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Dean, Darren, Ewan and Stephen discuss Saturday's loss against Inverness, the team also pick out their standout players and goals of the season.

Dean, Darren, Ewan and Stephen discuss Saturday's loss against Inverness, the team also pick out their standout players and goals of the season.

Morton v Inverness Caledonian Thistle - Match Preview by Russell Gordon. The penultimate round of the Championship’s regular season, and Morton’s final home game sees Billy Dodds’ Inverness coming down the A9 to slum it at Cappielow for a third time this season. With the Highlanders guaranteed a place in the promotion play-offs, Morton still require a solitary point, or for either Ayr United or Dunfermline to drop against Partick and Queen of the South respectively to secure our own place in the second tier for another year. For those who can’t make it to Cappielow, Gerry and Andy could well be giving their last ever commentaries for a stream, depending on next season’s ruling, for a very reasonable £14, which can be purchased here. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News With last weekend’s late injuries to Lewis Strapp and Alan Lithgow proving pivotal in Morton’s disappointing defeat against Hamilton last weekend, Morton boss Dougie Imrie will be desperate for their return to the fold. There are no other known injuries to speak of. Current Connections There are very few connections between the two squads, with neither having anyone who’s represented their opponents- although the visitors’ defender Wallace Duffy signed for Morton in the summer of 2019 from St. Johnstone, before having his contract cancelled when Caley Thistle approached St. Johnstone to sign him on a permanent deal. Morton Manager Dougie Imrie had a two year spell in the Highlands, playing 70 times and scoring 11 goals for Inverness. Tale of the Tape I don’t know if you could say it’s honours even between the teams this season, having suffered a 0-2 defeat under the Kessock Bridge in October and the 1-6 hounding in December as managerless Morton’s season hit its lowest ebb, but there have been positives against tomorrow’s opponents. Morton’s Scottish Cup campaign seemed doomed to an early end when they were drawn against Inverness away. Gavin Reilly’s late equaliser secured a late 1-1 draw against the odds, and the scoreline was repeated in the Cappielow replay before Jack Hamilton proved the hero as Morton progressed to the next round and subsequently a heart breaking defeat at Fir Park thanks to a 5-4 shoot-out win. The most recent meeting saw a resurgent Morton going north with a point to prove after that 1-6 pasting and coming down the A9 with all three points thanks to a first half goal from Lewis Strapp, as Inverness extended suffered their seventh game of eleven without a victory. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis Consistency isn’t one of Inverness’s strong points. After an excellent start to the campaign, they were to suffer a winter of discontent that I alluded to above, and only a recent good run cemented their place in the play-offs. That recent run saw a convincing 3-0 win at home to title challenging Arbroath, as well as last weekend’s 2-1 win over Kilmarnock, who may well be champions by the time we kick off on Saturday. That run of 5 without defeat met an abrupt end in midweek though as Inverness fell to a Queen of the South side that are playing for snookers in their attempts to avoid slumming it with Falkirk next season. The goals of Shane Sutherland have been crucial in recent weeks, whilst Billy McKay has provided his steady stream of goals in recent weeks, but Inverness’s main threat is perhaps Dundee United loanee Logan Chalmers, who has five in the last five and looks to be hitting form at just the right time with the promotion play-offs looming. Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 22nd April 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. The visitors are the 13/10 favourites with Morton priced at 19/10 and the draw at 21/10. I always try to be optimistic when picking random bets, but can’t ignore Inverness’s firepower, so Morton to win and both teams to score is 21/4 and over 3.5 goals is 10/3. Match Officials Referee- Alan Muir AR 1- Michael Banks AR 2- Kevin McElhinney

Craig & Alan discuss Morton's 1-0 defeat to Hamilton and look ahead to next Saturday's game with Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Craig & Alan discuss Morton's 1-0 defeat to Hamilton and look ahead to next Saturday's game with Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Morton v Hamilton- Match Preview by Russell Gordon. An afternoon of celebration awaits at Cappielow as Morton mark the 100th anniversary of our Scottish Cup win with the visit of Hamilton Accies. But there is also a job to be done, with the hosts requiring only a point to secure their Championship status for another year, whilst Accies require a win to do likewise. After Morton’s exorcising of the Stark’s Park ghost last weekend, both sides will also be eyeing Raith Rovers’ trip to Firhill, as they look to reel in the Fifers in fifth place in the table. Those who are unable to make Cappielow can share the celebrations with Andy and Gerry for the princely sum of £14. Click here to purchase the game. Squad News With only Gavin Reilly missing out last weekend, Morton boss Dougie Imrie will be hoping for his return to what should be an otherwise fully fit squad. Photo - GBR Photographs. Current Connections There are no players on either side to have represented the other- a somewhat unusual occurrence in the Championship, but both Morton Manager Dougie Imrie and his Assistant Andy Millen played for the Lanarkshire side with distinction. Millen spent three years at Accies in the early 1990s as well as a brief spell as Assistant Manager in 2010 under Billy Reid, whilst Imrie had two spells at Hamilton, either side of his time at St. Mirren and Morton. In that time, he was to establish himself as an Accies legend as a player, simultaneously captaining them whilst leading their under 17s to the Scottish title and in a memorable UEFA Youth League campaign the following season, defeating Swiss powerhouses Basel along the way. Tale of the Tape Whilst I mentioned that Morton exorcised the ghosts of Stark’s Park last weekend, there is another monkey to get off the back this week- we’ve failed to beat Hamilton at Cappielow since a 3-0 league win in February 1999, a run spanning 23 years and 13 games. This season however, has been honours even with a 1-0 win apiece at New Douglas Park and a 1-1 draw that Morton were very fortunate to get away with at Cappielow after a 97th minute own goal gave us far more than we deserved from a turgid performance in the dying embers of Gus MacPherson’s doomed tenure. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis It could be said that Hamilton have had a season of consolidation this term after finally suffering relegation from the Premiership last term. Whilst they’ve never been in serious danger of relegation, a play-off push hasn’t really been on the cards either, with them occupying sixth place most of the season, and only Morton’s late season form changing that, although a win for the visitors tomorrow could make that a temporary arrangement. Whilst the last two games, a 0-1 home defeat by Arbroath and a disappointing away draw at Ayr, Accies again conceding in injury time, have been disappointing, there have been encouraging results in there, most notably a 4-0 victory over Partick Thistle at Firhill. The main threat of late has come from young striker Andy Winter who, prior to last weekend had scored three in three, including one in that Firhill rout and the late winner at New Douglas Park against Queen of the South that put significant daylight between them and the Doonhamers, who prop up the table. I spoke to Ben Paterson (@BenOnlyAccies) of the Only Accies (@OnlyAccies) podcast who was well aware that Accies haven’t reached the standards of earlier in the season in recent weeks, and feels they’ll be looking to address that at Cappielow this weekend. “After conceding another late equaliser at Somerset Park and following that up with a home defeat to Arbroath, Accies will be desperate to get back to winning ways. It’ll never be easy to pick up maximum points against a Morton side led by Accies legend Dougie Imrie, but we’ll be looking to replicate the result the last time the sides met at New Douglas Park, when we ground out a 1-0 win. As well as hopefully picking up a more positive result, we’ll also be hoping to see a more positive performance, having fallen away badly in the last two games. Dominating possession has been something that’s come easily to Hamilton this season, but being clinical in front of goal has been a bit more problematic. Whilst three points will guarantee our Championship status for next season, they’ll also provide a platform for as strong a finish to the campaign as possible.” Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 4pm on 15th April 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. The bookies don’t see much separating the teams, with Morton slight favourites at 6/4, Hamilton at 9/5 and the draw 21/10. With not many goals in the previous fixtures this season, Morton to win and under 2.5 goals is 7/2, and a draw at half time and Morton win at full time is 19/4. Match Officials Referee- Willie Collum AR 1- Drew Kirkland AR 2- Elliot Hausband Powton

(Photo-gmfc.net) 1922 And All That- Morton’s Finest Hour And A Half By Russell Gordon One hundred years to the day. A lot has happened since- we’ve had another World War, the creation of the BBC and the NHS, the reconvening of a Scottish Parliament, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the formation of the EU and Britain’s decision to join and its decision to leave, not to mention the death of our opponents from that famous day amongst many other changes. In football, the World Cup was yet to see the light of day, and European competition hadn’t even been thought of. What isn’t terribly well known is that seven years previously in 1915, Morton had in fact won the War Shield- an equivalent knock-out tournament that was arranged as the Scottish Cup went into an abyss throughout the First World War. Stanley Seymour notched the winner against Rangers in a 2-1 victory as Morton took home the Shield. I can’t find any reports from the final itself but assume Rangers’ goal was a penalty. But it wasn’t until the 1919-20 season that the Scottish Cup was again competed for, after being shelved for five years. Successes for Kilmarnock (having trailed Morton 2-0 in the Semi Final and beaten Albion Rovers in the Final) in 1920 and for Partick Thistle in ’21 must’ve drawn envious glances from Greenock, but Morton’s day was to come in 1922. The club was enduring a stop-start season, with their home form in the league greatly contrasting their form on the road. Morton had suffered only two defeats at Cappielow- a 1-2 loss to eventual cup final victims Rangers in November and a 0-3 capitulation to Clyde in January. There were some notable league wins; 2-1 against Aberdeen, and 5-1 and 4-0 pastings of the previous two seasons’ cup winners; Kilmarnock and Partick, respectively. They failed however, to win away from home until defeating Albion Rovers 2-1 at Cliftonhill on the 3rd of January- the day after that 0-3 home defeat by Clyde! Whilst the away form was disappointing, the greatest indicator of this inconsistent form perhaps came a week after Morton’s demolition of Killie in December as, a week later they travelled to Falkirk (remember them?) and were hammered 0-7. Merry Christmas. On a more positive note, Morton got the upper hand across the two Renfrewshire derbies, winning 2-1 at Cappielow and collecting a point from a 1-1 draw at Love Street. They were to end the season 12th in a 22-team league and finished the campaign drawing with Celtic at Cappielow as the Glasgow side took the title on the final day, but their fans were to be attacked with rivets from the shipyards as the infamous Cappielow riot ensued. Morton's hero of the road to Hampden ,George French would tragically miss out on the club's biggest day. But it was on 28th January the cup campaign kicked off, with a routine 4-0 victory over non-league Vale of Leithen. Goals from Bobby McKay and a George French hat-trick saw the ‘Ton ease through against the Innerleithen side. It wasn’t quite so straight forward a fortnight later though, as a Clydebank side who would eventually be relegated from Division One would prove far more stubborn opposition, cancelling out a first half McKay opener to earn a Valentine’s Day replay on their own turf. There was to be no cup romance for the underdogs though, as Morton made no mistake second time around. It was the McKay and French double act again that were to make the difference- this time a first half double from the former, before the latter added a third in the second half. A last minute Bankies consolation took a bit of gloss off a fine result, but Morton had negotiated what could’ve been a very tricky replay with minimum fuss. Next up was the visit of Clyde to Cappielow in Round Three, which saw a resounding victory against the Bully Wee, gaining revenge for that league reverse the previous month. No prizes for guessing where the goals came from- McKay netting the first before French’s double sent Morton in 3-0 up at the break. With the clock running down, Alex McNab added a fourth before Morton keeper Davie Edwards was denied a shut-out by another last-minute consolation. There was to be a major upset on the day though as eventual champions Celtic were knocked out by Hamilton Accies, 3-1 at Douglas Park. A door had been opened for Rangers to end their 19-year hoodoo without collecting the cup. Or so they thought. Trainer William Kennedy and Manager Robert Cochrane plot the downfall of Rangers. Onward it was to Fir Park for a Quarter Final tie that would send a chill down the spines of Morton fans in modern era. Whilst our two cup defeats of the last couple of seasons there have been not only respectable, but very unfortunate, we’ve seen a 0-2 a 0-3, a couple of 0-4s and a 0-6 in both the Scottish and League Cups in my time watching Morton, just off the top of my head. But in 1922, Morton were to come out on top- the only time they have ever won at Fir Park in the Scottish Cup. In a thrilling tie, Alf Brown was to give the visitors a first half lead, and it took until the 75th minute for the Steelmen to restore parity. Any hopes they had of heading to Cappielow for a replay were dashed four minutes from time though as George French was again to prove the hero for Morton, banging home the winner for the good guys. Semi Finals, here we come! The Semi Finals saw champions Rangers play cup holders Partick Thistle and Aberdeen face Morton. With both Hampden and Celtic Park being used for league games on the day of the Rangers v Partick tie, it was agreed that Ibrox would host the tie between the two Glasgow clubs. It’s been suggested that money may have changed hands in order to soften the Jags’ stance on neutrality, but those were never proven, and I can’t imagine that two clubs with such proud moral fibres would ever indulge in the passing of brown envelopes, so we’ll move swiftly on. 58,000 saw the holders fall to the Light Blues; Rangers winning 2-0 thanks to a goal from Geordie Henderson and a Sandy Archibald penalty (of course). George French doubles Morton's lead in the Semi-Final win over Aberdeen at Dens Park. (Photo- The Courier) But it was a trip to Dens Park for Morton to face the Dons in front of 25,000 on the 1st of April. There were to be no April Fools on the Morton side though, as the Greenock’s finest produced a scintillating performance to shock the favourites and proceed to the first Scottish Cup Final in their history. Once again, George French was to prove the hero with a first half double, which was added to by Alex McNab in the 52nd minute. Again, Morton were to concede late on, but the damage was done, and we were in the cup final! There was only the small matter of Rangers in the way of Morton and glory. How Cup Final Day looked a century ago from Mount Florida. So, Hampden it was- in front of 75,000 people one hundred years ago today. Morton were undoubtedly the underdogs, and were dealt a massive blow with the absence of star striker George French on the big day through injury. That the man who had scored nine goals en route to Hampden would miss out on Morton’s big day, and against their toughest opponents of their cup campaign, was a terrible disappointment for both the player and boss Robert Cochrane. The final itself wasn’t a classic, with difficult weather conditions not helping to make a spectacle of a game that was reported to have been littered with fouls, so much so that Rangers were reduced to ten men, with captain Andy Cunningham forced to retire with a broken jaw in those days before substitutions were permitted. Oh well, never mind. Morton's hero on the big day, Jimmy Gourlay was the first player ever to score from a free kick in a Scottish Cup Final. By that point however, Morton were already a goal to the good. Rangers’ keeper Willie Robb had been penalised for overcarrying the ball from his box and Jimmy Gourlay scored from the resultant free kick to give Morton a twelfth minute lead. The ‘Ton were forced to defend for long spells to hold onto their lead as Rangers’ winger Alan Morton tormented the underdogs’ defence all afternoon and a succession of corners came to nothing before the referee’s final whistle signified the single greatest moment not only in Morton’s then 48-year history, but in the history of sport, and possibly in the history of anything, truth be told. It was the job of Provost W.B. McMillan to accept the trophy on Morton’s, and the town’s behalf, his last duty as Provost a month before his death, having acted as Morton’s President for some 27 years. Champagne was borrowed from Queen’s Park as Morton had, perhaps cautiously decided not to pack any for their big day, but the celebrations weren’t quite in full swing as the team caught a train to Hartlepool for a friendly which had been previously arranged for Monday the 17th. On their return to Greenock, 10,000 gathered at Cappielow to toast their heroes and the cup took its rightful place in the Cappielow boardroom (or pavilion, as it probably was at the time). A cartoon depicting Morton's day of glory in the Hampden rain. There were three remaining league fixtures after the final, including of course that draw that saw Celtic take the title on the final day before being sent on their way after a day of violence on East Hamilton Street as Cappielow attracted it’s biggest ever crowd, officially 23,500; but whilst that day belonged to Celtic, nothing was ever going to detract from Morton’s monumental achievement in bringing the cup to Greenock for what to date, was the only time ever. When will we see their like again? Scottish Cup Final, 15th April 1922 Greenock Morton (Gourlay, 12) 1-0 Rangers Morton: Edwards, McIntyre, R Brown, Gourlay, Wright, McGregor, McNab, McKay, Buchanan, A Brown, McMinn. Rangers: Robb, Manderson, McCandless, Meiklejohn, Dixon, Muirhead, Archibald, Cunningham, Henderson, Cairns, Morton. Referee: T Dougray (Bellshill) Attendance: 75,000. Thanks to Leon Mooney for his copies of archive match reports, the images provided and for fact checking the article. Other information taken from The Official History of the Scottish Cup: The Story of Every Season 1873-2016, by David Potter and Phil H Jones. All uncredited images are courtesy of Leon Mooney.

Dean, Craig and Louise discuss Saturday's outstanding win against Raith, preview the game against Hamilton and discuss which players we'd be looking to retain for next season. Dean also chats with Girls' Pathway Coordinator Caitlin McKee about her role.

Dean, Craig and Louise discuss Saturday's outstanding win against Raith, preview the game against Hamilton and discuss which players we'd be looking to retain for next season. Dean also chats with Girls' Pathway Coordinator Caitlin McKee about her role.

Raith Rovers v Morton - Match Preview by Russell Gordon. It’s football for a fiver in Fife again as Morton visit the Kingdom for their penultimate away trip of the campaign to face newly crowned SPFL Trust Challenge Cup winners, Raith Rovers. With a place in the promotion play-offs probably out of reach by this stage for Morton, the focus will be on collecting three points to rid us of any lingering relegation fears, which weren’t helped by the Rovers’ capitulation to Dunfermline in the midweek derby at East End Park. Raith will be providing a stream for those who can’t make the trip, priced at £14 and available here. At £14 though, it’s probably better value to travel through to the game. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News There are no real injury concerns in the visitors’ camp after the return of Brian McLean last weekend, whose excellent performance on the left-hand side of the defensive three was marred by referee David Munro’s ridiculous penalty award which denied Morton all three points against the league leaders. Current Connections Only Reghan Tumilty in the Raith squad has represented Morton- signed by Raymond McKinnon in 2018, he had a difficult two-year spell at Cappielow under three different managers which was bizarrely punctuated by a loan spell at Dumbarton, despite being the only senior right back at the club at the time. His signing on at Kirkcaldy under freedom of contract after Hopkin and erstwhile Chairman Crawford Rae failed to take the necessary action to convince him to stick around at Cappielow caused widespread consternation in the support. Perhaps Hopkin wasn’t as good a gaffer as he let on. In the ‘Ton ranks, Gozie Ugwu arrived from Raith in the summer, having spent last season at the Kirkcaldy club, whilst Assistant Manager Andy Millen has a spell at Raith as a player in 1997. Tale of the Tape Morton’s record against Raith is abysmal. There can’t be a team of a similar stature that we’ve had a worse record against in recent years. The thrilling 2-2 draw in front of the BBC cameras at Cappielow in January ended a run of six consecutive defeats against them, dating back to a 1-0 midweek win at Stark’s Park in February 2017. That win is our only in Kirkcaldy in our last twelve, which has included only one draw and a couple of 0-5 hammerings. This season has seen an insipid 0-1 defeat at Cappielow in September and a 1-2 defeat at Stark’s in November, as Raith came from behind to collect the points in the dying embers of Gus MacPherson’s reign. We can take comfort in the vastly improved performance that Friday night at Cappielow when Morton were extremely unfortunate not to take full points, despite Raith boss John McGlynn’s complaints that we had a tactic of using Lewis Strapp’s long throws into the box to put pressure on Raith’s defence. Let’s hope he has plenty to complain about this weekend, too. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis It’s fair to say that Raith have had a season not without its challenges. After a strong start to the season that included those two wins over ourselves, they endured a real winter of discontent, which saw a run of eleven without a win in the league, and really came to a head with the controversial signing of Clyde captain David Goodwillie, which saw major sponsor Val McDermid pull the plug, their womens’ team walk en masse and worldwide condemnation of the club due to Goodwillie’s lurid past. Sunday’s Matej Poplatnik-inspired Challenge Cup Final victory over relegation-haunted Queen of the South must’ve been a welcome diversion after such hard times, but the outsider would suggest that the outrage in the Raith support has simmered in recent weeks, although serious questions will be asked about the board of directors, and perhaps even Manager John McGlynn for their roles in the whole debacle, over the summer. Whilst there’s still a realistic chance of making the play-offs, owing in no small part to Partick Thistle’s magnificent month of March, they’d have to be considered outsiders to make it, and a defeat on Saturday could see them looking over their shoulders at the progress of Hamilton and Morton as they hope to at least ensure a top-half finish, especially in light of what was an extremely disappointing Fife derby performance on Wednesday, off the back of the cup win. I spoke to Raith fan Dennis Hamilton, who gave off mixed vibes about his heroes’ chances ahead of our visit on Saturday; "There's an air of 'do or die' for the Rovers on Saturday as we look to overtake Partick and claim the final play-off place. The jubilation of the cup final win was short-lived, quickly whisked away by a poor defeat in the derby in midweek, and my main concern is how leggy our squad may be heading into a match with a Morton side who seem to play with a far higher intensity under previous managers. Our playing style, tired legs and recent record of conceding cheap goals don't fill me with a great deal of confidence ahead of this one, but the optimist in me still thinks we have enough in the tank to give a good account of ourselves. Our defensive frailties need set right ahead of the run in if we are to have any chance of securing fourth place- we've scored less and conceded more than Partick, which doesn't bode well, but this is a match that we simply must take three points from if we're to snatch the play-off place I feel our performances throughout the season have merited. 1-0 Rovers for me." Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 8th April 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. The home side go into the game as 21/20 favourites, with Morton a tempting 23/10 and the draw at 9/4. In spite of my grumbles about Morton’s terrible record against Raith, and at Kirkcaldy in particular, I’ve not mentioned the Dougie effect, so here’s hoping tomorrow’s the day we get over this particular hurdle. I’d suggest Gavin Reilly for first goalscorer at 19/2 and Morton to win 2-1 at 10/1. Match Officials Referee- Matthew MacDermid AR 1- Graeme Stewart AR 2- Jordan Cousland

The Morton Disabled Supporters’ Association- A Chat With Bryan Purdue… by Russell Gordon It’s fair to say that there have been a number of welcome developments at Morton in recent months, with the arrival of Dougie Imrie and the team’s subsequent improved form that has seen us climb the table to the brink of survival in the Championship with a bit to spare, and hopefully with no need for last season’s brinksmanship. However, one change that has perhaps gone under the radar slightly in comparison has been the formation of the new Morton Disabled Supporters’ Association (DSA). The brainchild of Morton’s Disability Access Officer Andy Adams and of Bryan Purdue, a well-kent face amongst the Morton support, who has taken on the running of the Association in order to ensure that it is independent from but working with the club. Morton Manager Dougie Imrie was keen to meet with Bryan to promote the Disabled Supports' Association. (Photo-Gareth Reid) Bryan was good enough to give me some of his time to discuss the DSA and their hopes going forward- not only for wheelchair users, but also for those with other disabilities. As with all aspects of life, COVID has had a disruptive impact on the club’s attempts to cater as well as possible for their disabled fans and guests, with social distancing requirements meaning that initially the only safe option was for Morton to provide a stream of matches into this season, by which point other fans were freely able to attend games. Given the unprecedented circumstances, it was difficult not to feel a bit of sympathy for Morton, but from an outside observer’s point of view, it strikes me as the result of years of neglect from previous regimes. The streams were a positive for us all whilst locked out of matches last season, but we’re uncertain as to the future of them. My own understanding was that they’d be discontinued after this term, but there’s been no conformation one way or the other as to whether that will be the case, as clubs haven’t been told what they’ll be allowed as restrictions ease. Personally, I’d hope that streaming can be provided on a means tested basis, to those out with the UK and for people who have difficulties attending due to age and/or mobility. Bryan however, was keen to praise the club for the efforts they make to make the experience as positive as possible, but like everything there is room for improvement, especially with Cappielow being such an antiquated stadium. Toilet facilities are limited, and Bryan is currently in discussion with the club in the hope of arriving at a solution to the problem. Hopefully it’ll be a case of watch this space with regards to any developments on that front. I was keen to hear of what access the disabled fans have to Morton’s catering, and again, Bryan praised the club’s caterers for taking orders from the disabled section rather than inconveniencing the fans by asking them to join a queue. This though, presents problems that other fans don’t have, such as picking when they want to eat or drink, and Bryan suggested that an app allowing the fans to order food at their own convenience would allow the club to provide a better service. The launch of the DSA conveniently coincided with UEFA’s CAFE (Centre for Access to Football in Europe) Week of Football, which was designed to improve awareness of the issues encountered by those with disabilities who enjoy the game, and to break down as many barriers as possible for those with disabilities. There are of course a number of barriers to be broken down, not just in terms of facilities, but also in terms of attitudes, as there have been tales that Bryan was able to relay of stewards at some grounds being insensitive to the needs of fans when carrying vital medical equipment with them on their travels. Football stewards being insensitive to paying customers might be a concept that we’re unfamiliar with, but yes, it does happen! There were clubs however that he was keen to praise that he feels Morton could look towards for help, advice and inspiration in improving their own facilities and practices. Not having had the opportunity to visit too many grounds this season, he was fulsome in his praise for Partick Thistle at Firhill, who used the Main Stand and Aitken Suite to provide disabled facilities. I’m reluctant to give them too much credit for anything, so we’ll put it down to being able to enjoy a routine victory and the company of the vocal away support on the evening! High praise was in plentiful supply for Hamilton Accies, and for the National Stadium’s facilities. Hampden’s elevated vantage points in the South Stand being the real plus point. He wasn’t quite so complimentary about Falkirk, who couldn’t be less helpful as we turned up to give them a wee nudge down to League One a few years ago, but at least there’s not much chance of visiting them anytime in the near future, so there’s a positive. Bryan sees the benchmark for Morton however to be Motherwell, which will come as a surprise to very few given how good their reputation is with almost every aspect of their public relations. ‘Well CEO Alan Burrows has already been good enough to chat with him about how much effort Motherwell put into catering for their disabled fans, and with them also being a fan owned club with an aging (although admittedly superior) stadium, provide what Bryan describes as the “gold standard” for all clubs, and particularly ours, to aspire to. Whilst it’s perhaps a long-term goal to achieve such standards, I’m sure we all hope that with the help of Bryan and Andy, the club and MCT can make the service Morton provide for disabled fans something to be proud of! The Morton Disabled Association can be contacted through the following channels; Email- mortondsa@gmail.com Facebook- www.facebook.com/MortonDSA Instagram- www.instagram.com/morton_dsa/ Twitter- www.twitter.com/Morton_DSA UEFA’s Centre For Access to Football In Europe site can be found at www.cafefootball.eu. Thanks very much to Brendan McEleny at Morton, who was good enough to provide me with access to the touchline to take the uncredited photographs prior to the recent home match against Ayr United.

Away Day Guide – Raith Rovers (20th November) Photo - Reddit Tickets Away tickets can be purchased here. Raith Rovers are offering 'Football for a Fiver' on Saturday, with all match tickets costing £5. Disabled Information Wheelchairs User supporters and their personal assistants can be allocated in the McDermid Stand. Where this stand is not open for general use, wheelchair users will have the option of using the Penman Family Stand. In these circumstances, where wheelchair guests would prefer not to sit in what would be a ‘home’ stand they will be accommodated in the McDermid Stand. Toilet facilities will be available however food outlets will not. There are 14 car park spaces in the North Car Park reserved for blue badge holders. These are allocated on a first come basis to home and away supporters. The main point of contact is Raith’s Disability Access Officer, Margie Robertson. You can reach her by emailing SLO@raithrovers.net. Supporters Buses The Gourock Morton Supporters bus departs Gourock Train Station at 12noon. The cost will be confirmed on the day depending on the number of seats sold, message their page on Facebook or contact Mark on 07847847357 to book a space. Port Glasgow Morton Travel Club will leave from The Sutherland Bar at 12noon. The price will be decided on the day depending on the number of seats sold, message their page on Facebook or contact Bryan on 07969760291 to book. The Morton Supporters Club bus is departing at 12.30pm from the club. Contact David on 07719548046 to book. By Train There are two services an hour to Glasgow Central on the low line, departing Gourock :08 and :38 every hour, as well as one train an hour on the high line, departing Wemyss Bay at :57 every hour. From Glasgow Central there are services to Edinburgh, with the option to transfer to Glasgow Queen Street for faster services to the East Coast. At Edinburgh, alight at either Edinburgh Haymarket or Waverly, onto services bound for either Perth or Arbroath. Please be aware that, due to the Edinburgh Derby, services to and from Edinburgh may be busier or delayed. All information taken from the ScotRail website. By Car Use postcode KY1 1SA for the stadium. From Cappielow, the journey should take around 1hr30mins via the M8 and A921. Limited on-street parking is available around the stadium. Pre-Match Upon arrival in Kirkcaldy, The Novar Bar (17 Nicol St, Kirkcaldy KY1 1NY) is a regular pre-match haunt for both home and away supporters. The Novar is around a 12 minute walk (0.6 miles) from the stadium. Photo - Kingdom Taverns

Craig & Dean discuss Morton's 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock and look ahead to the rest of the season.

Craig & Dean discuss Morton's 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock and look ahead to the rest of the season.

Morton vs Kilmarnock – Match Preview by Russell Gordon. The TV cameras again rock up in Greenock tonight with Morton welcoming BBC Scotland and league leaders Kilmarnock to Cappielow as the Championship title race heads into its final straight, and the hosts look to finally dispel any lingering fears of relegation and a season of slumming it with wee Falkirk. For those who can’t make Cappielow on Friday, should you prefer the dulcet tones of Gerry and Andy to Michael Stewart and Jonathan Sutherland (and let’s be honest, who wouldn’t?), streams are available at the reduced price of £7. Click here to purchase your stream. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News With Oisin McEntee playing his part in the Republic of Ireland’s under 21 team’s fine 2-0 win in Sweden on Tuesday, he should hopefully return to a defence from which he was missed last Saturday against Ayr. Dougie Imrie will also hope to see the return of Hearts loanee Jamie Brandon from a non-COVID related illness, and the manager has also indicated that the return of veteran centre back Brian McLean from surgery on his thumb may also be imminent. Current Connections There are two former Morton loanees in the Killie ranks- Jason Naismith, who came in from St. Mirren in 2012-13 and former Buddies captain Stephen McGinn, whose arrival from Hibs at the back end of last season helped steady the ship as Morton eased to survival in what was a relatively straight forward play-off campaign. The hosts have three former Killie men in their squad- Kyle Jacobs had a brief spell at Rugby Park, playing five games in 2013-14 season, whilst striker Robbie Muirhead and new signing Iain Wilson both started their careers in Ayrshire. Perhaps the most obvious connection however is that of Kilmarnock Manager Derek McInnes, who started his own career at Cappielow and enjoyed a fine, if sometimes injury curtailed time on the Tail O’ The Bank. McInnes was to debut for Morton as a 16-year-old in the Premier Division in 1988, and went onto make 224 appearances for Morton, scoring 19 goals, winning the 1994-95 Second Division title and Player’s Player of the Year for his division in that same season, before making the move to Ibrox a few months later for what many felt was a paltry £230,000 at the time, such was the clause in his contract in those early days of the post Bosman era. Photo - GBR Photographs. Tale of the Tape Friday sees the fifth and final meeting between the sides this season, unless some bizarre set of circumstances sees them face off in the play-offs, but there’s probably more chance of Morton sullying themselves with a trip to Falkirk in the league next season than there is of another couple of games against Killie this term. After the League Cup group stages got off to a disastrous start as COVID issues saw Morton forfeit their trip to Stranraer, scrape together a team that could only beat East Kilbride on penalties, they visited Rugby Park with a mountain to climb in order to progress. A surprisingly fine Morton performance saw the ‘Ton cruelly denied the three points in the final minute after Lewis McGregor had given us a shock lead. To add insult to injury, Kilmarnock were to pick up the bonus point in the penalty shoot-out en route to the knock-out phase as Morton were left to lick their wounds and think what might’ve been. Rory McKenzie’s late strike in September was to settle the first league game of the season between the pair as another credible performance came up just short and Killie took all three points. But it was to be a different story as Kilmarnock made their first visit to Cappielow in almost 15 years and the Chris Burke’s scintillating performance ensured there would only be one winner. First half strikes from Blair Alston and Oli Shaw, both ably assisted by the experienced winger, ensured that the points were to head down the road to Ayrshire. Dougie Imrie took his bow as Morton Manager in the most recent meeting between Christmas and New Year, and in what could only be described as a “difficult” first half, Morton headed in behind at the break, thanks to another McKenzie strike. Imrie breaking with the tradition of recent Morton Managers by making some effective substitutions was to prove decisive though as Alan Lithgow salvaged a valuable point, before we really started to kick on and pull away from the basement zone. Opposition Analysis It may be too early to describe Kilmarnock as Champions-elect, but it would take a brave man to vote against McInnes’s charges lifting a silver pot at the end of the season. What has been a bit of a stop-start season has really clicked into gear in recent weeks, thanks in no small part to the arrival of talismanic Northern Ireland international Kyle Lafferty, whose goals have proved pivotal in Kilmarnock’s attempts to dislodge long-term league leaders Arbroath from top spot. Since losing at Gayfield and in the derby against Ayr at Rugby Park, they’ve collected 13 points from a possible 15, including that fine win against the Honest Men at Somerset Park, which certainly raised a few cheers on Inverclyde! I spoke to buoyant Killie fan Peter McCormick, who struggled to hide his optimism ahead of his club’s visit to Cappielow; “With five games left of this crazy season, in this crazy league, we once again make our way to Cappielow. Kyle Lafferty has returned after a shorts spell in Cyprus and found form at the right time. His six goals so far have proved crucial in our attempts to finally catch and overtake Arbroath at the top of the table. Also hitting form has been Rory McKenzie, who has had a breakthrough season- only a mere decade after becoming a first team regular, he has finally begun to win over his doubters. A spell as a box-to-box central midfielder, whilst occasionally sporting the captain’s armband really seems to have brought him to the fore. Whisper it, but even Blair Alston hasn’t been bad either, lately! I can probably get away with saying that as I doubt any Killie fan will ever read this! So, what to expect from the Kilmarnock FC juggernaut? Pretty much as I’ve been saying in all these match previews this season; functional 4-4-2 or 4-1-4-1 football, just a bit more effective, these days. I’m still not entirely convinced by our full backs, but our midfields and forwards seem to more than make up for that these days.” Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 1st April 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Kilmarnock are the even money favourites heading into the game, with Morton priced at 5/2 and the draw at 11/5. With no more than two goals scored in any of the previous meetings, an optimistic bet of Morton to win and under 2.5 goals is 21/4. Robbie Muirhead’s knack of bagging late goals always tempts me, and having scored the last goal against one of his previous employers, Partick Thistle, the other week, a repeat comes in at 8/1. Match Officials Referee- David Munro AR 1- Craig Ferguson AR 2- David McKniff Fourth Official- Scott Lambie

Dean, Alan and the departing Chris discuss Saturday's 1-1 draw with Ayr, as well as the arguments in favour and against changing shape. Dean also interviews 'Mon eh Ton' writer Davie Carswell, along with performers Chris Gavin and Kevin Murphy.

Dean, Alan and the departing Chris discuss Saturday's 1-1 draw with Ayr, as well as the arguments in favour and against changing shape. Dean also interviews 'Mon eh Ton' writer Davie Carswell, along with performers Chris Gavin and Kevin Murphy.

Morton vs Ayr United – Match Preview by Dean McKinnon and Craig Dunning Sixth place Morton will look to all but confirm Championship football in Inverclyde next season as they welcome eighth place Ayr United to Cappielow. Manager Dougie Imrie will be a welcome addition to the Cappielow dugout tomorrow for the first time since The Ton’s 2-1 win over Queen of the South, having now served his six-match touchline ban handed down for historic betting breaches. The Ton will be hoping the gaffer’s influence can prove decisive as they look to vanquish our old foes from down the coast. If you can’t make it along to the Tail o’ the Bank tomorrow, you can take in the game in the lively company of Gerry and Andy for the reasonable sum of £14. Click here to purchase your match stream. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad Update Last week’s BBC Scotland Man of the Match Oisin McEntee will be unavailable for Saturday’s match having been called up to the Ireland U21s squad as they prepare to face Sweden in their U21s Euros qualifying campaign. Brian McLean is set to continue his spell on the sidelines with a damaged thumb. These defensive absences may force manager Dougie Imrie to deploy a back four rather than the back five we’ve become accustomed to. Youngster Lewis McGregor should be back in contention after he picked up a knock in the build-up to the Dunfermline match last week. Current Connections Alan Lithgow turned out for the Ayrshire side during their 2013/14 campaign. It’s perhaps more difficult to pick out a current Ayr player who hasn’t represented Morton at some stage in their career. Both of Lee Bullan’s immediate predecessors, Jim Duffy and David Hopkin, have both played and managed The Ton. Last off-season, then Ayr manager David Hopkin set about recruiting familiar faces from his time on the Tail o’ the Bank, as Aidan McAdams, Marcus Fjortoft, Sean McGinty and Cammy Salkeld all made the switch down the coast. Defender Jack Baird, a loanee at Cappielow from rivals St Mirren, also currently plies his trade in Ayrshire. Andy Murdoch is now in his fourth season at Somerset Park after an inexplicable release by reviled former manager Ray McKinnon. Tale of the Tape The first meeting of the two sides this season at Somerset Park ended in a fiercely contested 0-0 draw in which the blood and thunder of the contest struggled to be matched with quality. The second contest was a more entertaining affair, but was also to inadvertently kickstart Morton’s season. Following a dismal 2-1 defeat to Queen of the South midweek, a 2-2 draw at home to the Ayrshire side saw Gus MacPherson given his marching orders from the Cappielow dugout. The last meeting of the side’s was an impressive 2-0 win at Somerset Park for Dougie Imrie’s new look Morton side. Gavin Reilly close range finish in the first half was doubled after some excellent work on the right wing by Gozie Ugwu. Ugwu flicked the ball over a hapless Sean McGinty before delivering an inch perfect cross for the Livingston loanee to slam home a clinching goal for the away side. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis After following up a stunning 4-0 win at Raith two consecutive defeats, Ayr will be looking to arrest their slide in form which has taken them to within three points of ninth place. The Honest Men will be well aware that a victory would be a massive result for survival in the division, and dependent on results elsewhere could have them six points clear of the playoff spot with only five games to go, but if resurgent Dunfermline were to win at Inverness a defeat would have Ayr ninth in the table. Ayr fan Marc Dunlop (@Marco_Ayr) spoke to us and is under no illusions about the importance of this game – “The Honest Men travel to Cappielow on the back of 2 straight defeats & will be desperate to get back to winning ways on what is very much a 6 pointer. After Dunfermline’s win midweek, Ayr have now slipped to 8th in the table & are in real danger of being pulled into the relegation places in the closing weeks of the season. Bullen will be hoping his side can rediscover the confidence & belief from February’s run of fixtures & will be well aware what’s required. The Honest Men have no fresh injury worries but will be without Ashford, who was sent off last week. A tough afternoon awaits, however, 3 points is an absolute must if we are to remain a Championship side for season 2022/23.” Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds are correct as of 7am on 25th March 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Morton are considered favourites at 6/5 while both an Ayr win and a draw are priced at 21/10. Morton to win to nil comes in at 13/5. Odds of 11/5 are available for Gavin Reilly, who hit a double the last time the sides met, to score anytime. Match Officials Referee – Mike Roncone AR1 – David Roome AR2 – Craig Macrae

Dean, Alan and Louise chew the fat over Friday night's draw with Dunfermline, discuss our squad selection for the rest of the season and preview Saturday's crunch match against Ayr United.

Dean, Alan and Louise chew the fat over Friday night's draw with Dunfermline, discuss our squad selection for the rest of the season and preview Saturday's crunch match against Ayr United.

Dunfermline vs Morton – Match Preview by Dean McKinnon. Dougie Imrie’s men head to the ‘Kingdom of Fife’ this evening in the knowledge that one more win should guarantee that Championship football will return to Inverclyde next season. Late goals from Gavin Reilly and Robbie Muirhead secured an empathic win for the Sinclair Street side against Partick last Saturday, sparking wild celebrations inside Cappielow. Ton fans could be forgiven for hypothesising that one more win, either against Dunfermline or Ayr the following week at Cappielow, could see them comfortably safe of the drop zone this season. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad Update Cammy Blues and Gary Oliver, both of whom were omitted from the squad for Morton’s routine 2-1 victory against Partick last week, will face a race against time to feature in the trip to Fife. Darren Hynes, Mark Russell, Alex King and Lewis McGregor all gained match sharpness in a bounce game midweek as a Morton XI took on a US Navy Select side at Parklea. Current Connections Nobody in the current Dunfermline squad has ever plied their trade in Greenock. Towering midfielder Iain Wilson joined The Ton in January from the Fife side. Should The Ton win this evening, Wilson will have won more games this season than his former employers have, despite being a Dunfermline player for the first twenty-four Pars games and not being involved in any wins (a stat shamelessly stolen from ‘CallumPar’ on Pie and Bovril). Gozie Ugwu spent the first half of the 2014/15 season at Dunfermline. The striker enjoyed an excellent strike rate, finding the net on seven occasions in his fourteen League One appearances. He then moved to the English third tier to join Yeovil Town to complete the season. Photo - GBR Photographs. Tale of the Tape Matchday Twenty is one that will live long in the memories of Morton fans, along with manager Dougie Imrie. After postponements and away games, Imrie’s first match in front of the Cappielow faithful was an incredibly successful one. Three outstanding first half goals from Gary Oliver, Cammy Blues and Gavin Reilly set the tone, before a Col Donaldson own goal from a Lewis Strapp header and a beautifully executed lob from Robbie Muirhead rounded off a fine day at his new office for Imrie. Morton left all three points away from East End Park on Matchday Thirteen. Ahead of this fixture, Dunfermline relieved manager Peter Grant of his duties, handing over the reins to senior player Steven Whittaker on an interim basis. The Ton took the lead in the thirteen minute. After excellent physicality from Gozie Ugwu, young striker Jimmy Knowles showed great awareness to angle a lay-off into Gary Oliver’s path, who passed the ball into the net from around fifteen yards out. The Pars equalised midway through the first half, as Matthew Todd headed from Kevin O’Hara’s cross. A corner swung towards the back post by Jakko Oksanen was expertly nodded back across goal by Ledger for Gozie Ugwu to regain the away side’s lead. Dunfermline had a number of half-chances and flashes across goal, with outstanding performances from Oisin McEntee and goalkeeper Jack Hamilton keeping The Pars at bay in the second period. As Dunfermline upped the ante in the closing stages, sub Lewis McGrattan drove into the box and unleashed a shot which struck defender Mark Connolly on the arm. Gary Oliver used all his experience to slot the resulting penalty past Owain Fon-Williams, rounding off an impressive win for The Ton. Morton and Dunfermline shared the spoils in the opening league match of the season at Cappielow. Morton took a first half lead from the spot in the twenty-third minute after Pars goalkeeper Ross Graham was adjudged to have fouled striker Gozie Ugwu in challenging for a high ball. Striker Gary Oliver remained cool and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to give The Ton a 1-0 lead at half time. Dunfermline fought their way back into the match in the second period, drawing level five minutes after the restart. A Josh Edwards drive was parried away by Jack Hamilton, with his save cannoning off the chest of full-back Lewis Strapp and into the path of Nikolai Todorov, who made no mistake from short range. Kevin O’Hara looked to have secured all three points for the away side, smashing the ball home after a corner into the box caused a ‘stramash’. Youngster Lewis McGrattan managed to snatch a point for the home side, as his cross-come-shot took a deflection before sneaking in at the back post. Opposition Analysis The Championship’s basement side are currently struggling in the form book. The Pars were consigned to the foot of the table on a fortnight ago as a result of their loss to Arbroath coupled with Queen of the South’s 3-0 win again Morton. They are currently five matches without a win, with a draw against Ayr United, a defeat and draw with Kilmarnock, defeat to Arbroath and a draw with Hamilton their reward for their recent endeavours. John Hughes’ side are currently the Championship’s lowest scorers (26 goals in 28 matches played), have conceded the second highest number of goals (43 goals against in 28 matches played), have taken the second least number of shots (8.29 per 90 minutes) and have committed the lowest number of fouls (9.64 per 90 minutes). Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 17th March 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Dunfermline’s home advantage appears to be the only thing splitting the sides, with 6/4 your reward if you back the hosts, with The Ton slightly longer odds at 17/10. If you fancy a repeat of Morton’s previous visit to East End Park, you can back a Morton win with BTTS at 9/2. You can also back Dougie Imrie’s side to keep a clean sheet at odds of 21/10. Match Officials Referee – Kevin Clancy AR1 – John McCrossan AR2 – Chris Rae Fourth Official – Chris Fordyce

Away Day Guide – Dunfermline (6th November) Photo - Heaven's Above (Twitter) Tickets Tickets for away supporters can be purchased here. Adults - £5. Concessions (Over 65s, U18s, Students, Disabled and Unemployed) - £5. U12s - £5. For those who can’t make the game, it is being shown live on BBC Scotland from 7:30pm. Disabled Fans Information Dunfermline have space available for 12 wheelchair away fans, housed in the East Stand. Where a disabled supporter requires a carer or Personal Assistant, that person will be admitted free of charge. Anyone who does not have a season ticket but who wishes to attend a match should contact the Ticket Office in advance, to ensure a wheelchair space is available. The Club encourages fans with disabilities to inform them of their personal situations in order to allow them to make the matchday experience as comfortable as possible. Arrangements can also be made for any fan suffering from a temporary disability (e.g. broken leg/ankle) which could affect their ease of access to and from the stadium (subject to availability and sufficient notice). The Club has 6 dedicated parking spaces for disabled away fans behind the East Stand, spaces can be booked in advance by emailing matthew@dafc.co.uk up to 24 hours before the match. Any remaining spaces will be available on a first come first served basis on matchday. Please enter the Main Carpark via Leys Park Road and follow the stewards` directions. Dunfermline’s Disability Access Officer is Graham Ross. Graham is on hand to assist supporters with queries and can be contacted at dao@dafc.co.uk or on 07877980028. Supporters Buses Both Gourock Morton Supporters buses, leaving Gourock station at 5.15pm are FULL. Contact Mark on 07847847357 to check on cancellations or add your name to the reserve list. Port Glasgow Morton Travel Club are NOT running a bus. The Morton Supporters Club bus is departing at 5.45pm from the club on Regent Street. Contact David on 07719548046 to book. By Train Due to the kick-off time and length of journey, there is no feasible arrangements to make the return journey to Dunfermline by train. By Car Use postcode KY12 7RB for the stadium. From Cappielow, the journey should take around 1hr20mins via the M8, M80, M876 and A985. Due to COP26 diversions, please check before you travel for any updates to your route and journey time. There is a paid car park at the rear of the stadium, as well as limited street parking around the stadium. There is a supermarket next to East End Park, but please be aware that private parking restrictions are in place. Pre-Match Photo - Dunfermline.com The East Port (7 East Port, Dunfermline, KY12 7JG) is a traditional pub located in the centre of town, around 15 minutes (0.7 miles) from the stadium. The historical pre-match haunt of home and away fans was The Elizabethan, located a few minutes from the stadium, please be aware that the venue no longer welcomes football fans on matchday. We contacted Dunfermline, who confirmed that their stadium bar will be open for home fans only, as they have restricted capacity due to COVID.

Dean, Darren and Stephen recount the scenes from Saturday, discuss the stewarding issues at Cappielow and preview Friday night's trip to Dunfermline. Dean also welcome's the new Morton Women's Head Coach Colin McEachnie onto the show.

Dean, Darren and Stephen recount the scenes from Saturday, discuss the stewarding issues at Cappielow and preview Friday night's trip to Dunfermline. Dean also welcome's the new Morton Women's Head Coach Colin McEachnie onto the show.

Morton vs Partick Thistle – Match Preview by Russell Gordon After a rare weekend of disappointment, Morton have spent the week dusting themselves down in preparation for the visit of Partick Thistle. With the Jags in action on their quagmire of a Firhill pitch- doing us a favour by taking all three points over our conquerors of last weekend, Queen of the South, by a single goal, it’s hoped that those exertions could give Morton an advantage heading into the game against a side that still see themselves as having a chance of winning the title. As ever, the game is available on Ton TV, where Gerry and Andy will keep you entertained for the best part of a couple of hours for a very reasonable £14. Click here to purchase the stream. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Kyle Jacobs made a return to first team action from the bench last weekend and could again feature whilst veteran defender Brian McLean will again miss out with a hand injury. Dougie Imrie serves the fifth of his six matches in the stand, a ban that can’t end soon enough. Current Connections Manager Ian McCall can count Morton as one of the many clubs he’s taken charge of in a managerial career that’s spanned almost a quarter of a century. Only Robbie Muirhead in the Morton squad has represented Partick in the past- scoring twice in an eight-game loan spell from Hearts in 2015-16 season, whilst Jags striker Brian Graham and winger Scott Tiffoney started their careers on the Tail O’ the Bank. Graham made his Morton debut in 2006 against Forfar, having came through the ranks of The Ton’s youth system. After playing a bit-part role in the first team in the 2007/08 campaign, Graham was sent on loan to East Stirlingshire, where he scored fifteen league goals in thirty-three appearances. He would leave the club in 2011, Kirkcaldy bound after Raith Rovers offered him a two-year contract that Allan Moore refused to match. Scott Tiffoney was recruited by Morton following his release from St Mirren at the age of 17. He made his competitive debut in 2016, but after struggling to secure a regular starting slot in Jim Duffy’s side in the 2016/17 season, he left for Clyde on loan. He would return to Greenock with only six appearances to show for his loan spell. After a successful 2017/18 season, Tiffoney would leave for Livingston, with The Ton being due no compensation after a blunder by then CEO Warren Hawke. He would return to familiar surroundings for the start of the following season, making eleven league appearances for The Ton in his 2018/19 loan spell before joining Ayr United for the rest of the season. Livingston then sent him to his third loan destination, Partick Thistle, before signing a permanent deal ahead of this season. Photo - GBR Photographs. Tale of the Tape The less said about Morton’s early season 0-3 rinsing at Firhill the better, but since then we’ve seen a midweek 0-0 draw in howling weather at Cappielow in October followed by last month’s extremely satisfying smash-and-grab 1-0 win in Glasgow, as Jack Hamilton’s penalty save and Oisin McEntee’s fantastic late strike saw the points deservedly head up the M8, much to the chagrin of many in the home camp, who seemed to feel that their dreadful pitch contributed to their downfall on the night. Never mind. Opposition Analysis Since that evening at Firhill, Partick have added Colombian striker Juan Alegria on loan from their big pals, Rangers, and the front man could partner Graham or Dundee loanee Alex Jakubiak up front. Scott Tiffoney returned to the Jags’ squad for their 1-1 draw at Gayfield a couple of weeks ago, but succumbed to injury after only ten minutes and hasn’t featured since. Veteran striker Brian Graham has proven a vital part of a Partick side who have their eyes firmly fixed on securing a promotion play-off berth. The target man has scored thirteen league goals this season, earning him joint top spot alongside Arbroath’s Michael McKenna. Kyle Turner, who was benched for The Ton’s remarkable 1-0 win a few weeks ago, has proven the Maryhill side’s creative force so far, with a Championship-leading seven assists. Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 11th March 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Partick are favourites going into the game at 13/10, whilst a repeat of Morton’s win from the other week is a generous 15/8 and the draw is 11/5. With at least one of the teams getting a shut out in all three previous meetings this term, Morton to win to nil is 15/4. Robbie Muirhead to score the final goal, a favourite tip of mine, comes in at 13/2. Hopefully that final goal delivers three points. Match Officials Referee- David Munro AR 1- David Doig AR 2- Gordon McCabe