MORTON defender Sean Crichton couldn't get away from any promotion chat this season even if he wanted to.

The defender, born and bred in Greenock, still works in the local community with the club's youth development.

And as he heads from school to school on coaching duty he is surrounded by questions of whether Morton have it in them to go all the way this term.

Jim Duffy's side are a point off of pacesetters Stranraer and are level on points with Forfar, albeit they have a superior goal difference to their fellow promotion hopefuls.

This weekend they are off to East End Park on the back of a victory that came within a whisker of being a defeat.

And not just a defeat - a defeat that would seriously have derailed their ambitions of going up.

Two last-minute goals kept them on track and Crichton believes it is that kind of spirit that has ensured Morton have to be regarded as genuine challengers.

"I think it does show the fight that we have got within us," he said. "We have done that often this season and it has to say something about the team when you don't know that you are beaten.

"We keep fighting until the very last whistle.

"We have had that spirit and character about us all season and although we have been a bit up and down in terms of consistency over the piece, we can see how far we have come.

"The aim now is to get through the remainders of the season unbeaten but it is something that will be difficult. We know how tough this league is and how tight it is.

"There is a very narrow line between success and failure and it is vital that we keep our focus between now and May."

And while Crichton has acknowledged the pressure that comes with battling at the top end of the table, it is a challenge he is relishing.

"I am a local boy so I know full well what it would mean to the town for us to go up," he said.

"I grew up coming to games with my Dad and my Uncles and everywhere I go just now people want to talk about us going up.

"There is a pressure that comes with that but to be honest I am quite enjoying it.

"You can feel everyone rooting for you and it would be nice for us to be available to give them what they want.

"If you allowed it to I think the pressure could get to you but the manager has managed it pretty well and we know ourselves what we have to do."

Dunfermline are up next and Crichton expects it to be another tight affair.

"We have gone there and won already this season," he said. "But we went a goal down and then came back to win it 2-1 late on.

"It isn't an easy place to go. But we know that every time we step onto the pitch now we need to be coming away with a win.

"We're trying not to look at what is going on round about us and just concentrate on what we do ourselves. That means keeping the points coming in."