A combination of poor finishing and dubious officiating saw Morton succumb to a 1-0 defeat to crisis club Dundee.

Ton striker Brian Graham passed up two glaring opportunities, while referee Eddie Smith and his assistants waved away one strong penalty claim and then ruled out what appeared to be a legitimate Stewart Kean goal.

The hosts were also hit with a sickening suckerpunch when Matt Lockwood netted a second-half spot-kick to snatch all three points.

Groundsman Mark Farrell and his hardy band of helpers battled the elements to ensure Saturday's match survived the weather. And after three weeks in cold storage, Allan Moore's men were intent on making a scorching start to proceedings.

They almost did in the sixth minute when Craig McKeown threw up an arm and batted the ball away from Graham, but Smith waved away the appeals.

Darren Young manufactured a chance for himself two minutes later when he dispossessed Gary Harkins 30 yards from goal and unleashed a thunderous strike which Rab Douglas did superbly well to block with an outstretched arm.

Douglas could only push the ball out as far as the inrushing Brian Graham, who somehow managed to knock the ball wide with the goal at his mercy.

Dundee came close to scoring on 12 minutes, but David O'Brien deflected McKeown's net-bound effort behind after the defender powered Stephen O'Donnell's corner towards goal.

Back came Morton, and it was Young again who tested Douglas with a powerful half-volley from 20 yards.

Leigh Griffiths and Gary Harkins both had efforts comfortably saved by Colin Stewart as the visitors threatened to take the lead against the run of play.

But it was Morton who finished the half the strongest. In the 40th minute, a crisp move involving Young, Michael Tidser, Graham and Allan Jenkins ended disappointingly as Young sliced an effort high over the crossbar.

That disappointment was compounded two minutes later when Graham fluffed an identical chance to his earlier miss. This time he stumbled over the ball after Douglas parried Kean's drive.

Then, with the referee poised to blow for half-time, Jenkins met Tidser's deep free-kick with a looping header which appeared destined for the top corner until Craig Forsyth popped up to head the ball off the line.

Tidser looked intent on giving his side the advantage they deserved in the early stages of the second half.

First he drove a free-kick into the wall, then he saw a fierce right-footed strike deflected over the bar for a corner. Jenkins collected O'Brien's resultant flag-kick and rifled a low shot at goal, but Douglas was in the right place to break Ton hearts yet again.

Morton were punished for their profligacy when Lockwood placed a cool penalty beyond Stewart's despairing dive in the 62nd minute after referee Smith pointed to the spot for a Kevin McKinlay trip on O'Donnell.

Ton thought they had restored parity in the 80th minute when Kean met a Sean Fitzharris centre with a bullet header, but the Cowshed-side assistant referee had raised his flag for offside.

With two minutes left, Fitzharris whipped over another menacing cross which Rhys Weston sliced towards his own goal. The clearance looked goal-bound, but crashed off the top of the bar and behind to complete an agonising afternoon for the Cappielow side.