Handy Andy gets his mitts on bonus point for Ton

ANDY McNEIL was Morton’s hero as the keeper kept Albion at bay then stopped two penalties in the shootout.

Ton gaffer Jim Duffy was relieved to win the group game – and bag a bonus point for the penalty victory.

He said: “To take the positives, we’ve won, got a clean sheet and the bonus point.

“I’m not sure about this new set up, because if you play defensively then win on the penalties you get that extra point. We’ll see as the season goes on.” In a dull

first half neither keeper had a serious save to make until five minutes from the break.

Rovers’ Ross Davidson rifled in a shot from the edge of the box, forcing McNeil to dive full length to turn the ball away for a corner. Then Calum Ferguson should have done much better when he stole in at the left post to connect with a deep cross by Davidson.

Rovers had a penalty claim waved away by ref Craig Napier in 56 minutes after McNeil dived across his six-yard box ahead of Scott McBride, who tumbled under the challenge.

And Rovers came closest to breaking the deadlock in 67 minutes when McBride wriggled free on the left. He fired in a low piledriver which McNeil tipped away with one hand.

Ferguson closed in on the rebound only to be blocked by teenager Lewis Strapp’s brilliant tackle.

The game stumbled on to penalties – Napier had ordered the spots to be moved when he noticed pre-match that they were off-centre – and McNeil saved from Alan Reid and Gary Fisher.

Lee Kilday hit the winner after Ton’s Ross Forbes also failed to find to net.