MORTON return to league business tomorrow as they make the short trip along the M8 to face table toppers Partick Thistle for the first of two Championship games in four days.

The campaign has been a bit stop-start of late for varying reasons and the Greenock men go into tomorrow afternoon's fixture needing to get back on track.

Successive home defeats to Ayr United and Arbroath have quickly taken the gloss off what had been a solid start to the season and things are not about to get any easier with a trip to Firhill in the offing, before another away outing against Queen's Park on Tuesday.

In the circumstances, last Thursday's SPFL Trust Trophy cup tie against Ayr at Cappielow was somewhat of a welcome break from the rigour of the bread and butter, as it allowed Ton to dust themselves down from recent disappointments.

They put in a much-improved showing from the poor display against Arbroath, and their penalty shootout success has not only taken them through to the next round but should also boost morale a bit too.

The tie was an eventful affair to put it mildly with three red cards flashed during the match, two of them for the home side.

To be frank, all three of the dismissals looked harsh in what was a lamentable performance from referee Craig Napier which left managers Dougie Imrie and Lee Bullen hugely frustrated on the sidelines and drew the ire of the home support in particular.

Jai Quitongo's controversial ordering off is especially costly as it was his second in consecutive games and we will be seeing a lot less of him over the coming weeks as his disciplinary record catches up with him.

His absence is something that Imrie really could do without, as the 25-year-old has been his team's main attacking outlet thus far.

As the loan deadline approaches it remains to be seen if the manager is able to add the new striker he wants in time for tomorrow's clash with the Jags, but the bans looming for Quitongo make the need for a new face all the more acute.

Jack Baird's suspension may be more easily accounted for due to the number of defensive options open to the manager, but his presence and experience will be missed after a strong start to his second spell with the club.

Aside from those unfortunate aspects of the cup tie, there was plenty to be encouraged about from the overall performance.

United have been going well and had already claimed a league victory in Greenock, so it was important that Ton were able to respond to their brace of recent defeats and they did that, more than matching the visitors.

Recent arrival Liam Grimshaw got another valuable game under his belt to build match sharpness, Lewis Strapp acquitted himself well on his return to the fold after a spell on the sidelines and there was a welcome goal from youngster Lewis McGregor.

Goalkeeper Brian Schwake further burnished his credentials with a tremendous spot kick save to thwart ex-Ton man Sean McGinty, and pave the way for his side's victory with their five penalties slotted away.

Now the players have to take the lift they got into tomorrow's match, which is a tough proposition.

Before a ball was kicked Thistle, Dundee and Inverness were expected to be the main protagonists in the promotion race and as the first quarter of the campaign nears its end, Ian McCall's side sit top of the pile.

Part of the reason that they were so well fancied was that - unlike many of their rivals in the second tier - they have firepower in attack.

Just compare and contrast the goals-for column to see where the difference lies between them and Morton, with 16 and six goals registered respectively.

While you look at the Morton line-up and wonder where the goals are going to come from, McCall can afford to leave out the likes of Danny Mullen and Anton Dowds - players who'd walk into most teams in this division.

Vastly experienced striker Brian Graham and pacey wideman Scott Tiffoney, two familiar figures from their past spells in Greenock, have been in good form and have been keeping them out of the team for now, but the fact Partick have those options in reserve highlights their strength in depth.

If Morton are to stand a chance of getting a result at Firhill then Graham and Tiffoney will have to be very closely policed.

Imrie's men have in the main defended well so far this season and doing so again will be critical to their chances in Maryhill.

The Jags' record over the last couple of months as not been without its blemishes and the recent draw with Cove Rangers and cup exit at Falkirk suggests that they have not yet found the consistency they are looking for.

Morton's job at Firhill is to force them into one of their off-days, and then try and capitalise.