MORTON manager Dougie Imrie has revealed how a new year's eve scouting trip that sealed his swoop for Connah's Quay Nomads striker Jordan Davies almost went badly wrong.

The Ton boss says an oversight in his travel plans meant that he nearly MISSED the match he had driven all that distance to watch.

To make matters worse, he had persuaded his partner to come along with him on the long journey to the Welsh coast, instead of bringing in the bells back home.

Greenock Telegraph: Jordan Davies

Imrie drove all the way south only to find at the last minute that the game Davies was playing in was at a different venue, triggering a frantic dash along the north Wales coastline.

He told the Tele: "It was a festive trip that sealed the deal for Jordan, to see Connah's Quay play The New Saints, so as you can imagine my missus was happy with that one. She was delighted to get dragged down to Wales with me, whilst everyone else was thinking of going out and celebrating.

"In fairness, she comes to most of my games with me, if it's going to watch certain players or even analyse potential opponents, she likes to come along and keep me company, but I'm not so sure if she was too keen to sign up for that trip at that time of year.

"It's a funny story though, as we drove down to Wales on the day, a four and a bit hour drive, and we were five minutes away from Connah's Quay's ground, because it was advertised as a home game.

"After stopping off for a coffee and a bite to eat, I found out that the game wasn't being played at their ground.

"A bit of panic set in. I was worrying that we'd gone all that way and that the game had been called off or something. Then when I looked about for some local advice the one person I saw had no clue about football.

"It's safe to say at that point I was getting daggers from my partner, deservedly so as well.

"Thankfully Flash Score on my mobile phone saved the day. It alerted me to the fact that the game was being played at Flint Town United's ground, which was another 15 minutes along the coast.

"We only missed the first few minutes of the game, but it could've ended horrifically! Connah's Quay got beaten in the game in the end but I was still really impressed with Jordan's movement and work-rate in that game and that sealed it for me.

"After all that I just hope for my sake that the move works out now, or it won't just be the fans that might give me pelters!"

Meanwhile the Ton boss has told how he is trying to work through new deals for his existing squad as he looks to build for next season, but will take his time doing so.

He said: "I'm just trying to navigate my way through the group.

"Obviously we managed to get Ryan Mullen last week, got Jack Baird in the summer and Iain Wilson has now signed too, but we're still in a bit of a precarious position.

"Yes we've hit a bit of form, but we're still only ten points off the bottom, and seven points off of the play-offs.

"There's a long way to go yet and I don't want people thinking they can take their foot off the gas because they've got eighteen months security."