JIM DUFFY insists his Morton players will not be fooled by St Mirren's 'false position' as they go head-to-head in today's Renfrewshire derby.

Sixteen points separate the two going into this afternoon's tasty tussle at the Paisley 2021 Stadium with the hosts anchored at the foot of the Ladbrokes Championship and Ton sitting pretty in third.

While Duffy's side have only lost one game in their last 10 on league duty, Jack Ross' men have shown a resurgence in recent weeks as they try and haul themselves closer to the pack above, beating Queen of the South and Raith Rovers in the process.

This upturn is a factor not lost on the Morton manager, who said: "You've got to go into the game with a bit of confidence but you have to be sensible.

"We are away from home against a team who are better than their current league position suggests, considerably better.

"We know how tough it's going to be but we go into the game in decent form in terms of performances and that makes it better.

"The boys have a positive frame of mind. It was always going to take Jack a few weeks to put his own stamp on the team.

"He has brought in younger players into midfield, he's changed the frontline a little bit, but the players have an understanding of how he wants to play.

"That's fine, but from our point of view our players are fully aware that St Mirren are in a false position. But it's not our concern, it's about how we play and how we approach the game.

"My focus has been on making sure we make this as difficult a day for St Mirren as we possibly can."

While the top flight in Scotland will be off duty for the most of January after today's fixtures, the Championship clubs below them will continue to battle it out through the winter chill.

Morton have a game in hand as they sit in a promotion play-off place, with two home games coming up after this afternoon's Renfrewshire clash.

Duffy acknowledges the potential springboard a win against St Mirren could bring going into 2017, but refused to get carried away by the prospect.

"It's a great fixture for us to have because we all went so long without it in the calendar," said the Cappielow manager.

"For it to be in a competitive match it's good for the fans. Derbies all over the country are the ones the fans look most to the most and the Renfrewshire derby is no exception.

"To be honest we can't look beyond St Mirren. It's a manager's cliche but you can't do it.

"We will give this game our 100 per cent attention and if we get a positive result we can enjoy the next couple of days.

"I understand the significance in this fixture for the supporters. We appreciate that and will do all we can to send our fans home happy."

Morton's leading scorer Thomas O'Ware was similarly excited about today's match up following his winner last weekend against Queens, added: “If we can finish the year with two wins, it would be an unbelievable start to the season and an unbelievable end to the year.

“I’ve got nine this season, 20 for Morton and 19 under the gaffer. I just need to keep it going and hopefully get a few more. What am I targeting now? Ten!”