Morton claimed the scalp of Premiership Motherwell with goals from Robbie Muirhead and George Oakley as they booked their place in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup.
Jack Vale pulled one back for the Fir Park side when his shot came off of Morton defender Darragh O’Connor to wrong-foot Ryan five minutes of regulation time remaining.
It prompted a wild finale to this game but proved to be too little too late as the Championship held on with Motherwell offering little of note for so much of this tie.
It was no less than they deserved with Morton manager Dougie Imrie, a former Hamilton Accies player, enjoying his celebrations after the Motherwell support had given him a fair bit of stick during the game.
The result will be wounding for a Motherwell side who thought they had started to play their way out of recent troubles with Morton well worth the victory.
In what was an old-fashioned hurly-burly Scottish Cup tie, the hosts were up from it from kick-off as they looked to unsettle their top flight opponents.
Motherwell were rocked as they headed into the interval a goal down after Muirhead’s opener – there was some ambiguity about his corner that could have come off Fir Park defender Paton – but even after the reprieve of the break, they could not find their groove with their nervousness increasing as the game went on.
If their 5-0 hammering of Ross County sent them into this tie on far more confident ground, it did not take Morton long to unnerve Stuart Kettlewell’s side.
With the home support firmly on top of them, the hosts looked to make life as uncomfortable as possible for a disjointed Motherwell team who toiled to find their rhythm at ay stage of the game.
Muirhead’s deliveries from set-pieces caused issues for Motherwell, even before he opened the scoring for Imrie’s side.
As he whipped in another swirling effort ten minutes before the break, he got his joy.
Motherwell goalkeeper Liam Kelly seemed to be distracted by the lurking presence of Iain Wilson and as the ball was whipped in he fumbled it, although there could have been a nick off of Harry Paton as the ball found its way into the back of the net.
Motherwell could not say that they had not been warned.
Oakley had hit the bar earlier in a game where the hosts sensed the apprehension among the Premiership visitors.
Lennon Miller tried his luck from distance as he let fly just after the break but it was little to trouble Morton keeper Ryan Mullen.
Its was Morton, though, who added a second with Oakley doubling their advantage.
A poor touch from Paul McGinn allowed Cammy Blues to nick the ball from him before playing it Oakley. He advanced before taking aim with a low rifled shot that went through Calum Butcher’s legs and before nestling in the bottom corner.
Kettlewell responded with a trio of changes as he introduced Adam Devine, Jill Buyable and Jack Vale as the Fir Park side looked to find a way back into the tie.
Buyable did not take long to try and make an impression after he forced a save from Mullen with a low, rasping drive although Theo Bair could and should have shown a bit more conviction as he looked to get on the end of a Blair Spittal cross.
Vale’s effort that came off O’Connor gave Motherwell the glimpse of a lifeline.
Even then Morton sub Lewis McGrattan could have killed the tie when he was dallied when through on goal and allowed Motherwell to get back and clear their lines.
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