Morton v Kelty Hearts SPFL Trust Trophy tie preview

It will be the second time the two clubs have clashed this season, following their group stage meeting in the Viaplay Cup back in the summer.

The men from Greenock were the victors on that occasion in Fife, coming from a goal down to win 3-1 with a stirring second half comeback.

Manager Dougie Imrie will be hoping for another victory tomorrow as he seeks to steer his side into the last eight of the tournament.

It's been a fair while since Morton reached the latter stages and with home advantage and the draw opening up they must hold a fair chance of getting there this time around.

You have to go all the way back to 1992 for the only time Ton have made it all the way to the final, with a 3-2 defeat to Hamilton Accies at Love Street in Paisley their sole shot at lifting the silverware.

For a team that has been in the hat every year it has been contested, their record in the competition doesn't make for great reading.

Over the years many similar-sized and indeed lesser clubs have had their day in the sun with final appearances and wins, so there's no reason why Morton shouldn't be targeting it too - especially after a relatively favourable draw in the last 16.

The Greenock men go into the game off the back of a 0-0 stalemate in the Championship at Hampden against Queen's Park.

It was a good result in the circumstances, with Ton responding positively from their disappointing home defeat to Airdrie the week before.

The main plus point was the fact that they were able to secure a clean sheet, their first in the league since April.

If they are to turn the corner from their slump to the foot of the league table, then at the back is where the foundations of recovery will be laid.

On a day where many parts of Inverclyde were submerged due to flooding, Morton dug in and defended well against their hosts as they extended their unbeaten sequence against them.

In keeping with the rotten luck which has befallen them of late, the visitors' squad was a man light after young Jack Bearne's car became marooned on a back road as he tried unsuccessfully to get out of Inverclyde.

This meant they were only able to name three substitutes, as their injury-hit pool continues to be stretched to the limit.

Bearne wasn't the only one who didn't make it to Glasgow's southside, with hundreds of supporters unable to follow their team due to the eventual closure of the A8 in Greenock and the shutdown of the railway to Glasgow.

With warnings having been issued by the authorities against travel, the decision to press ahead with the fixture made a mockery of any claims the game may have to put fans first.

Indeed it was reminiscent of when Morton were memorably forced to travel to Parkhead to play Celtic in the Scottish Cup in 2018, when the 'Beast from the East' snowstorms had brought the rest of the country, and its transport network, to a standstill.

Five and a half years on from that farce, it remains the case that the people who pay the wages are little more than an after-thought for those who run the game.

Returning to on-field matters, Ton will still be without long-term casualties Darragh O'Connor and Jai Quitongo for tomorrow's tie but will hopefully have a clean bill of health otherwise as the injury crisis begins to ease off.

Loan man Jack Harkness, having played for the Rangers B team in the last round, will however be unavailable.

A break from league action may not be the worst thing for Morton to have at this time and the tie offers them a chance to progress and for the players to restore a bit of confidence in themselves.

Kelty go into the meeting off the back of consecutive wins, having followed up a 3-1 home triumph over Queen of the South by thrashing Edinburgh City 4-1 on the road.

They sit fourth in the League One, well in among the early candidates for the promotion play-off slots.

Manager Michael Tidser will be plotting an upset on his return to Cappielow after his departure back in 2019, with fellow Ton old boys Reece Lyon, Stef McCluskey and Tam O'Ware all in the ranks as well.

Ton should have seen more than enough from the Fifers three months ago to know that they cannot be treated lightly, but this is a tie Morton should be winning as they look to build on last week.