Duffy admits Ton rode their luck as Oliver punishes Pars

A LAST-GASP strike from Gary Oliver gave Morton a win boss Jim Duffy admitted they hardly deserved and saw them leapfrog Dunfermline to claim a place in the top four.

After Michael Tidser had levelled Tom Beadling’s opener for the visitors, it looked as if the points would be shared until Oliver pounced in stoppage-time.

Duffy declared: ‘We nicked it, there is no doubt about that.

‘If it ended up a draw, I wouldn’t have been disappointed because we didn’t played well.’

Morton started strongly with a Gary Harkins free-kick forcing an early save from Lee Robinson.

However, the opener came at the other end when Pars new boy Beadling, on-loan from Sunderland, took advantage of poor defending to rifle home.

The Cappielow men replied before the break when Oliver nodded down for Tidser, who fired home from the edge of the area.

Pars were then denied the lead when Nicky Clark’s overhead kick was ruled offside.

Morton applied pressure on the restart and had two attempts cleared off the line in quick succession, Robinson clawing Luca Gasparotto’s effort away before a wayward header from Pars skipper Callum Morris forced another clearance.

Ton looked like they would grab a winner four minutes from time when Frank Ross, on loan from Aberdeen, sent in a curling shot that Robinson pushed away.

But the Pars keeper was finally beaten at the death when Bob McHugh outpaced Morris to a loose ball, rounded the stranded keeper and unselfishly teed up Oliver for an easy finish.

Pars boss Allan Johnston said: ‘Nicky’s goal in the first half was yards onside — I’ve seen it on the video. It changes everything. It’s a really poor decision.

‘It’s frustrating. We were the better team.’