IRVINE FEELING PAIN

THE final 30 minutes of this match could be used as a highlights package to illustrate the malaise that continues to cripple St Mirren. A goal to the good thanks to Gary MacKenzie’s first-half opener, they played the last half hour against ten men after Jamie McDonagh was sent off for Morton. That should have been the cue for Saints to kill the match off. But from a corner in the 93rd minute, Ricki Lamie scored to snatch a point for the visitors. It was a golden opportunity wasted for Saints, who remain bottom, six points adrift of Dunfermline. ‘It’s a sore one for us — we are angry that we didn’t see the game out,’ admitted defender Gary Irvine. ‘We spoke all week in training about how good Morton are at set-pieces. To concede from a corner at the end isn’t good enough. ‘When you’re playing against ten men, you need to manage the game properly, be brave, get on the ball, dominate possession to make the advantage count — and we didn’t. ‘Given our position, maybe it’s nerves in terms of being able to see a game out. But that’s not an excuse. We need to show more courage and desire to get results.’ MacKenzie notched the opener against the run of play for Saints on 30 minutes, rising to meet Stevie Mallan’s corner and sending a bullet header low beyond Derek Gaston. McDonagh was then sent off for Morton after he lashed out and kicked Rocco Quinn in the face as the Saints man lay on the ground. His manager Jim Duffy was furious, saying: ‘Jamie was daft getting himself sent off. I have no qualms about it — it was a red card.’ But Morton grew stronger and took a point when Lamie thumped home after St Mirren failed to clear Ross Forbes’ corner. ‘I’m not exactly prolific, as everyone at the club like to remind me,’ said Lamie. ‘But if I had to pick the setting to get one… last minute, away from home, against our rivals — I couldn’t have scripted it any better.’