MORTON have experienced the footballing equivalent of Groundhog Day across the three cup competitions this season.

They were drawn at home to Berwick Rangers in both the first round of the League Cup and the second round of the Petrofac Cup.

Last night, they travelled through to Airdrie for a Scottish Cup replay following the clubs’ goalless draw in Greenock 10 days earlier.

And by recording a convincing 2-0 win against the Diamonds at the Excelsior Stadium they set up a fourth round tie with Spartans — who they beat 1-0 in first round of the Petrofac Cup.

But no one will be complaining about facing another familiar foe if they manage to negotiate the rematch with the Lowland League champions like they have all of the aforementioned ties.

It is by no means a foregone conclusion, but a draw against non-league opposition represents a fantastic opportunity to progress to the fifth round.

That notion is accentuated by fact the Ton could have been paired with any of the 10 Premiership clubs or Championship big boys Rangers, Hearts and Hibs. Before thoughts could drift to Ainslie Park and Edinburgh, Ton had to negotiate a tricky replay with the Diamonds.

Manager Jim Duffy couldn’t have been more emphatic in that respect, stating he had no interest in who his side were drawn with in the fourth round with Airdrie still standing in their way. It is an understandable attitude, which was lent further weight by the way the original meeting played out.

Ten-man Ton managed to hold the dominant Diamonds to a goalless draw at Cappielow following Joe McKee’s 63rd-minute dismissal.

The Diamonds failed to convert a handful of reasonable opportunities, with only Derek Gaston and the crossbar keeping them out.

Speaking after that match, the likes of Duffy and goalkeeper Gaston expressed their relief to still be in the cup but also admitted they would need to up their game significantly.

They did just that in their next match, beating league leaders Forfar Athletic 2-0 at Cappielow on Saturday.

Despite that encouraging performance against the Loons, Duffy was forced into three changes to his starting line-up.

Injuries meant Mark Russell and Robbie Crawford dropped out to be replaced by Ricki Lamie and Jamie McCluskey, while Declan McManus was unavailable due to Aberdeen’s cup restrictions.

Duffy decided not to replace McManus in the line-up and instead elected to leave Jon Scullion operating just off Andy Barrowman.

The only difference was that the teenager was now operating ahead of a flat midfield four rather than at the top of a diamond.

And Scullion was immediately in the thick of things, whipping over three corners within the first minute in Ton’s high-octane opening salvo.

Although they came to nothing despite causing some panic in the home ranks, the visitors had set out their stall for the first half.

The Diamonds tried to respond but could muster little more than a few weak shots from distance that were either straight at Gaston or had the sting taken out of them by committed blocks.

Captain Barrowman netted Ton’s second goal in their win over Forfar, and it was clear from quite early on that he would be a central figure again last night.

On 12 minutes, he knocked a long diagonal pass from Lamie down into Jamie McCluskey’s path with a clever cushioned header.

The wideman took aim but by the time the ball had sat up he had been closed down and he leaned back and slashed a volley over the crossbar.

Barrowman and Scullion appear to be on the same wavelength and it was an exchange between the pair that opened up Airdrie for the opening goal on 36 minutes.

The 29-year-old took a pass into feet, cutely guiding the ball into Scullion with his instep as it travelled though his legs before instantly peeling off and looking for the return.

Teenager Scullion’s initial attempt to feed Barrowman was cut out, but he seized on the loose ball and threaded his skipper through at the second time of asking with the outside of his right foot. Barrowman took a touch to steady himself and, with the air of confidence of a forward on top of his game, he rifled an unerringly accurate angled shot past Andrew McNeil.

The visitors let their concentration slip straight from centre and were fortunate when former Morton defender Marc Fitzpatrick sclaffed a dropping ball straight at Gaston from five yards.

After a positive first half in which they had been the superior side, Duffy’s side went in at the break holding a deserved 1-0 lead.

Airdrie boss Gary Bollan looked to shake things up by shuffling his players’ starting positions rather than make any personnel or formation changes.

But it was Morton who threatened first with Scullion stinging McNeil’s palms with a crisp drive from the edge of the box.

The diminutive forward has a deceptively powerful strike with either foot, and unloaded with his left foot after accepting a Thomas O’Ware pass and weaving round a challenge.

Airdrie proved more of an attacking force after the interval but their approach play was severely lacking quality, much to their fans’ frustration.

Besides a series of free-kicks that were fired into the area in hope rather than expectation with no pay off, they posed no real threat to an increasingly stable and solid Ton defence. By contrast, the Scullion and Barrowman double act sparked into life again on 69 minutes when the latter flicked a Sean Crighton long ball on to the former.

Barrowman didn’t stand still, though, and immediately span off and burst beyond Scullion looking for the return.

The former St Mirren kid duly obliged, hooking an imaginative, first-time pass over his own head and into Barrowman’s path. There would be no reward, however, as Diamonds defender Paddy Boyle recovered just in time to get a foot in before Barrowman could pull the trigger.

But his second goal of the evening was not long in coming, and arrived via a classic opportunist striker’s finish as he put the finishing touch to a quick counter-attack.

It was a lightning transition from the Ton, who went on the offensive when O’Ware, working effectively as a defensive midfielder, intercepted possession and quickly fed McCluskey.

The winger then sent sub Jordan Allan scampering clear down the left with a perceptive and precise pass with the outside of his right foot.

Allan rifled an angled drive across the goal. It was the type of textbook shot that either beats the goalkeeper or forces him to parry back out into the danger area.

And true to form, McNeil could only beat the ball out into the path of Barrowman who confidently side-footed into the gaping goal to score his third goal in two games and his fifth of the season. It was at this stage that Airdrie finally posed a serious attacking threat and properly threatened to breach Gaston’s goal. On 81 minutes, sub Scott Stewart, son of Diamonds legend Sandy Stewart, clipped the crossbar after his effort from an acute angle span up off Lamie and over Gaston onto the woodwork.

The resultant corner broke to Keigan Parker at the far post and he arrowed a volley towards the top left corner.

It looked certain that the net would billow until sub Bryan Prunty came across the flight of the ball and sent a header over the top, unbeknownst to the likelihood the original effort was going in.

And their night was summed up when Dundee United loanee Scott Fraser choked a shot wide from 15 yards after Parker had picked him out lurking on the edge of the area with a low free-kick.

The miss ensured the visitors would safely take their place in the fourth round with the added bonus of preserving their clean sheet to record their third consecutive shutout Next up for the Ton?

A return to exact same venue on Saturday for a FOURTH meeting with Airdrie already this term.

Groundhog Day indeed.