MORTON put a troubling week behind them and in some style as Dougie Imrie watched his side register their first win of the league season to send Airdrieonians plummeting to the bottom of the Championship.
Much of the attention in the build up to this one had unfortunately been focused on off-field matters and on Imrie's front line.
But it was the defence that came up trumps as goals from either full back ensured that Ton picked up a timely three points off the back of Zak Delaney and Cammy Ballantyne's first goals of the season.
The midweek drama surrounding the club couldn't have come at a worse time after the Cappielow men were booed off after their defeat to Queen's Park having made a hash of their performance at the City Stadium.
But the dramatic departure of Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who'd been charged in connection to a £600,000 cannabis seizure at London's Stanstead Airport, looked to unite the fans to carry their side through what looked to be a game that was growing in importance with every passing minute.
It was a time for Dougie Imrie's new look squad to come of age, particularly in the forward areas as they looked to fill the void left behind by the one-time Arsenal man. And boy did they do just that
This saw Imrie make two changes to the side that lost out in Glasgow seven days prior.
Iain Wilson returned to the side in pace of club captain Grant Gillespie as he looked to command the midfield, sweeping up for the four attack minded playmakers in front of him.
And it was always going to be a toss-up as to who was going to lead the line in the absence of JET. His physical presence was going to be a sore miss, but it would be Lamar Reynolds who got the nod as the Cappielow boss looked to try and stretch the game from the off, but he'd need to show more conviction than he had in previous weeks.
Morton: (4-1-4-1) Mullen, Ballantyne, Broadfoot, Boyes(Baird,80), Delaney, Wilson, Crawford, Lyall, McGinn(Blues,86), Moffat, Reynolds(Davies,81)
Subs not used: Woods, Gillespie, King, O'Boy
Bookings:
Scorers: Delaney(41) Ballantyne (87)
Airdrieonians: (4-2-3-1) Johnson, MacDonald, Watson, Graham, Bruce(Cooper,76), Gallagher Mochrie(Aiken,57), McGregor(Hancock,76), Frizzell, Armstrong, Wilson(Reid,51)
Subs not used: Wright, McGrattan, Taylor-Sinclair
Bookings: Armstrong(47)
Red Card: Armstrong(53)
Ref: Alan Muir
MoTM: Arron Lyall
ATT: 1871
Airdrieonians were in a fragile position themselves, having only won once in the league so far this season, against Morton's last opponents.
Unlike Morton, they were struggling to keep the ball out of the net having failed to pick up a clean sheet this season in the league and on their way they'd been stung by heavy defeats to Ayr United and Dundee.
It meant that the first goal was going to be crucial in deciding which way the game would go, there couldn't have been much less of a give between the two.
And it was pleasing to see the home side, backed by a rampant Cowshed support, get right in the faces of the Lanarkshire side.
They had Rhys McCabe's men pinned back from the off, with Lamar Reynolds seeing a chance go begging, breaking onto a second phase from a ball over the top to roll away from Watson and fire over with eight minutes on the clock.
Despite a partial lull, after a relentless opening 10-minutes, Ton should've seen the ball go into the back of the net as their threat from set-pieces looked to be another good avenue for them.
Ali Crawford's free kick from the right hand side was inch-perfect to match the run of Kirk Broadfoot who met the flight of the delivery to poke towards goal, but Johnson was equal to it.
Ton had had all the possession in a dominant display, but they looked like they'd be the creators of their own downfall after Morgan Boyes made the wrong call, overplaying when he shouldn't and conceding a cheap through.
Airdrie would quickly work it to match Ben Wilson's front post run, but the Northern-Irishman dragged his shot wide in a big let off.
Ton were really beginning to probe though and Owen Moffat would be next to work Johnson in the visiting goal. Good work between Reynolds and McGinn saw the ball break for the ex-Celtic kid at the edge of the box, but his shot skimmed the top of the crossbar with the goalie beat.
Imrie's patience and his side's persistence would finally be rewarded as they seized their opportunity four minutes before the break.
Airdrie were poor in their efforts to get the ball way from danger as Arron Lyall picked up the loose ball and quickly got it moving back out to Cammy Ballantyne on the right hand side. He combined well with Ali Crawford who slipped in Niall McGinn, who'd made a defence splitting run.
He made no mistake in finding Zak Delaney at the far post who headed back across goal to put his side in front and importantly take a lead into the interval.
It was imperative that Ton didn't rest on their laurels after the break as they looked to kill the game off once and for all.
An early chance presented itself as the Diamonds were caught trying to overplay it at the back. This saw a stray pass find its way to Moffat in a dangerous position and he was tripped on the edge of the box.
This saw Rhys Armstrong go into the book and Niall McGinn fire wide from 18-yards.
Seconds later Lyall would combine with Moffat which saw him drive the ball across goal looking for a touch, but Reynolds couldn't get there.
Things would quickly go from bad to worse though for the visitors as Rhys Armstrong would go for an early bath, just six minutes after picking up his first booking. His horrible challenge on Delaney left whistler Reid with no choice but to give him his marching orders.
If this was a boxing match, the towel would've been thrown in long beforehand as Ton had McCabe's men on the ropes.
Some wicked play from Ton saw them break on the Diamonds quickly as Crawford sent McGinn scampering away. He skinned Craig Watson and wedged a ball for Reynolds to strike first time, only to be denied by a great reflex stop.
Seconds later, Lyall and Ballantyne combined to send the former Airdrie full-back racing to the byline. He squared only for Graham to nearly turn the ball into his own net.
And Ballantyne should've burst the net to cap off an utterly sensational move just shy of the hour mark. He combined with Reynolds who brilliantly flicked the ball through the legs of his marker on the 'D' to let the right-back race onto the through ball only to see his outside of the boot effort rattle the upright.
As the game ebbed into the closing stages there was the fear that Ton could live to regret their missed opportunities with the difference remaining just a solitary goal.
A swathe of subs saw Ton begin to slip in the middle of the park but former Broomfield favourite Cammy Ballantyne would put the gloss on it in the closing stages to wrap up the points.
Arron Lyall's corner was cleared at the front post, but only as far as an onrushing Ballantyne who was waiting at the edge of the area.
He made no mistake in unleashing a brilliant first time strike that flew into the bottom left corner beyond a sprawled Johnson and wrap up the points to put an end to a week that everybody will sit and remember, this is what it's like to support Greenock Morton.
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