Captain Lee Kilday feels Morton have been “underestimated” and believes they can shock Aberdeen in the Betfred Cup.

The Championship side face their toughest test of the season when they play the Dons in Saturday’s Betfred Cup semi-final.

Morton beat Hamilton and Dundee United in the knockout stages to earn their spot in the final four.

The Dons go into Saturday in great form after demolishing Kilmarnock and Ross County 4-0.

But while Aberdeen have won their last five, Morton are also on a hot streak of their own.

After a stuttering start, they have won four of their last five.

That includes the 5-0 hammering of high-flying Queen of the South in Dumfries last weekend.

Confidence is high in the Morton camp according to captain Kilday.

And they are looking forward to the prospect of facing “one of the best teams in Scotland”.

He said: “We had five different scorers at the weekend, there are a lot of goals in our team.

“I think a lot of people have underestimated us going into this game.

“Aberdeen are one of the best teams in Scotland right now, so they are going to be massive favourites but we will compete, do our best and that’s all we can do.”

He added: “We have been in good form, Aberdeen go in as favourites but it’s a one-off game, anything can happen.

“We hope going into the game that we can win it.

“We just need to do our best, it’s going to be a massive ask and we will need to be at our best to beat them.”

One of Morton’s scorers on Saturday was former Dons prospect Jai Quitongo.

The 19-year-old left Aberdeen in 2015 and his stock has soared since leaving Pittodrie.

The Wishaw-born attacker was the subject of a bid from English Championship side Doncaster Rovers.

In recent days, Quitongo has been linked with Southampton, Crystal Palace, Swansea and Hull.

And Kilday has also been impressed by theforward’s impact since arriving at Cappielow.

He said: “Jai is some boy, he’s a good lad and he’s done really well this season.

“The gaffer put him up front and he’s quick, he’s strong and will cause any defence problems.

“You can see he’s going to be a top player and it’s a big stage for him.”

Aberdeen’s recent upturn in form has seen their attacking players finally find their groove.

Adam Rooney, Jonny Hayes, Niall McGinn and James Maddison has been the bane of Premiership defences in recent weeks.

Kilday acknowledges it will be difficult to stop the Dons, especially oncurrent form.

The defender was resolute about the strength of Morton’s back line.

But Kilday does not want the Championship side just absorbing pressure.

He said: “They are doing very well right now and have some really good players.

“They have a lot of pace and are scoring goals, so it will be hard but we just need to stay tight, try and keep them quiet.

“It’s going to be tough because quality players can create something so it will be difficult to stop them.

“The one thing is we can’t be on the back foot all the time, we need to go forward.”

He added: “You can’t just go in and look to defend for 90 minutes or they will score so we need to go out there and attack them as well, show what we can do.

“They are very good going forward but so are we, and we’re good defensively so we just need to compete with them.”

The 24-year-old defender has missed a month after picking up an ankle injury against Dunfermline.

Kilday said he is hoping to be fit for Saturday’s game but praised his team-mates for their performances in his absence.

One player Morton will definitely be without is Ross Forbes, who issuspended.

The midfielder scored one and was a creative nuisance throughout against Queen of the South.

And Kilday conceded Forbes’ absence will hurt Morton on Saturday.

He said: “Forbesy is a massive loss, he set up four of the goals on Saturday and he’s a big part of the team.

“It is a big loss but we have players who can step in and cause problems as well.”

The captain feels confident the players will not be overawed by the occasion on Saturday.

After playing at Ibrox, Celtic Park and Easter Road last season, Morton will not be adversely affected by a day out at Hampden.

Kilday expects Jim Duffy’s men to be revved up to face the Reds.

“It’s a big occasion and it will just spur them on a bit more.

“The boys will just be right up for it – we can’t wait for it now.”