ALLAN MOORE bit his tongue.

It seemed an uncomfortable act for the Morton manager, given his side had just lost limply to Dunfermline Athletic, but he had promised his wife that he would mind his language after games.

The Greenock club's ambitions of winning the Irn-Bru First Division title have become exhausted during a run of three defeats in four league matches and Moore's missus has been tired of his post-match missives being punctuated by rude remarks and f****** asterisks.

He spilled his guts on Saturday without the need for anyone to clean up afterwards, but Moore has not been the only manager in the first division to dabble in darker language this season. Words such as "administration", "redundancies" and "point deductions" have all peppered a sense of turmoil at Dunfermline which has seldom needed to be spiced up. You imagine there are more than a few wives in Fife who would rather they were not so well-versed in such terms.

There was little need for them to be uttered at Cappielow – a narrow win offering a reminder that, although the club are in financial ruin, football will always retain an ability to thrill. The value of a win over Morton will come to be viewed in how it affects their final league placing, since a 15-point deduction has left the Fife club in the relegation play-off place. Yet there was reason, too, to account for how it will affect the mentality of the squad.

The prospect of such an embittering campaign being extended by play-offs does not bear thinking about for a group of players that have enough to worry them as it is, so they did not waste a moment of this win over Morton. Dunfermline had not won since entering interim administration last month and, while this win would not raise them above Cowdenbeath in the table, it did lift their spirits ahead of the final weeks of the campaign.

"I've just turned 22, so to start the year with a goal and a win is great," said Ryan Thomson, who scored early for Dunfermline. "Now we just need to get on with it."

Any happy returns from Morton were grudging. This is a side that has been denied the chance to mark their own special occasion this term, with leaders Partick Thistle expected to win the title tomorrow night. Any desire from Morton to continue the chase has since escaped down the five-point gap between the two sides and that invited a listless performance at the weekend.

It is a malaise which could prove hard to shift during the three remaining fixtures of the season. "We've disappointed in a home game, in front of our own fans," said Moore. "That is another one which does my head in. I don't think we wanted it enough."

At least he didn't swear.

ALLAN MOORE bit his tongue. It seemed an uncomfortable act for the Morton manager, given his side had just lost limply to Dunfermline Athletic, but he had promised his wife that he would mind his language after games.

The Greenock club's ambitions of winning the Irn-Bru First Division title have become exhausted during a run of three defeats in four league matches and Moore's missus has been tired of his post-match missives being punctuated by rude remarks and f****** asterisks.

He spilled his guts on Saturday without the need for anyone to clean up afterwards, but Moore has not been the only manager in the first division to dabble in darker language this season. Words such as "administration", "redundancies" and "point deductions" have all peppered a sense of turmoil at Dunfermline which has seldom needed to be spiced up. You imagine there are more than a few wives in Fife who would rather they were not so well-versed in such terms.

There was little need for them to be uttered at Cappielow – a narrow win offering a reminder that, although the club are in financial ruin, football will always retain an ability to thrill. The value of a win over Morton will come to be viewed in how it affects their final league placing, since a 15-point deduction has left the Fife club in the relegation play-off place. Yet there was reason, too, to account for how it will affect the mentality of the squad.

The prospect of such an embittering campaign being extended by play-offs does not bear thinking about for a group of players that have enough to worry them as it is, so they did not waste a moment of this win over Morton. Dunfermline had not won since entering interim administration last month and, while this win would not raise them above Cowdenbeath in the table, it did lift their spirits ahead of the final weeks of the campaign.

"I've just turned 22, so to start the year with a goal and a win is great," said Ryan Thomson, who scored early for Dunfermline. "Now we just need to get on with it."

Any happy returns from Morton were grudging. This is a side that has been denied the chance to mark their own special occasion this term, with leaders Partick Thistle expected to win the title tomorrow night. Any desire from Morton to continue the chase has since escaped down the five-point gap between the two sides and that invited a listless performance at the weekend.

It is a malaise which could prove hard to shift during the three remaining fixtures of the season. "We've disappointed in a home game, in front of our own fans," said Moore. "That is another one which does my head in. I don't think we wanted it enough."

At least he didn't swear.