Morton manager Gus MacPherson says half-time team talk proved crucial in Dunfermline win

Matty Todd cancelled out Gary Oliver's opener 10 minutes before the break as the Pars took advantage on a defensive lapse.

MacPherson says his players were galvanised in the second half and ended their three-month wait for a win as they saw off the East End Park side through Gozie Ugwu's strike and an Oliver penalty.

The Cappielow gaffer hopes is players build on their second league victory, but he says they will have to deal with the absence of defender Brian McLean, who came off injured in the first half, and under-21 internationalists Jaakko Oksanen and Oisin McEntee.

He told the Tele: “I’ve had better victories than that but what I would say that it was a timely win.

“I’m delighted for the players, they were fantastic despite coming under some criticism and challenges along the way and they’ve stuck together.

“They’re a small group and if they continue to stick together then they’ll have an effect.

“I’m pleased with the way that the players came out and played in the second half because we were very disappointed to have lost a goal like that and in the way that we did.

“We made one or two individual mistakes which allowed Dunfermline to come in and do what they did and do it well but we galvanised from that.

“We had a quiet word with some of the players at half-time and it clearly worked because they came out in the second half and put in a real mature performance.

“I thought at times Dunfermline had good possession, moved the ball about reasonably well but they never really hurt us.

“Jack Hamilton has made a really big save right at the end when we were slack in our marking, but other than that we were solid and it was a very workmanlike performance.

“It doesn’t matter about putting distance between teams at this time of the season, that means nothing. It was an important win that more importantly gives us a shot in the arm.

“I can only praise the players who have been absolutely fantastic.

“They’ve been slightly unfortunate not to pick up more points but we cannot keep saying that.

“That just sounds as if we’re making excuses but we’re not – there are facts in there.”

With McLean's injury and Oksanen and McEntee on international duty, MacPherson admits that his side will be down to the bare bones this Saturday as Ton welcome league leaders Kilmarnock to Cappielow.

He challenged his players to stand up and prove a point in their absence.

He said: “We’ve got a tight squad and we’re now going to be missing Brian, so we’re now down on that side of things with the defenders.

“We’re going to miss two key players in Oisin and Jaakko who are now off on international duty.

“The squad will be challenged even more, but we will need to show what we’re capable of doing when we’re down to the bare bones.”