there are some games that tell you more about the manager than the players.

In August of last year, Morton came to this same place and lost 5-0. This season they were whacked again, 5-0, by Partick Thistle at Firhill.

These results, I believe, said much more about Davie Irons as a manager than they did about the players.

So too, this result at the Excelsior Stadium spoke volumes about Irons' successor James Grady and his assistant Allan McManus.

The manager himself hit the nail on the head, probably without fully realising the implications, when he said that last season Morton would have gone on to lose this game by four or five goals after going two behind in the opening four minutes.

He meant it as a testament to the players. But it was, in fact, he who was the essential difference. It is he and McManus who together have given the players the self-belief to come back from such a position of adversity. That belief was implanted by Grady. The players then absorbed it, acted upon it and, eventually, thrived upon it.

An old-fashioned bollocking was thrown in for good measure at half-time.

Every human being reacts best under leadership they trust and respect, no matter what they do.

A sizeable travelling support must have thought Morton were revisiting every bad trait imaginable when they fell two behind before the scribblers at the back of their stand had jotted down the teamlines and formations.

That poor start indicated that flaws remain, but what then happened was a transformation unthinkable in the last couple of seasons.

The team fought their way back to parity by the interval, then dominated the second half in increasingly difficult conditions of driving wind and rain.

Yet the start was disastrous as the Ton defence and midfield seemed all too easily dragged about.

Two minutes were on the clock when Airdrie, in a move straight off the training ground, took a simple lead. Trouten's right wing corner was played back to Scott McLaughlin standing on the corner of the box, he played a simple ball forward to Nixon who shot past Stewart.

Two minutes later it was two-nil. This time O'Carroll's ball from midfield beat the Morton offside trap, David Van Zanten appearing to play Baird onside, and the striker ran on to supply the finish.

Morton and their support were stunned. It took the Cappielow side until 14 minutes to fashion a reply, Kevin Finlayson's deep cross from the right finding Brian Wake at the back post. It was a good chance, but the striker's header struck Robertson in the home goal.

Morton remained horribly open in defence, although they were beginning to threaten going forward, Jim McAlister's cross from the left being headed down but too near the goalkeeper by Ryan McGuffie.

In 34 minutes it should have been three for Airdrie when a McLaughlin through ball found Baird in isolation once more, but Colin Stewart beat down the shot brilliantly. That was a decisive moment in the match.

Finlayson provided a dangerous cross into the penalty area with no takers but the same player, often maligned for the quality of his final ball, was provider again a minute later, the 43rd of the half. He did extremely well to make room for himself on the right touchline and whipped over a superb cross. McGuffie got good pace on the header to send it low off the right post and into the net.

That gave Morton a massive boost and two minutes later they were on level terms. This time Peter Weatherson, on the left, played in Brian Wake and he turned brilliantly to crash a shot into the roof of the net.

The Morton support were in full voice now.

The second half began with O'Carroll heading a foot over the visitors' crossbar only for Morton, full of confidence, to take the lead in 54 minutes.

McAlister took possession after a Storey mistake, set up Wake, and the striker netted his fourth goal in two games, steering the ball past Robertson.

Morton were controlling the game and 12 minutes later it was over as a contest.

Weatherson's free kick from the edge of the box and the centre of the goal, struck the defensive wall and rebounded to Van Zanten, 25 yards out. He composed himself and curled a perfect left foot drive into the left hand side of the goal.

Brian Wake had two further chances to grab his hat-trick, the second being a header straight at Roberston from Finlayson's cross.

Airdrie's last retort was a well struck drive from range by Storey, but Ton substitute Carlo Monti, just on the pitch, cleared off the line.

AIRDRIE UNITED (4-4-2): Robertson; Storey, Donnelly, Nixon (McDonald 46), Waddell; Trouten (Watt 80), McCann, Lagana (Keegan 72), McLaughlin; O'Carroll, Baird.

Subs not used - Smith, Hollis.

MORTON (4-4-2): Stewart 8; Van Zanten 7, Greacen 6, MacGregor 6, Reid 6; Finlayson 9, McGuffie 7, Paartalu 7, McAlister 7; Wake 8 (Monti 88), Weatherson 7 (Graham 89 2).

Subs not used - Harding, Kane, McWilliams.

Bookings - Paartalu 48.

Referee: Steve Conroy 7.

Attendance: 1,164.