Duffy: We welcome challenge presented by Pars

Manager Jim Duffy says his side welcome the challenge of going head to head with league leaders Dunfermline Athletic at Cappielow tomorrow.

When asked for his thoughts on facing the Pars, Duffy said:

“They are obviously top of the league, firing on all cylinders and playing very well, but it’s the type of game the players should really respond to.

“They know they are going to be at their very best to get anything from it and it’s a real challenge ahead of us and something I think the players should welcome.

“We have to have both sides of the game right. We know we’re going to have to defend very well and we also have to pose a threat.

“We have to get the balance right, because if one side of our team is not at it’s best then we’ll struggle to win the match.”

Morton were inactive last weekend due to the international break. Gaffer Duffy worked the squad hard over the fortnight but also gave them a weekend off. He explained:

“You can sometimes be too hard on the players. From my point of view and the coaches’ point of view sometimes it’s better to go and clear your head

“To take a little step back from it rather than be continually on top of the players in terms of the demands we put on them.

“We worked them hard through the week and felt that giving them the weekend off gave them a little bit of time just to calm them down before beginning preparing for Dunfermline.

“We’re not going overboard about anything; it’s about being reflective and understanding where we need to improve.

“In the St Mirren game and the second half of the Inverness game, we played very well so we know we’ve got it in our locker but we’ve got to produce it more often.”

Image: Gary Bradley