Duffy plays down title talk as Lennon eyes the trophy
ONE manager is happy to talk openly about winning the title, the other has banned any mention of the subject.
A win for Morton over Hibernian at Easter Road this evening would take the Greenock side into second place in the Championship and seven points behind the leaders with a crucial game in hand.
It wouldn’t then be outside the bounds of possibility for the Ladbrokes Championship surprise package of the season to pull off something incredible.
However, should Neil Lennon’s men extend their lead at the top, it would be difficult if not impossible to see anyone catching them at this late stage and then, at the third attempt, Hibs would return to the Premiership.
Lennon believes the title would be his team’s to lose should they win. Jim Duffy, though, won’t allow anyone to get too far ahead of themselves.
“It would be great for the club and for the fans to talk about being second or being involved in a title chase; however for me it is all about getting points on board,” said the Morton manager.
“Getting something from Easter Road would do that as opposed to anything else. At the end of the season we can look to see where our points have taken us. Also if we were to lose this game then Hibs would pretty much have a stranglehold on the title.”
This is something Lennon agrees with. Victory would take Hibs 13 points clear of Morton and Falkirk with just six matches left the Northern Irishman is adamant it would require a capitulation of mammoth proportions for them not to finish the job.
Asked whether a triumph would see them seal the title, Lennon said: “I think so. Psychologically, I would imagine it would take the mother of all collapses for us to give anyone a sniff.
“We have earned the right to be confident. We have been pretty consistent, although there have been a few bumps along the way. But if we are going to win we will need to play very strongly.
“They have had a great season and they are a very difficult team to play against.”
Should Lennon ultimately lead the capital club back to the top flight, he admits he will look back on a “frustrating” but “enjoyable” campaign in a Championship that proved more competitive than he anticipated when he took the role last summer.
“It has been a pressure but I have enjoyed the challenge,” said Lennon. “It has been frustrating at times and the division has been harder than I thought, because it was so competitive.”