Morton striker Gary Oliver has admitted it will be strange not to have Jim Duffy barking in his ear from the dugout this afternoon, especially as he is so used to it from growing up as his nephew.

The Cappielow boss will serve the first match of his touchline ban in today’s home game against Ayr United, and it will be a new experience for both Duffy and his players.

And while Oliver reckons that the infamous bust-up that his boss had with Hibs gaffer Neil Lennon was out of character, he has seen that side of his uncle Jim before.

“He used to give me a beating or two when I was growing up!” Oliver joked.

“But no, it obviously all kicked off at Easter Road because of Kudus [Oyenuga]’s tackle, and sometimes things can boil over in football. It was a tense night and we were going for top spot in the league.

“It is completely out of character for the gaffer, he isn’t the aggressive type and I think this is the first ban that he has ever had, so that just shows you what he is really like.

“It will be strange not having him shouting at me and telling me what I’m doing wrong from the touchline though, he can be quite vocal in the dugout barking out his orders.

“The players will just have to get on with it though, and I’m sure that assistant manager Craig McPherson will be relishing his chance to have a shot at it.”

Oliver is desperate for Morton to get the points required today to see them over the line and into the promotion play-offs with two games to spare.

He says that tiredness is not an issue despite his side’s poor run of form of late, but concedes it might be good to have the chance to rest one or two players ahead of mounting their last push for promotion to the Premiership.

“It has been such a great season for us, way beyond my expectations when I signed in the summer,” he said.

“We’ve done it with a small squad, but the boys don’t feel tired. It may well be that there are some weary legs and we just don’t know it, but we feel ready to face whatever lies ahead.

“It’s so important that we don’t let the season peter out after doing so well.

“If you think back, throughout the majority of the season we’ve been more than a match for anyone that we’ve faced, whether that be from the Championship or even in the cups. We ran Rangers close at Ibrox, so we know we are a good side.

“For whatever reason though, we just haven’t been playing as well as we can for the past few weeks. Games are becoming a bit scrappier and maybe that doesn’t suit us, because we like to think of ourselves as a footballing side.

“That being said, we are well up for the fight and we are able to grind out results as well, so hopefully we can get back on track against Ayr and get the points that we need to secure the playoff spot.

“It won’t be easy, they are fighting for their lives, but we know we can win the game.”

Oliver’s unshakeable belief in his teammates comes from the close bond they have forged over the season, which he credits as the main reason behind their stunning campaign as a whole.

“The boys are all really close,” he said. “It’s one of the first things you notice when you arrive at the club, and the lads are really good at welcoming in new players.

“I think it is our team spirit that has carried us this far, and I think it will be that spirit that will now carry us over the line.”