A late header from Morton captain Jackson Longridge handed the Greenock side their first league victory of the season – and confined Airdrie to finish the first quarter without a win.

There were two changes for the Diamonds, with Rhys Armstrong missing out through injury and Dean McMaster dropping to the bench. Craig Ross and Jamie Barjonas came in as boss Danny Lennon switched to a 3-5-2 formation.

Ex-Airdrie players Cammy Ballantyne and Arron Lyall were among the subs for the visitors.

With Storm Amy still causing windy conditions around the country, the first half was something of a war of attrition with a lack of clear-cut chances for either side.

Sean McGinty had the Diamonds’ first opportunity on five minutes as a cross from the left was missed by a Morton defender. The Airdrie man stretched out a leg to make contact, but could only lift the ball on to the top of James Storer’s net.

Former Morton star Lewis Strapp was getting forward well in his wing-back role, and saw a 14th-minute cross booted behind after a quick exchange of passes on the left flank.

Morton hit back through Iain Wilson, who saw his close-range effort blocked by Matty Connelly at his near post, leaving the big midfielder to ponder whether a pass would have been a better option.

Some nice passing play around the Morton box led to nothing as a wind-assisted final ball was plucked out of the air by Storer just before the half-hour.

Half-chances continued to be exchanged, with Barjonas stoutly defending a wicked corner delivery before Zak Delaney blocked a backheel flick from Liam McStravick.

Aidan Wilson beat Tomi Adeloye to Michael Garrity’s 36th-minute cross, and the rest of the half played out in scrappy fashion.

Airdrie made an enforced half-time change with midweek loan signing Jake Hastie replacing the injured Lewis McGrattan.

Four minutes after the restart the away side were in front, Adeloye able to turn and force home from close range after Owen Moffat’s cross had bounced beyond Delaney.

The visitors’ lead lasted only three minutes, and it was one to forget for Storer, who played a pass to Kerr Robertson who had Cole McKinnon breathing down his neck. The Diamonds midfielder nipped in to touch the ball to Euan Henderson, who calmly stroked home from the edge of the area.

Another commanding Wilson header saw off Morton’s 58th-minute attack amid substitutions for both sides.

Dylan Corr saw a header claimed by Connelly before Airdrie sub Aaron Reid repeated the feat at the other end.

Connelly gathered a 70th-minute Robertson effort after McGinty’s last-gasp block had taken the power off the strike, and the Diamonds defender blocked well again from Nathan Shaw three minutes later.

A long-range effort from Strapp flew wide of the target as the game moved into the final 15 minutes, and it started to look like a draw was on the cards.

Morton skipper Longridge had other ideas, and on 83 minutes he charged across the box to get his head to a corner kick delivery and power home from close range.

Reid stung Storer’s palms with an angled strike two minutes later, before Longridge cleared a McGinty cross with a diving header.

The last chance of the match fell to substitute Tate Xavier-Jones, but his strike was charged down after Charlie Telfer's free-kick had been punched clear.

Another tough result for the Diamonds, who have a break next weekend before kicking off the second quarter of the campaign at Queen’s Park’s City Stadium.