REPORT: Morton 0 Peterhead 1

And even less so if you were one of the 1,000 or so in attendance for Saturday’s dispiriting home loss to Peterhead.

There has been little festive cheer to be had down Sinclair Street way due to a disheartening December in which the Ton have picked up just one point from a possible nine.

The Spartans Scottish Cup shock has been followed by a 2-0 reverse at Stranraer, a scrambled 2-2 home draw with Brechin City and the weekend’s abject defeat against the Blue Toon.

Morton began advent on top of the League One table following a run of four consecutive victories, including significant triumphs against title rivals Dunfermline and Forfar.

But a complete reversal in fortunes has seen them go four matches without tasting victory, and they will now wake up on Christmas morning five points off new leaders Stranraer at the summit.

The nature of Saturday’s loss was of particular concern, especially the way in which a young squad failed to summon enough strength of character to even go down swinging after falling behind.

There was a distinct lack of conviction about the second-half performance. The collective demeanour was of a side who never really believed they would get back in the game.

Despite trailing 1-0 at home to a part-time side who had come into the match off a 4-1 mauling, they forced one save from visiting goalkeeper Graeme Smith over the course of 44 minutes of football.

Yet, as has been the case so often this season, there was a stark contrast to how the Ton fared either side of the half-time break.

While they weren’t exactly dominant in an open first 45, they were competitive and carved out some excellent opportunities to score while also surviving some scares at the other end.

On five minutes, Declan McManus and Jon Scullion, who were both again deployed in the advanced midfield three of a 4-2-3-1 formation, combined to release Ricki Lamie down the left.

The full-back’s excellent low cross found Jamie McCluskey arriving at the far post, but he completely miscued his side-footed finish.

Derek Gaston was forced into action on seven minutes, initially blocking Rory McAllister’s glancing header from a Jamie Stevenson corner before pouncing at Scott Ross’s feet to bravely gather.

He then made an impressive reaction save one minute later when he plunged low to his left to push Mark Millar’s thunderous low drive around the post with a strong, one-handed save.

It was proving an end-to-end affair and Scullion really should have given his side the lead shortly thereafter.

After driving infield off his starting position on the left flank, McManus laid the ball into the path of the diminutive forward, who was in space on the right.

But with just keeper Smith to beat, Scullion took a split second too long to pull the trigger and allowed Reece Donaldson to get across to make a last-ditch block.

After a quiet 20-minute period, Greenock-born Blue Toon midfielder Millar sparked the game back to life with a whipped 25-yard free-kick that Gaston did well to catch at his right-hand post.

The Ton custodian returned to action with an impressive performance last week after an injury lay-off, and he was proving equally inspired at the weekend.

Even Peterhead strike ace Rory McAllister’s best efforts were to no avail, including a sublime chip on the half hour that Gaston managed to acrobatically arc back and flip over the top. Morton have a talented talisman of their own in Aberdeen loanee McManus, and he attempted a spectacular overhead scissors kick on 32 minutes.

He failed to catch Jamie McCluskey’s floated cross as sweetly as he would have liked, however, and Smith clutched relatively comfortably at his right.

McCluskey was proving an influential figure for the Ton at this stage, and another teasing cross troubled the away defence, with Ross only managing to head out so far as Scullion.

The teenager was having a rare off-day, though, and sent his half-volley screaming into the Wee Dublin End after getting his technique all wrong for once and leaning too far back.

He did go agonisingly close to opening the scoring on 36 minutes when his angled drive took a wicked deflection off Jamie Redman and looped up over Smith and onto the roof of the net. But the best chance of the half would fall to McManus seven minutes before the interval, and he will likely still be kicking himself for failing to convert.

After Lee Kilday had burst into the box on a slaloming run that recalled the day he netted a double against Stenny in Ton’s last win, he fizzed in a dangerous low pass towards Andy Barrowman.

The ball broke back out after the Ton skipper was challenged inside the six-yard box and sat up perfectly for McManus, who somehow skewed a side-footed volley wide with the goal gaping.

The last word of an even and largely entertaining half went to Gaston, however, as he shot up an arm to athletically bat Stevenson’s sensational dipping volley over the top.

It could well have gone down as his most impressive save of the match had it not been for the linesman’s flag rendering it largely irrelevant, if no less deserving of praise.

But just as they had been at Stranraer two weeks earlier, Duffy’s men were caught cold right after the restart.

Just 12 seconds had elapsed when a simple long ball and flick-on allowed Stevenson to ease into the Ton box down the inside-left channel and slot between Gaston’s legs.

It was a shabby goal to concede at the best of times, but coming within moments of kick-off points to a concerning lack of concentration.

The goal was another example of the curse of the former player that has so haunted Morton over recent seasons. Stevenson’s name was added to a list that already includes Jason Naismith, Alan Trouten, Scott McLaughlin, and Andy Jackson this term, as well as Peter Weatherson if the Under-20s are included.

Despite having 44 minutes in which to find an equaliser, Morton shrunk and failed to muster anything approaching an acceptable response to falling behind.

Their cause wasn’t aided by the loss of creative spark Scullion, who was stretchered off the field in agony after hyper-extending his knee to be replaced by Stefan McCluskey.

But there really can be no excuse for a real lack of purpose or boldness as they failed to rally, as evidenced by the fact Smith had one save to make in the whole half.

The way the ball too often wound its way back to Gaston was symptomatic of the way in which they had shrunk into their shells and played within themselves in an entirely risk averse way. It was rare that anyone was really willing to step up to the mark and drive forward or try something a bit different to unlock the opposition back four.

It was of no surprise that Jim Duffy put the addition of two experienced players at the top of his Christmas wish list this week, as his group are in real need of some leadership on the park.

Peterhead, on the other hand, had McAllister trying audacious 40-yard chips as he regularly attempted to catch Gaston off his line.

The aforementioned Smith stop was a straightforward save at his midriff after sub Stefan McCluskey had let fly with a speculative shot from distance.

Yet they could and should have snatched a draw at the death after managing to carve out one real clear-cut opening in the final minute.

Jamie McCluskey managed to get to the left bye-line and steered a cross towards McManus arriving at the far post, but the hitman failed to get above the ball and headed awkwardly over the top.

That chance aside, Jim McInally’s men were always comfortable and cruised to a victory that leaves Ton facing a sobering Christmas season before they take on Stirling Albion in their last match of 2014.