MORTON travel north tomorrow as they aim to defeat Forfar and move above them as the League One promotion race gathers pace.

It will be a tough task but Ton head for Station Park in good spirits after recording an excellent and hard-fought victory over Dunfermline at Cappielow last Saturday.

The match was screened live on BBC Alba and while the first 45 minutes can hardly have had armchair punters on the edge of their seats, the second period was much better.

Morton gave a good account of themselves during it and netted two very well-crafted goals to seal the points.

In doing so they also inflicted further damage on a badly-faltering Pars team whose promotion hopes are fading fast.

Ton’s victory in the evening kick-off was made all the more important by the fact that pacesetters Stranraer had spilled points earlier in the day.

Despite taking the lead late on at Airdrie, Stevie Aitken’s men were not able to hang on to it and had to settle for a share of the spoils.

It means the Stair Park outfit have now dropped five points from their last six.

At this stage that run can be put down to a minor wobble, but it will be interesting to see how they respond to the fact that their lead at the top is shrinking.

Morton represent the stalking horse in the race right now, steadily gaining ground and tracking a front two who are beginning to look over their shoulders.

It’s now absolutely vital that they can maintain the pressure and keep asking questions of their rivals, testing their mental strength ahead of the run-in.

But that will not be easy in a league where every match is so keenly contested.

We saw evidence of that once again at Cappielow last week — Morton may have emerged the victors but the outcome could so easily have been different.

There was little to choose between the sides for much of the first hour and even when Ton nudged ahead the game was still on a knife edge.

Derek Gaston’s wonderful save from former team-mate Andy Barrowman was a key moment, as a quickfire equaliser from the visitors would undoubtedly have been a bodyblow.

Another crucial intervention was the decision from the bench to send on Conor Pepper in place of Michael Miller.

In truth it was a change which was staring almost everyone inside the old ground in the face, with the fans demanding it just as Jim Duffy hauled the player back from his pitchside warm-up.

Pepper brought a dynamism to the midfield which had been missing, his busy style of hassling, harrying and shutting down opponents making an immediate difference.

All of a sudden the Pars were forced to do things a bit quicker and they suffered as a result.

While adding a bit of bite, the Irishman also imposed himself on the game in a positive sense — he was quicker about the pitch than most and raised the tempo.

His introduction gave his side more intensity and he was influential in the sweeping counter attack which brought about the opening goal.

It would be no surprise to see him start tomorrow’s match after such a strong showing from the bench, and the coaching staff will now be challenging him to maintain the standard he’s set and keep his place in the team. The man on the end of the move for that first goal, Ross Caldwell, was another eyecatching performer. His bustling all-action style looks like it will pose real problems for defences and, as he alluded to after the match, he can surely only improve from playing alongside fellow goalscorer Peter MacDonald.

Those two, of course, had to do without the supply line they were expecting to have from new signing Michael Tidser, and that will remain the case for the rest of the season.

The story surrounding Tidser’s non-availability due to Fifa regulations has been well documented and lessons have surely been learned from what’s been a chastening experience for everyone involved.

Morton now have to focus firmly on the resources which ARE at their disposal, and it must be remembered that these remain considerable in comparison to all the other clubs in this division.

Yet they will be braced for a difficult time of it tomorrow.

Dick Campbell’s, left, Forfar are ahead of the Greenock men in the table and their work this season means they have earned the right to be respected. They’ve also turned Ton over at this venue already, with the 3-2 scoreline not really telling the true extent of their dominance.

All of that said, the visitors look a better, more settled and balanced team now than they did back then. They will hope that the final outcome at 4.45pm tomorrow is much changed too.

TEAM LATEST JIM DUFFY will be without Jon Scullion, pictured, who started light training this week but still has a bit to go before he is ready to return to action, and suspended Serb defender Stefan Milojevic for the trip to Forfar.

Jamie McCluskey missed last week’s win against Dunfermline Athletic due to a hamstring strain and is unlikely to be fit to face his former club.

Utility man Michael Miller was suffering from a virus through the week and will be monitored with tomorrow in mind.

TRAVEL NOTES THE Morton Supporters’ Club bus to Forfar tomorrow leaves the club at 11.15am with pick-ups en-route.

To book a seat phone the club on 01475 888273, email gmsctravelsection@hotmail.com or leave a message on their Twitter page at https://twitter.com/GMSCTravel THE Albert Hotel Morton Supporters are taking bookings for tomorrow’s League One game against Forfar Athletic at Station Park. The coach will leave the hotel at 11.45am.

All are welcome with pick-ups available en-route. To book a seat call or text Jim on 07983 600945.