McKenna sets sights on top four

ARBROATH got 2020 off to the worst possible start by losing at home to first-footers Morton but midfielder Michael McKenna believes they can still knock on the door of this year’s Premiership play-offs. The hosts lost out to two early goals from John Sutton and Luca Colville with Scott Stewart’s header a mere consolation. However, while that reduced their cushion from bottom side Alloa to seven points, Arbroath are still only four points off the play-off zone. ‘We may be part-time but there’s not much between any team in this league,’ said McKenna. ‘Dundee United are flying. They have the strongest squad and there are a lot of good sides below them. ‘But we’ve managed to pick up a good amount of points so far to give us a cushion and we aren’t getting battered in games. ‘If we were getting destroyed every week, I’d say survival was our only aim but I want to try and finish closer to the play-offs. ‘Getting there would be beyond anyone’s expectations but that’s not our aim. ‘If we finish eighth, then it’s been a good season but anything above that is what we’d really want to achieve.’ Morton went two up inside 20 minutes, with Robbie Muirhead the provider of both goals. His looping cross was headed in by Sutton for the first, with his low cutback swept home by Colville for the second. McKenna then set up his side’s comeback fight with a perfectly weighted cross for Stewart to bullet home a header. But while Arbroath pressed for a leveller, Morton held firm and collected three crucial points in their bid to climb the table. Colville, who netted his first goal since signing from Bradford in the summer, is hoping he and Morton can now kick on. He said: ‘We have a lot of experience and quality and we need to build on this win.’