Morton v Dundee United – Match Preview  

by Russell Gordon  

The league leaders visit Cappielow Park supported by Dalrada Technology as Morton kick off a month which could be crucial in determining what division they could be playing their football in next season. After a resounding Scottish Cup victory over Lowland League Bo’ness United, Dougie Imrie’s men will be looking to turn their league fortunes around against a Dundee United side who will still be reeling from their shock cup exit at the hands of League One Queen of the South.  

Tickets for the match can be purchased below:  

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Photo - GBR Photographs.

Squad News  

Incredibly, I make Saturday’s cup victory the third match in a row that Morton have come through unscathed, and with Jai Quitongo and Darragh O’Connor again getting minutes in their legs, things are looking up.  

Tyler French will likely return to the fray after an enforced lay off, having been cup tied for the SPFL Trust Trophy match against Airdrie, and left out of the Bo’ness game at the request of his parent club Dundee, at the risk of being cup tied later in the season, should they wish to recall him.  

Jack Bearne will hope to keep his place in the side following a couple of more impressive performances in the cup ties, and it will be interesting to see if Imrie sticks with Ryan Mullen, whose performances have done little harm to his chances of usurping first choice custodian Jamie MacDonald.  

Robbie Muirhead and Kirk Broadfoot are both walking a suspension tightrope, having amassed five league bookings each this season.  

Current Connections  

The only member of United’s squad who has represented Morton is Liam Grimshaw, a familiar face from last season’s squad and the club’s player of the year, after making 30 appearances for the ‘Ton and gaining plaudits from all angles.  

The affable Lancastrian was an extremely popular addition to Imrie’s squad and after protracted negotiations with the club decided his future lay on Tayside rather than Inverclyde in the summer, much to the dismay of the Morton support, although given United’s considerably larger budget, few could grudge him the opportunity to move onto a club who could offer far greater remuneration for his efforts. He was however, one of the Terrors’ penalty culprits last weekend.  

In the Morton squad, club captain Grant Gillespie spent 2017-18 season at Tannadice, making only nine appearances before moving onto Raith Rovers, while Robbie Muirhead also enjoyed a brief stint in the City of Discovery, making sixteen appearances and scoring twice before moving on loan to Partick and subsequently Hearts.  

Tale of the Tape  

In what has mostly been a season of woe for the Cappielow faithful, the trip to Tannadice provided one of our few chinks of light to this point. Having fallen behind to an early Louis Moult header, Morton produced one of their more encouraging performances of the season against their more fancied opponents in a match spoiled by the woeful performance of hapless official David Munro (where have I said that before?).  

Having weathered the hosts’ storm, it was just before the hour mark that Robbie Muirhead pounced on a mix up between former Scotland centre back Declan Gallagher and goalkeeper Jack Walton to slam the ball into an empty net.  

United midfielder Matthew Cudjoe was later controversially ordered off for what appeared to be an innocuous incident involving Calum Waters was spotted by the referee’s assistant, but on yet another day Munro shouldn’t have been looking back at with any pride, it turned out after watching the video evidence that Cudjoe had in fact elbowed the Morton left back and did merit his marching orders. We’ll give Munro’s assistant the credit for that spot.  

The last time the clubs shared a division was the COVID-curtailed 2019-20 season, in which they met three times, the final Cappielow fixture binned as a result of the pandemic.  

On Morton’s first visit to Tannadice, and they suffered a chastening afternoon, falling to a Lawrence Shankland-inspired 0-6 drubbing in a match that, had United had to chase goals, would likely have turned out far worse than our Hamilton Horror Show of 2014.  

United visited Cappielow for a re-arranged midweek match in December that year and returned home with all three points, as Morton fell 1-2 to goals from Louis Appere and that man Shankland again. Morton’s counter came from a Liam Smith own goal.  

With United motoring towards the title, and Morton beginning to pull themselves clear of the drop zone after a torrid start, a Kalvin Orsi goal saw Morton lead for the majority of the match before ex-‘Ton marksman Shankland delivered an inevitable equaliser deep into injury time.  

Morton’s last victory over United came on the final day of the previous season, when a first half Michael Tidser free kick gave them the points in a dead rubber when events off the field took on more significance with the resignation of Jonatan Johansson and the not-at-all-funny relegation of Raymond McKinnon’s Falkirk occupying the minds of the home support, while the visiting Arabs basked in Dundee’s relegation from the Premiership.  

Photo - GBR Photographs.

Opposition Analysis   

Top of the league and having dropped only eight points all season, all is well in the corridors of Tannadice with Premiership football the likely outcome come May.  

Believe that and you’ll believe anything! Whilst United have enjoyed a fruitful league campaign, recent cup results have piled pressure on Manager Jim Goodwin. 2023 has been a miserable year in the cups for the former St. Mirren captain and boss. Having lost his job at Aberdeen shortly after their Scottish Cup defeat at West of Scotland League Darvel, he exited the League Cup in the group stages, falling to Spartans and Partick, with a couple of wins over Peterhead and Falkirk offering little by way of consolation for the United support.  

Those woes were exacerbated in recent weeks with United exiting both the SPFL Trust Trophy and the Scottish Cup to League One minnows Falkirk and Queen of the South respectively.  

When you throw in Goodwin’s failure to win any of their five post-split games last term as they went down with a whimper, and the pressure being put on them by big-spending Raith Rovers, the demands on the Irishman to deliver not only promotion, but also the title, is massive.  

I spoke to United fan Gary Manson, a member of the Shed 57 Supporters’ Club (@Shed_57), who is still reeling from last weekend’s cup shock and hoping to see his side continue their title charge at Cappielow to help make up for the disappointments of the last fortnight.  

“United head to the Tail o’ the Bank with their tail between their legs after last weekend’s cup exit in Dumfries.  

Things were rosy for the Tannadice faithful until consecutive cup exits over the last fortnight provided some bumps on the road.  

Jim Goodwin would have been hoping for a better cup experience after leading Aberdeen to ignominious failure in rural Ayrshire last term, but despite dominating possession and having a scarcely believable 46 shots on goal, United succumbed 3-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw, with ex-‘Ton man Liam Grimshaw being amongst those who missed from the spot.  

Rewind two weeks and the Tangerine Express was full steam ahead. Top of the league and undefeated in their opening 13 games, a swift return to the top-flight looked odds on. United have defended well so far, losing only six league goals with Luton Town-loanee Jack Walton looking solid between the sticks- a far cry from the kamikaze goalkeeping of last season which contributed so significantly to United’s relegation.  

Goodwin went for experience in central defence with St. Mirren’s Declan Gallagher and Kevin Holt from Partick. Liam Grimshaw has slotted well into the right full-back position with Scott McMann looking like a different player in comparison to last season completing the defensive quartet on the left.  

Goals haven’t been an issue for United with a plus 27 goal difference thrashings handed out at Firhill and to Queen’s and Arbroath at Tannadice, but United’s away performances have been definitively more assured than some of the slogs at Tannadice as breaking down stubborn and resolute opposition has proved challenging- take the mighty ‘Ton’s visit in September when Robbie Muirhead’s equaliser saw Morton leave with a point in September.  

The Terrors definitely tick better with ex-Ayr midfielder Ross Docherty on the park. While injury has seen him sidelined for a few games, his return last Saturday was one of the few positives the travelling Arabs could take from their day out in Dumfries. Ex-Falkirk man Craig Sibbald has helped United to add a bit of dig and composure to the middle of the park.  

Young Kai Fotheringham has stepped up well into the first team and has six goals to his credit so far this term. His direct and skilful displays saw him included in Scot Gemmill’s Scotland under-21 side for the recent 2-0 victory in Belgium, and he’ll pose a threat at Cappielow this weekend.  

In the forward positions, United have plenty of experience in Louis Mouth and Tony Watt who, with nine goals between them, have been ably assisted by Glenn Middleton and Matthew Cudjoe, who have provided width and attacking pace.  

With United’s only remaining chance of silverware being the Championship title, and Chairman Mark Ogren having backed Goodwin to re-establish United’s top-flight status at the first time of asking, everyone at Tannadice will be hoping that normal service is resumed, and the three points make their way east to Tayside on the United team bus. 

What’s Happening Elsewhere?  

With no Friday night action on BBC Scotland, there’s a full Saturday card in the Championship. Arbroath, recently relieved of their manager following the resignation of long-serving Dick Campbell following a shock cup exit at Spartans, and having suffered a 0-3 defeat at East End Park in the first match of the post-Campbell era on Tuesday, visit Somerset Park to face an Ayr team that can’t buy a win on home soil.  

We’ll be looking for another favour from Dunfermline, who host our fellow strugglers Queen’s Park, and also from big-spending Raith Rovers, who make the journey to Inverness, to face a Thistle side who look less and less likely to be involved in a relegation battle with each passing week.  

In the other match, play-off contenders Partick and Airdrie meet at Firhill in a game that will have little impact on Morton’s immediate ambitions.  

Photo - GBR Photographs.

Betting Guide   

All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 1st December 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling.  

The visitors are understandably clear favourites at 4/7 in spite of their recent cup woes, with Morton priced at a lengthy 15/4 and the draw at 3/1.  

We’ll probably need to keep the back door shut in order to get a result, so a Morton win to nil is priced at 8/1, and the draw at half time and Morton at full time is 9/1.  

Match Officials   

Referee- Graham Grainger is refereeing his third Morton game of the season having officiated the 1-4 defeat by Partick and the 1-2 defeat by Dunfermline, both at Cappielow.  

AR 1- Drew Kirkland  

AR 2- Michael MacDermid