In our last game against them, their experience told and we didn’t really perform, but today I was delighted with our professionalism. We were strong physically but also strong mentally. That was a big test for us against Forfar so I’m delighted they came though it with three points.

“When you come up against a good side with talented players and who have been the form team in the division then it’s good to get a result.

“We’ve cut the gap and that’s important. It’s another three points added to the tally and it was an important part of what we’re building.

“It was another clean sheet, and we’ve been very solid defensively again and Gats [Derek Gaston] made a fantastic save later on in the game.

“Before we beat Dunfermline we won 2-0 against Stirling here, drew 0-0 [with Airdrie] last week, and 2-0 today.

“That’s three clean sheets here in our last three games here at Cappielow and that’s important. If we can keep it tight, we’ve always got the threat of scoring at the other end.” Forward Jon Scullion and Andy Barrowman provided that cutting edge and the Morton manager was delighted with both goals for different reasons. On the one hand, he was thrilled to see Scullion net on his first start, while he felt the second was an example of the type of opportunity they had failed to convert in recent weeks.

He added: “When a young boy makes his starting debut then it’s always good if he scores a goal. It was a wee bonus for Jon and I’m sure he’ll be delighted.

“We gave him a free role behind the strikers really. He’s a talented boy. He’s big on talent but not big in size, so you can’t play him up against Darren Dods and Stuart Malcolm.

“You play him in pockets. And credit to the other players, they gave him the ball and supplied him. Forfar had a wee spell of 10 or 15 minutes before we scored the second. But with Declan’s pace up front, there’s always a chance that we can capitalise when teams press against us. And it was the perfect counter-attacking goal really. Declan went round the outside and crossed it, and Andy [Barrowman] came sliding in with a great finish. That was on the back of Forfar’s best spell and sometimes that’s what happens if you can pick the right pass.

“We’ve had opportunities like that over the last few games and maybe not taken them, but today we did.”