Morton need result against Dundee for play-off pursuit

Ton begin the weekend in sixth position in the Championship but they have not yet given up on their goal of making the promotion play-offs.

With Ayr United in fourth position holding a slender three point advantage over them there is still a lot to play for, but the situation has been complicated by the late arrival of Inverness into the equation between them.

With four matches left all the Greenock men can do now is go all out to collect as many points as they can and see where that takes them.

Their manager Dougie Imrie had labelled last Saturday's match against Ayr United as must-win beforehand but in the end they had to settle for a draw after what was a hard-fought game in the sunshine at Somerset Park.

Conditions could not have been more different at Cappielow on Tuesday evening as they secured a precious 2-0 win over Hamilton Accies.

As the rain lashed down Ton put fresh life into their flickering hopes of making the frame for the play-offs, ending the six-game barren streak that had been so damaging for them.

It almost goes without saying that they are still the outsiders and have it all to do from here, but they will be determined to keep their chances alive as long as possible.

They could not have a more difficult task tomorrow as they meet the new league leaders.

In what is Grand National week Dundee look to have timed their run to the front of the pack perfectly, peaking at just the right moment.

They were the bookies' pre-season title favourites and after an up and down season with more than a few false dawns along the way the stage seems set for them to go and vindicate that forecast.

But Gary Bowyer's outfit have not had much change out of the Ton thus far - in the three meetings between the sides they have failed to find the back of the net.

Morton have taken five points out of nine from those encounters and perhaps that record may plant a seed of doubt in the minds of the Dundee players.

On the flipside, Imrie will surely remind his players that they have had the Dark Blues' number up until now and say there is no reason why they cannot continue in that vein.

They performed strongly in the second half of Tuesday's rearranged clash against the Accies and were well worth their victory.

The pivotal moment arrived when Imrie made a double substitution early in the second half, sending on Lewis McGrattan and Alexander King.

Ton fans have been clamouring to see much more of McGrattan in the line-up for some time, and on the evidence of his previous contributions and his impact again on Tuesday they have a compelling case.

His arrival injected a dynamism into the home side's attacking play and he made telling contributions in the final third, including the killer ball which set up King's strike.

His work-rate and dig are also obvious assets and Ton looked a different team with him on the pitch so he has surely earned a start for tomorrow, while fellow academy product King did his chances no harm either by taking his clincher with aplomb.

McGrattan's contribution, allied to captain Grant Gillespie's crucial goal to break the deadlock, was the catalyst for a surge in confidence through the team during that second 45.

You could almost see the shackles of the last few weeks lifting from their shoulders and they will be feeling a lot better about themselves after the win and a day of rest and recuperation on Wednesday.

The squad could now be boosted by the return of Cameron Blues, Jai Quitongo and George Oakley, giving the manager options.

Dundee also recorded a victory in midweek, cruising past Raith in comfortable fashion to go three points clear at the summit, so they will have the bit between their teeth as they aim to close in on an immediate return to the top flight.

At first glance you may expect an open encounter where both teams will be going all out for the win they crave, but Morton could be well served by feeling their way into this game.

The longer it goes without the deadlock being broken, the more anxious the home crowd will get and that could become a significant factor on the outcome of the match.