DAVIE Irons, the Morton manager, believes the addition of steel to skill can make his side a force to be reckoned with in the first division.

Irons watched his team take an early physical battering as a ruthless St Johnstone threatened to run riot. Midfielder Alex Walker was knocked out in an accidental collision while Allan McManus, his replacement, also sustained a head knock and could only continue following the application of a Basil Fawlty-style bandage. Stewart Greacen, the captain, was another to succumb to injury as an increasingly rugged encounter unfolded.

However, Irons took enormous encouragement from the fact that it was his side who looked stronger in the closing stages.

"Morton have always been known for playing nice football but we need to handle the physical side as well and I think we did that," he said.

"St Johnstone bullied us in the first half but in the second half we stood up to it and deserved our point."

In an all-action start, the visitors took the lead in three minutes when Greacen's attempted clearance struck Stevie Milne and landed in the net. But the Greenock side were level two minutes later, Ryan McGuffie converting Jon Newby's cross.

The visitors reclaimed their advantage when Martin Hardie's defence-splitter allowed Gavin Swankie to cap a fine show with a classy finish. But Erik Paartalu deflected Stevie Masterton's cross into the net eight minutes from time.

Meanwhile, man-of-the-match Swankie insists he will be content to be the goal provider as the Perth men pursue their promotion dream.

"As the second half went on it looked as if my goal might win the game but Morton came back at us and managed to get the equaliser," the former Arbroath and Dundee winger said. "It's disappointing from my point of view because it would have been nice to get the winner."