IT would be difficult to overestimate the importance of the fixture that Morton face when they head south to take on Stranraer tomorrow evening.

The fact that the match will be screened live on TV shows that the League One title race is nearing a denouement much more dramatic than most people would have expected when the action kicked off last summer.

At stake is the only assured route into a division which will feature at least one of Hibernian and Rangers and, from Morton’s viewpoint, the mouthwatering prospect of a renewed rivalry with St Mirren.

One team will grab the prize and the others will be left to take their chances in the play-offs.

The necessity of Morton escaping League One has been well rehearsed in these columns over the season and need not be recapped in detail, other than to say it’s imperative they get back up at the first time of asking.

The club is about to play what could be argued is its biggest game in almost 20 years, when Morton just missed out on the chance of promotion to the then-Premier League.

The most notable game since then would probably be the Peterhead league decider back in 2003 but it does not match the magnitude of this one in terms of what is up for grabs and the potential consequences if it all slips away.

Come 7.15pm either the hosts or the men from Greenock could be in the box seat to clinch the silverware, while Forfar will hope for a result that allows them a chance to steal in between their two fellow contenders.

It has been a remarkable season of ups and downs and even at this late stage you will not find many people willing to stick their neck out and say who will finish on top.

I certainly wouldn’t — it looks too close to call between a set of sides who are quite distinct from one another but paradoxically very evenly matched.

For Forfar it is all about the vast experience they have in their ranks; solidity allied to the matchwinning flair of the likes of Gavin Swankie.

Stranraer, who have made much of the running throughout the campaign under the astute leadership of Stevie Aitken, right, are an excellent team in every sense of the word; their main strength is as a collective unit which is more than the sum of its parts.

Morton’s maddening inconsistency has been a reflection of their relatively inexperienced group but they have also shown a remarkable ability to dig themselves out of a hole time and time again, which speaks volumes about their strength of character. They will need to draw on every single bit of it tomorrow in what will surely be their toughest fixture of the season — this Stranraer outfit is a tough one to crack.

Disregard the first meeting between the two clubs this term, when Morton romped to a comfortable home win against opponents who eventually ended the game with nine men having had their goalkeeper red carded in the early stages. Ton found them a much more difficult proposition in December when they slipped to a 2-0 away defeat and had two of their own sent from the field of play.

The most recent clash was a very tight affair at Cappielow in February which went the way of the Greenock outfit.

It was a deserved victory but the disappointment from the away camp after the game was palpable — they felt very aggrieved at the result, believing they’d bossed the game for long spells.

Aitken clearly believes that he has a team capable of reversing the outcome and dealing what would be a fatal blow to their rivals’ hopes.

With players of the calibre of Derek Gaston, Mark Russell, Declan McManus and Peter MacDonald in their squad, Morton definitely possess the individual quality to get the better of them — but it will take more than that to get the job done.

They will have to be strong — both mentally and physically — in every department and it could take a complete team performance similar to the one they recently produced at Dunfermline if they are to edge this one.

Not only will boss Duffy have to get the team selection correct, he will need all of his players on top of their game and making the right decisions at key moments.

The defence must be ultra-concentrated, disciplined and avoid any unforced lapses while those in midfield will be required to dig in and prevent their opposite numbers from establishing a platform in the match.

With that in mind, it would be no surprise to see the versatile Thomas O’Ware restored to the starting lineup to add some physical presence in the engine room.

If Ton can prevent the home side taking command in there, then the likes of Ross Forbes can get on the ball, influence things and feed the players who can make the crucial difference at the top end of the pitch.

The challenge in front of Ton is significant but they are capable of rising to it, and ensuring history does not repeat itself.

It was a decade ago, almost to the day, that Morton travelled to the same venue as they will tomorrow and just like now, they needed a big result to stay in the hunt for automatic promotion to the second tier.

On that occasion they drew 1-1 and came up short as Stranraer held on to seal the coveted place.

Ten years on, if Ton’s class of 2015 stand up and do themselves justice then they can go one better. Last Saturday’s results put their fate back in their own hands — now they have to seize that opportunity.

TEAM LATEST JIM Duffy had no fresh injury concerns at the time of going to press.

Conor Pepper (knee) is still unavailable as is goalkeeper Nicolas Caraux (ankle), while defender Stefan Milojevic’s season is over due to a ruptured cruciate.

TRAVEL NOTES THE Lighthouse Morton Travel Club bus to Stranraer will leave from the Lighthouse Bar at 1.30pm.

Any visitors wishing to travel and who want to book a seat can phone or text David on 07719 548046 .

THE Morton Supporters’ Club bus to Stranraer tomorrow leaves the club at 2pm, 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