MORTON boss Dougie Imrie has been handed a big boost after goalkeeper Ryan Mullen put pen to paper on a one-year contract extension.

The former Celtic kid arrived at Cappielow in the summer from Clyde, and since recovering from an injury he has recently firmly established himself as the Ton number one, ousting veteran Jamie MacDonald to the gloves.

His stint as first choice has coincided with the team going on an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

Along the way, Mullen has kept four clean sheets and the Ton boss is delighted to have him signed up for another eighteen months.

Imrie told the Tele: “Ryan’s made the number one spot his own at the moment with the performances that he’s put in over the last few weeks.

“I’m very pleased for him. His attitude has been fantastic and his work ethic first class since he’s come back.

“He got injured just before the first league game of the season, which meant we had to move to bring Jamie in.

“Ryan could’ve gone either way from there, but he’s kept his head up and shown great character in biding his time and then going and taking his chance when it came along.

“He’s got his position back and it’s up to him now to keep it.

“With the performances that he’s put in, then the pedigree he’s got behind him, it was important we moved quickly to try and tie him down for another season, as he’s become a key player for us.

“He’s shown great attitude to even be in this position. He had been plagued with injuries and it'd be easy for a young player like him to give up the ghost.

“But Ryan's got that willingness to work hard and he’s determined to make a good career for himself.

“That’s him here until the end of next season now, which is good for us and the club.

“It’s a move in the right direction and it bodes well for us going forward."

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s crunch clash against Partick Thistle, Imrie has warned his side they’ll be in for a tough afternoon against Kris Doolan’s men and he wants a big support to cheer them on.

He says his players deserve some extra backing after their unbeaten run and heroics at Tannadice last Saturday.

Imrie told the Tele: “It’s a game we’re looking forward to, but I hope the fans can come out in their numbers and back us from start to finish because it’ll be tough.

“Partick are doing really well and are on a good run themselves. They’ve had a lot of joy against us this season, so hopefully that’ll change tomorrow.

“We took over 300 up to Dundee United last week, I think it would only be fair of everyone to come out and do it again at home tomorrow.

“You’ve seen what happened when they did last season and where it took us. If the fans can do that again and get right behind us, then who knows what can happen?”