Morton face Livi test in quest to bring home Trust Trophy

Dougie Imrie's side pay visit to Livingston, for what was perhaps the toughest possible draw they could have faced at this stage of the competition.

With some of the Championship’s other big hitters already taking a watching brief thanks to early exits, David Martindale’s side could probably be considered as the favourites to win the tournament.

Ton are looking to build off a positive showing against Ayr (Image: alex craig) However, after their mauling at Falkirk a week and a half ago, Dougie Imrie’s side got back on the saddle with a battling draw against another of the league’s promotion contenders, Ayr United in Greenock.

While Friday night’s live TV encounter won’t go down as a classic, there couldn’t have been too many in attendance who wouldn’t have settled for a morale boosting point and improved performance against the Honest Men.

There’s little doubt that the return of Iain Wilson from suspension was a massive factor in Ton’s improved showing against Scott Brown’s side, with the influential midfielder covering every blade of grass on a night that he showed his importance to his side, bagging his first goal of the season in the process.

Likewise, Morgan Boyes also enjoyed an encouraging return to first team action, perhaps surprisingly in the left-back position, where he replaced Zak Delaney.

READ MORE: George Oakley returns to haunt former side in 1-1 draw

My personal preference would have been to see Boyes slotting in at centre-back, and with Morton struggling to defend the set piece that allowed former fans’ favourite George Oakley to notch Ayr’s equaliser. I can’t help but think Boyes wouldn’t have allowed the space afforded to Oakley by Kirk Broadfoot.

Imrie’s injury woes seem to be easing somewhat, with seven players making the bench on Friday night, though the absences of his two goalkeepers and Cammy Ballantyne can’t be ignored.

It was good to finally see Nathan Shaw make his Morton bow, and with this competition traditionally being one that managers often rotate their starting line-ups, both Shaw and Alex King will certainly have played themselves into contention for starting berths this evening.

Nathan Shaw impressed in his cameo (Image: alex craig) READ MORE: Nathan Shaw reveals special moment that marked Cappielow comeback

Though Livingston are formidable opposition, having taken care of Hamilton with relative ease at the weekend, we can take heart from a 1-1 draw in West Lothian back in August.

Some fans may also consider that Martindale may also look to rotate, in order to protect his main men for the weekend’s top-of-the-table clash where they welcome Falkirk to West Lothian.

Before the weekend, the Lions’ form hadn’t been great, suffering their first league defeat in a 3-0 hounding at struggling Dunfermline.

And after being held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Queen’s Park, their progress in this tournament saw them scrape past financially stricken Inverness on penalties.

Dougie Imrie will look to end his quarter final hoodoo (Image: alex craig) With a tricky trip to Somerset Park in the Scottish Cup on the horizon, lifting the Trust Trophy could prove Morton’s best opportunity to boost the bank balance, thanks to the £100,000 cheque awaiting the winners.

But more importantly, it will certainly provide our best opportunity of lifting silverware this season.

With the tournament competed for 32 times, only Ayr United have also played in every edition and failed to win it. It’s about time Morton corrected this, and a win at Almondvale would go a long way to doing that.