Michael O'Halloran Tipped For Scotland Cap After Inspiring St Johnstone Cup Win

Boss Tommy Wright hailed attacker Michael O'Halloran as a possible Scotland cap after another fine performance in St Johnstone's 3-1 Scottish League Cup quarter-final win over Morton at Cappielow.

Ton striker Denny Johnstone opened the scoring for the Championship side in the 51st minute with a confident finish but that was cancelled out by Steven MacLean's penalty 10 minutes later.

O'Halloran, who scored in the last round against Rangers, put the visitors ahead in the 63rd minute with a fine goal before he set up substitute Chris Kane - on for Graham Cummins - for number three in a lightning counter-attack.

The Premiership side go in to the last-four draw which will take place on November 9 at Hampden Park.

Asked if O'Halloran was good enough to play for Scotland, Wright said: On that form, I don't think there is anything better at the minute in our league.

I don't think there are any Scottish players playing better than what he has been for the last couple of months.

Since Michael came here he has done well but he is just getting better and better and long may it continue.

I love working with him and he is an exciting talent and found an environment where he is enjoying is football.

He is full of confidence and belief.

There were three men round him for the goal and it is not luck, it is skill and he is an exciting player.

It was a fully-deserved win and a good performance with a lot of quality.''

Morton boss Jim Duffy put down Ross Forbes' inexplicable handball from a Simon Lappin corner which gave MacLean the chance to level to a moment of silliness''.

He said: It was a strange game. St Johnstone were the better side in the first half but in the second half I thought we looked quite comfortable and then we scored a great goal.

I don't know why Ross did what he did, he had a split-second moment of silliness and obviously that gave St Johnstone the impetus to go on and win it.

He is gutted, he knows he made a mistake and it is one of those things that players occasionally do.

It deflated everybody for a spell and even if it was only for five minutes within that time they scored a second goal and so everyone got shell-shocked.

We managed to regroup but the third goal was a killer but over all I can't complain.

Good luck to St Johnstone in the semi-final.''