MORTON'S lengthy injury list is beginning to shorten, quicker than expected, with Stevie Masterton and Alex Walker back training again.

And with manager James Grady hoping to sign Alan Reid in time for Saturday's home Scottish Cup third round tie against Dumbarton, the clouds are beginning to disperse over Cappielow.

Said Grady: "Stevie Masterton and Alex Walker were involved in most of the training today [Monday] and stayed behind to do some extra work. Neil MacFarlane is back running and that really just leaves Allan Jenkins and Kevin Cuthbert who have some way to go.

"Then there's Shimmin," concluded Grady on the injury front. That was said with no further explanation, but you don't need to be a mind reader to know there is a problem there.

One really wonders whether or not Dominic Shimmin wants to play football. Out since March with a 'hamstring problem', he has been doing a mini pre-season training schedule, but he never seems any nearer to actually pulling on a Morton shirt. There must be doubt that he ever will again.

For a talented individual, it all seems quite perplexing. When his contract runs out in the summer, if not before, he may be invited - À lÀ Norman Tebbit - to climb on a bicycle, if fit enough, and seek pastures new.

On the subject of Alan Reid, Grady commented: "We are hoping to sign him this week. It's a testament to the chairman because he's way over budget. We are trying to streamline the squad." That means attempting to shift one or two players out in order to compensate for anyone coming in, though Morton are still looking for a striker on loan.

On that subject Grady said: "We are hoping to watch some on Tuesday [today], but it's getting to the stage where we might be better to wait until January to get the standard we want.

"Brian Wake scored another two on Saturday, Peter Weatherson is playing well and Brian Graham is back.

"Then we will have Iain Russell back after 12 December. I've been at the club for a year now and I haven't seen him play a run of games.

"But he will bring us back to four strikers and, if we keep creating chances, we will get goals from them. As I said before, it makes it less important to get someone in. I would rather we waited to get the right one." Finally, on the subject of Saturday's win, after going two down in the opening four minutes, Grady said: "It would have been easy to be positive in the dressing room at half-time after getting those two goals back - but no way." Whatever was said certainly had its effect and Morton came out to dominate the second period, scoring twice more to secure the points.

Looking towards Saturday's cup tie at Cappielow against Dumbarton, Grady continued on that theme, saying: "The players must make sure they don't let the standards drop.

"They [Dumbarton] will be well organised."