DUFC 1 GMFC 1

This has been a strange season. I've never known a campaign like this one, where no matter what we do we always seem to extend our lead at the top, even when we don't win.

As ICT continue to sell off their best players, they're falling away. Ayr United, who themselves have fallen away after losing their manager, took all three points at Somerset Park. So our solitary point, rescued by a late Shankland goal, has allowed us to increase the gap to 18 points.

Our game was a frustrating one. It looked like it had started so well, with the recalled Osman Sow tapping in from close range after about 15 seconds, but the linesmans flag was up.

And in the aftermath of that goal it began. I have never known a team to timewaste as much as this Morton side. Rogers took an age to retrieve the ball from the net as the celebrations dissipated. He slowly walked around with the ball. Finally set it down. Took an eternity to finally kick it up the park. The tone was set.

What the game didn't need was a Morton goal, but it came regardless, and it came in the first quarter. Poor defending let a player ghost in at the back to head home with their first real attack of the game.

The rest of the match played out as attack vs defence, and the attack never really looked like scoring. We huffed and we puffed but we never looked like blowing the door down. What didn't help us was that all of our wide players were in dreadful form. Louis Appere needs to drastically improve his first touch. Robson had a poor afternoon, although I thought Smith at right full back was worse.

And then there's Pawlett. How he gets into the team is beyond me, and it's no surprise to say that our performances are always better when he's not in the team. He isn't good enough to be in our team and shouldn't be there.

It was a surprise to see Sow back in the team and I don't think he did too badly to be honest, although disappeared in the second half before being hooked. Hopefully he can stay fit and contribute. We do however miss Clark and we could have used Declan Glass in the squad yesterday to give us another option. I did however think Mochrie showed up well when he came on, and it's always good to see young academy graduates do well.

I was pleased that we kept going though and the first decent ball in the box led to a goal from Shankland. It was good character and is one of the main reasons why we're going to be champions this year - we go to the end.

A wee word about the rest of the league - there really isn't much between them. Dundee currently occupy the final promotion play-off spot. They're 7 points ahead of bottom of the table Partick. Anything can happen between now and the end of the season. And that's probably why we're doing so well - they're all hurting each other as we continue to collect points.

Mon the Terrors