MORTON gaffer David Hopkin hailed his side’s character after they banished the memory of their Highland humiliation with a victory over Inverness.

A Bob McHugh brace either side of a Mitchell Curry equaliser saw the Ton take revenge for their five-goal mauling in the Highlands earlier in the season and secured their first win since September 21 against Dundee.

Hopkin was delighted with the attitude his players showed and says it was the perfect response to their disappointing defeat at Arbroath.

He told the Tele: “I thought it was a thoroughly deserved win.

“You know what you’re getting with Inverness.

“They can play good football but are also a very physical side. We tried to change that and make it a battle and I thought Bob McHugh’s two strikes were magnificent to get us the three points.

“We worked extremely hard to make it as difficult for them as possible and we got our just rewards.

“The mentality that the players showed to bounce back after a couple of defeats shows that character that they have, and that’s been documented before this season.

“It also shows the character that we’re building with them.”

Ton could have been 2-0 up when James Vincent turned the ball into his own net shortly after McHugh’s opener, however, it was ruled out after Reece Lyon was penalised for a foul on the Inverness midfielder.

But the Ton boss believes the ‘goal’ should have stood.

He said: “We started really well scoring so early, but I don’t see what’s wrong with the second goal.

“It looked like a legitimate goal where the player has gone to kick the ball and he’s made a hash of it under pressure and it’s gone into the net.

“That’s Cammy Salkeld been involved in three goals that have ultimately been ruled out, but he’ll keep plodding away. But overall I’m delighted with the three points.”

Hopkin hailed the performance of his backline after they came together to stifle an attack that put eight goals past them earlier on in the season.

He highlighted the impact of Stephen Welsh at right-back after an impressive clearance to deny a certain goal in the first half.

Hopkin added: “Stephen has come in and played at right-back for me and he’s been a credit to himself.

“He’s a 19-year-old kid who plays like an established 23/24-year-old.

“The whole back four were magnificent. We knew we were in for a tough game if we sat off them then it was going to be a long afternoon, but I thought we pressed them and harried them very well.

“We enforced a game plan on them that they didn’t want to play.”