MORTON face a massive match tomorrow when they try to complete a clean sweep over pre-season title favourites Dunfermline — and keep themselves in the thick of what is proving to be an incredibly close championship chase.

With just six games left, the stage seems set for a nail-biting end to the campaign, with only one point separating the top three.

Stranraer currently lead the way by the narrowest of margins from Ton and Forfar, while fourth-placed Brechin are waiting in the wings, hoping to pounce on any slip-ups.

It looks too close to call and there’s little to suggest there will be much between the principal protagonists when the dust finally settles on the 2nd of May.

While they fight it out amongst themselves for the title, things have not really worked out as planned for Morton’s opponents tomorrow.

Having finished behind Rangers last term, Dunfermline suffered a subsequent play-off defeat to Cowdenbeath, but they had been expected to kick on this term.

Their challenge has never really materialised though and it was little surprise when they parted company with manager Jim Jefferies around midway through the season.

A play-off berth again looks the best they can hope for at this late stage.

But although they may have had an underwhelming time of it thus far, the Fifers will be dangerous opponents.

John Potter’s men will be looking to end the season strongly and they’ll also be keen to give their visitors from Greenock a bloody nose after suffering three successive defeats against them.

They were convincingly defeated at Cappielow in September and suffered another reverse there in January.

Sandwiched in between those games was an East End Park encounter where they’d looked set for three points, only for two late goals to turn the match in Morton’s favour.

These dramatic late comebacks and last-gasp goals have been a feature of the Greenock men’s record throughout the season.

Twice they have left it late to sicken Peterhead on their own park and they also netted a valuable home point right at the death against Brechin, while the turnaround at Stirling in December from 3-1 down to 4-3 up was breathtaking.

But the most unlikely salvage mission of the lot undoubtedly took place last Saturday.

Having lost their previous two games, Jim Duffy’s men looked certain to be heading for a third successive defeat as they trailed 1-0 to Ayr United going into injury time.

What followed was an astonishing sequence of events which saw them equalise and then grab an incredible winner just a minute later to complete a stunning 2-1 win.

Duffy’s players deserve credit for their refusal to give in — their determination to keep going right until the death has netted them vital points since last August and is obviously no accident.

Even though they bossed the first half against United, the victory has to be classed as a smash and grab act, as Ian McCall’s Honest Men grew in stature after going in front through a terrific free kick from Jon-Paul McGovern.

They should have added a second goal to leave their hosts dead and buried but were defied by a fantastic Derek Gaston, right, save from Robbie Crawford.

This ultimately proved pivotal when Declan McManus and Ross Forbes finally found a way through their hitherto stout defence with only seconds left to spare.

McManus’s close-range header owed everything to a poacher’s instinct while Forbes’ strike was a moment of quality to rival what McGovern had produced earlier.

The former Motherwell and Partick man has been a great capture and he was a model of composure in the way he drifted inside, resisted the temptation to smash the ball and instead calmly passed it beyond the flailing outstretched arm of David Hutton.

If the goal displayed his technique, the reaction showed sheer raw emotion as he and his team-mates celebrated wildly together in front of the dug-out.

It was noticeable that most of them preferred to share the moment together rather than run to the fans.

If this indicated a bit of resentment then it would be somewhat understandable because the attitude of a sizeable element of the support towards the team during the second half was not particularly helpful.

The most audible reaction to the team losing a goal was not to encourage but to instead get on their backs — and it’s not the first time this kind of thing has reared its head this season.

Sections of the crowd are quick to turn on the team and/or manager the instant that goals are lost, never mind games. There may be a valid-enough level of discontent with the club’s under-achievement over the medium to long-term, but it would be wrong for the current squad to bear the brunt of the backlash.

And while there may be frustration that the team, being full-time and with a comparatively strong squad, has lost 10 times this term, it doesn’t justify the type of counter-productive barracking heard on Saturday.

Honestly held, robust opinions and valid criticism are part and parcel of football; indeed players and managers expect it. But the atmosphere was so corrosive at times that a player was left asking why Morton fans get on the team’s case, before expressing the hope that they can get behind them instead — as though this is an unusual or novel concept.

Hopefully this is a call which will be heeded over the next few weeks.

With some huge and challenging matches on the horizon, and so much to play for, Morton need all of their supporters in their corner more than ever.

TEAM LATEST MIDFIELDER Joe McKee is expected to be back in contention against the Pars.

At the time of going to press, the 22-year-old was set to start against Clyde Under-20s at Cappielow, and his availability would depend on coming through the clash unscathed.

Irishman Conor Pepper twisted his knee in training last Thursday and will definitely miss the match at East End Park tomorrow. As mentioned elsewhere, top scorer Declan McManus’s inclusion will hinge on any adverse reaction to featuring for Scotland Under-21s yesterday afternoon.

TRAVEL NOTES THE Morton Supporters’ Club bus to Dunfermline tomorrow leaves the Morton club at 12.30pm, with pick-ups en-route.

To book a seat phone the club on 01475 888273, email gmsctravelsection@hotmail.com or leave a message on the club’s Twitter page at https://twitter.com/GMSCTravel The bus to Hampden on Sunday for the Scotland v Gibraltar game is now full and will leave the club at 2pm.

THE Lighthouse Morton Travel Club bus to Dunfermline will leave at 12.30pm from the Lighthouse Bar. Any visitors wishing to travel and who want to book a seat can phone or text David on 07719 548046.