Morton look to end season on a high by securing fifth place

It's a season which will ultimately end in disappointment after they fell short of their goal of making the promotion play-offs, for the second year running.

They had it in their own hands to finish in the top four but a costly run from March onwards saw them slip out of the frame at Airdrie's expense.

Now they're battling to match last season's finish by securing fifth place, with Dunfermline and Ayr both breathing down their neck.

Those two go head-to-head at Somerset Park tonight and depending on results Morton could still slip into the bottom half of the table right at the death.

That would be a sore blow and one which would also hurt the club in the pocket by costing them prize money.

Should Ayr win Ton only need a point to stay above them, but a victory for the Pars leaves them requiring all three.

A share of the spoils means the Fifers could only edge them out in the event of a Ton defeat by a few goals at the Caledonian Stadium.

They are facing a stiff test however, as there is plenty at stake for Duncan Ferguson's outfit who currently occupy the relegation play-off spot and need to leapfrog Queen's Park to reach safety.

Circumstances mean that they have more to play for than the visitors, that is just a simple fact, and the suspicion is that Morton will have to go some to best a team who are in in desperate need and will be fired up.

They were unfortunate not to win against Raith last week and will need a similar level of performance, with some cutting edge.

Whatever their fate come just after half past nine, looking at the season as a whole they will have a few regrets.

The spasmodic nature of their form has cost them in the end, with a superb unbeaten run sandwiched between an abysmal start and spluttering end.

In mitigation, the middle part of the campaign was the only time they had an empty treatment room; injuries have cost them dearly.

At times they were fighting a freakish number of them, with key players repeatedly crocked.

Running with a small squad left them susceptible to suffering a crisis and when it arrived they had no real back-up - it was a double whammy.

There have been some really memorable positive moments along the way, with Dougie Imrie and his players deserving huge credit for that mid-term 16-game unbeaten stretch - including that breathless 3-2 win at Tannadice and the 5-0 battering of Dunfermline - that had everyone dreaming of a promotion tilt.

In the cups they have outperformed their status - the manager steered them through their League Cup section and landed the club a very lucrative tie at Ibrox where they performed with great credit.

The Scottish Cup run to the quarter finals is also a real feather in his cap, with Motherwell vanquished on a terrific night at Cappielow and the team putting up a brave bid in the last eight against a strong Hearts side which needed a late goal to see them off.

The management team and players have given their all and have come up just a little short, but there is plenty to build on and areas where identifiable improvements can be made.

Finances will obviously dictate what can be done but the manager has earned the right to a bit more leeway with the non-budgeted-for income he has secured the club.

A whole host of his players are out of contract in the summer and this evening will be the last we see of several in a Morton shirt.

This is a chance to refresh and renew, with one cycle coming to an end and a shake-up of the player pool on the way.

A nucleus of players is in place for 2024-25, including goalkeeper Ryan Mullen, defender Jack Baird, midfielder Iain Wilson and new boy Jordan Davies, with Alexander King also coming back from a productive and beneficial year on loan under his belt.

Veteran keeper Jamie MacDonald will almost certainly be moving on after a season wrecked by injury, which should free up funds.

In defence, Lewis Strapp seems likely to attract attention from other sides, while there are question marks over Darragh O'Connor and Calum Waters with their deals expiring, and Tyler French's loan is ending.

Hard-headed decisions will have to be made on whether experienced warhorses Kirk Broadfoot and Alan Power realistically have another full year in them at this level.

Midfielders Robbie Crawford and Cameron Blues are two you'd expect the manager to want to retain, but they may have options elsewhere and a call will have to be made on his captain Grant Gillespie.

Academy products Lewis McGrattan and Michael Garrity face uncertain futures for different reasons, with the former's progress stalling somewhat this year and the latter having had a very public ultimatum from his manager over exactly what is required if he is to fulfil his promise.

In attack, George Oakley has been a vital talisman for the team and Imrie will be pulling out all the stops to keep him.

The problem is his form will have made him a target for other managers, and the same goes for the mercurial Robbie Muirhead, who has added the numbers to his game that everyone had demanded and could now fancy a change after five years at Cappielow.

Jai Quitongo, who has served the club over two spells, has been badly hampered by injury all season long and with the budget likely to be tight that could affect his situation.

All told, it promises to be an interesting summer ahead - and perhaps it is a break that everyone is ready for.