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Photo – Heaven’s Above (YouTube) Tickets Traveling fans can purchase their tickets at Palmerston Park right up until kick-off. The pricing structure is Adults - £18; Concessions (OAPs, Students and 16-21 year olds) - £10 and U16s - £5. The match will also be streamed live on PPV by Queen of the South for those that can’t make it to Palmerston Park. PPV access can be purchased here. Disabled Supporters Information Away fans with accessibility issues will be housed in the DBS Digital Stand – which has accessible entry and a ramp for wheelchair users. While there is no specific disability parking spots at the stadium itself, both the arena and ice rink around the perimeter of the stadium have disabled parking spaces available for public use. Your point of contact is the club’s DAO – Keith Thom. You can contact him on 01387 254853 or at DAO@qosfc.com. Supporters Buses The Gourock Morton Supporters bus will leave Gourock train station at 12noon. The bus is now FULL. The cost will be decided on the day, message their page on Facebook or contact Mark on 07847847357 to book a space. The Port Glasgow Morton Travel Club bus will leave from The Sutherland Bar at 12noon. The cost will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Bryan on 07969760292 to book a space. The Greenock Morton Supporters Club bus will leave from Regent Street at 12noon. 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. There is a direct service from Glasgow Central to Dumfries on the Glasgow to Carlisle line operated by ScotRail. An off-peak day return for the train costs £21.10. All information taken from the ScotRail website. By Car Come off the M74 at J15 (Moffat) and follow the A701 to Dumfries, then onto the A75 Dumfries Bypass. Use the postcode DG29BE for the stadium. The estimated drive time is 1hr55mins (97.7 miles) from Cappielow. There is plenty of street parking around the stadium. Pre-Match If traveling by train, the Waverly Bar (48 Lovers' Walk, Dumfries DG1 1LX) is at the top of the hill from the train station, around a two-minute walk from the platform is a mile from the stadium. The Palmerston Lounge Bar is located inside the main stand of the stadium and serves alcohol until kick off. Photo – Trip Adviser.

Dean, Evan and new panellist Darren reflect on Saturday's 0-0 draw with Arbroath, preview the trip to Queen of the South and discuss Gary Oliver's best position.

Dean, Evan and new panellist Darren reflect on Saturday's 0-0 draw with Arbroath, preview the trip to Queen of the South and discuss Gary Oliver's best position.

Morton vs Arbroath – Match Preview by Russell Gordon. The irresistible force faces up to the immovable object on Saturday as the Championship's form team host the league leaders in a match-up which could have all the makings of a thriller- not something that has often been anticipated when these two have met in recent years. With Kilmarnock in hot pursuit by picking up maximum points from their last two games as leaders Arbroath were exiting the Scottish Cup at the hands of Hibernian and subsequently toiling to a goalless draw at bottom dogs, Queen of the South, the Red Lichties can't afford another slip up as they visit a Morton side who may well be beginning to have some more lofty ambitions of their own after Tuesday night's hard-fought win in the Firhill mud. Those unable to attend the match would be well advised to part with a very reasonable £14 to watch proceedings whilst taking in the views of the Gerry and Andy double-act. Streams can be purchased here. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Club captain Kyle Jacobs hasn't been a part of the last couple of squads and could miss out again, whilst it's hoped that Livingston loanee Gavin Reilly can take his place back in the squad after his head knock at Hamilton last week. Reece Lyon, benched on Tuesday will be hoping for a return to the starting line-up after being replaced at New Douglas Park, and joining proceedings late on in Glasgow. Dougie Imrie will serve the third match of his six in the stand following last week's SFA disciplinary hearing, which didn't look favourably on his penchant for a punt during his playing days. Current Connections There are no former Arbroath players in Morton's squad, but still a few links in the league leaders' camp. Veteran winger Bobby Linn had a short spell on the Tail O' The Bank in 2007, collecting a Second Division winner's medal along the way, whilst custodian Derek Gaston had a more accomplished time at Cappielow, spending seven years from 2012-19 between the sticks and helping himself to a League One Title along the way. Not so revered was former Celtic loanee Luke Donnelly's brief term at Morton in 2017, which was largely forgettable for both parties. Full back Chris Hamilton is the brother of our own goalkeeper Jack, and midfielder Nicky Low is a familiar face in the Cowshed when his own playing commitments permit. Photo - GBR Photographs. Tale of the Tape Despite our horrendous first half of the season, the matches between the two have been relatively tight affairs, with Morton unfortunate not to register a victory on Arbroath's previous visit, as it took a disputed late penalty from Michael McKenna to rescue a point for the visitors after goals from Gary Oliver and Cammy Blues looked set to give Morton the points in reply to Chris Hamilton's header to open the scoring on the cusp of the interval. As the festive period approached, the trip to Gayfield was to produce what I believe was a reasonable Morton performance, but such was the thick fog, it's difficult to make such a claim with any degree of authority. Chris Hamilton was to again head past his brother, just after half time, only for Oliver again to bring parity to the scoreboard. Unfortunately Anton Dowds was to net the winner for Arbroath as Morton's season from hell saw them rooted at the foot of the table. I would have said Dowds got the last laugh, but he ended up going back to parent club Falkirk, so who's laughing now? Opposition Analysis The loss of Dowds and talisman Joel Nouble have undoubtedly been blows for Arbroath, but Dick Campbell has turned to (the other) Jack Hamilton, Craig Wighton and most recently Michael Bakare to fill the void up front, with Hamilton netting the crucial winner against Killie, whilst McKenna continues to provide a steady flow of goals from midfield. Jack and Chris Hamilton both missed last week's draw at Palmerston, but are expected to return to the side, although Nicky Low again misses the opportunity to face his boyhood favourites. I spoke to Arbroath fan, former club commentator and host of The Lichtie Lads podcast, Ewan Smith (@ewansmithpr) who was cautiously optimistic ahead of a game which perhaps holds more concerns for he and his fellow Lichties than it may have done earlier in the campaign; “The last time Arbroath faced Morton they scraped a 2-1 win on December 18th at a fog-hit Gayfield to reach the top of the Championship, where they have remained ever since. This game could be every bit as crucial for both sides as Arbroath chase the win they need to keep their title hopes on track and Morton try to pull further clear of the relegation zone, perhaps with an eye a top half finish. But a lot has changed at Arbroath since December. They’ve lost the enigmatic Joel Nouble and Anton Dowds - who scored the winner in that game at Gayfield. Both players have returned to their parent clubs and been replaced by Craig Wighton and Jack Hamilton. Hamilton helped Arbroath survive relegation last term during his previous loan spell from Livingston and he’s been on fire again with five goals in seven games. He did however, miss last week’s disappointing draw with Queen of the South through illness and could be doubtful for the trip to Cappielow. Arbroath could also be without local Greenock lad Nicky Low through injury. But they still have real quality in their ranks and former ‘Ton keeper Derek Gaston has kept 13 clean sheets this term. They also know this is a game they MUST win with Kilmarnock now level on goal difference, and Partick Thistle still with couple of games in hand- although Tuesday night’s result at Firhill was very well received in these parts! Arbroath’s levels have dropped a little in recent weeks since that crucial win over Killie in front of the BBC cameras. They haven’t won in three games, and they know Morton always give them a tough game. Morton’s resurgence under Dougie Imrie is clearly evident and this one will be tight. But I always have belief in Arbroath to produce the goods when it matters most so I’m going for a 2-1 win to the Lichties here.” Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 25th February 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Given Arbroath’s lofty position in the table, it comes as little surprise to see Morton as underdogs with the visitors coming in at 6/5 and both a home win and a draw priced at 21/10. With neither team claiming a clean sheet in the fixture thus far, Morton to win with both teams to score is 11/2, and Gary Oliver to score for the third consecutive time against Arbroath is 10/3. Match Officials Referee- David Dickinson AR 1- Daniel McFarlane AR 2- Paul O’Neill

Dean, Alan and Louise react to Dougie Imrie's touchline ban, Saturday's defeat to Hamilton and last night's win at Firhill. The panel also preview Saturday's game against Arbroath and discuss the Championship as a whole.

Dean, Alan and Louise react to Dougie Imrie's touchline ban, Saturday's defeat to Hamilton and last night's win at Firhill. The panel also preview Saturday's game against Arbroath and discuss the Championship as a whole.

Partick Thistle vs Morton – Match Preview by Dean McKinnon Morton will travel to Firhill this evening in a rearranged fixture following a festive call-off by the home side for an apparent waterlogged pitch. Dougie Imrie, who will serve the second match of a six-game touchline ban issued last week, will look to bounce back from his first league defeat in his new role. The Ton fell 1-0 to Imrie’s former side Hamilton on Saturday in a largely forgettable affair and will be looking to bounce back against play-off hopefuls Partick. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad Update The Ton’s backroom staff will assess the fitness of the players ahead of this match following Saturday’s defeat to Hamilton but should boast a full squad to choose from. Current Connections Only Robbie Muirhead of the current Morton squad has represented Partick, whilst on loan from Hearts in 2015, scoring twice in 8 appearances. There are more ex-Morton players in the home side's ranks though, with Scott Tiffoney and Brian Graham starting their careers at Cappielow before moving on and finding themselves back in the lower leagues with Partick. Former Motherwell loanee Ross McIver spent the latter part of last season on loan at Firhill after returning to Motherwell from Morton in the January window, and went onto make his move permanent in the summer following his release from the Steelmen. Midfielder Kyle Turner is the son of ex-Morton and Partick midfielder Tommy. Tale of the Tape It's a long time since Morton beat Partick Thistle. The last time being the fantastic 3-2 win in August 2019 at Cappielow when Morton were outplayed for long spells before awaking from their slumber in the last 15 minutes to grab victory from the jaws of defeat. The blow of two defeats after that were softened by Partick's abysmal run of form, resulting in their relegation as the season was curtailed due to the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. However, on their return to the division this year, they dished out a 3-0 early season hammering which we're best glossing over. A 0-0 midweek draw at Cappielow wasn't a terrible result, nor was it a bad performance, but during a run in which wins, rather than draws are required, it may well be Morton, rather than Partick who look back on the game as two points dropped come the season's end. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis Although Partick are facing a fixture pile up owing a mixture of COVID and incumbent weather causing a number of the Maryhill side’s matches to be postponed, this evening’s hosts are unbeaten in the league since Arbroath’s 2-0 win at Firhill on 11th December. The home side sit one point behind Raith Rovers, currently sitting 4th in the table, with Partick boasting four games in hand over their Fife counterparts. With Brian Graham atop of the Championship’s goalscorer list, and with midfielder Kyle Turner and familiar face Scott Tiffoney both recording a high number of assists this term, The Ton’s rearguard will be prepared for a tough evening’s work. Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 10am on 20th February 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. The home side head into this match as favourites, priced at 4/6 to claim all three points. The Ton’s 15/4 odds to win are perhaps reflective of our record at Firhill. The score draw, priced at 4/1, could be a wise investment. Striker Gavin Reilly is an impressive 10/1 to open the scoring, with both Gozie Ugwu and Robbie Muirhead priced at 8/1. Match Officials Referee – Euan Anderson AR1 – Sean Carr AR2 – John Stewart.

Away Day Guide - Partick Thistle (22nd February) Photo - TheStadiumGuide.com Tickets – Admission prices are as follows - Adults £20, Concessions (Over 65s, students, disabled and carer) £15, Under 16s £5. Supporters can purchase tickets here. Disabled Supporters Info – The disabled section at Firhill, for both home and away fans, can be accessed via the large red disabled access gate at the North West corner of the stadium, where the John Lambie Stand and the Colin Weir Stand meet. Disabled toilets are situated as follows; Colin Weir Stand – adjacent to the wheelchair section John Lambie Stand – in the concourse at the rear of the stand Tickets for the wheelchair section, situated in the Colin Weir Stand, will be available to purchase (cash only) on the day from the red disabled access gate. Supporters Buses – The Gourock Morton Supporters bus will depart from Gourock Train Station at 6pm. The price will be decided on the night. 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 6.45pm. 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 6.15pm from the club. The cost is £10 for adults and £7 for U16s/OAPs. 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. Trains back to Inverclyde after the match are less frequent, shown in the image below. Please double check the final destination of all these services before boarding. From Glasgow Central, a taxi is the quickest and easiest way through to Maryhill, or alternatively, take the Subway over to St George’s Cross station, which is around a twenty-minute walk to Firhill. All information taken from the ScotRail website. By Car – Use the postcode G20 7AL for the stadium. Without traffic, the estimated journey time from Cappielow to Firhill is 29 minutes via the M8. There is free on-street parking on Garscube Road and adjacent streets on route to the stadium. Firhill Road usually closes between 2.30pm and 5pm. Pre-Match – Photo - GlasgowGuide.co.uk If you’re looking to break up the journey from Greenock to Maryhill, the Toby Jug is a thirty second walk from Glasgow Central on Hope Street (97 Hope St, Glasgow G2 6LL). Upon arrival in Maryhill, Munns (610 Maryhill Rd, Glasgow G20 7ED) is the closest pub to the stadium and is around a five-minute walk from the away turnstiles. Munns opens at 11am and is a traditional football pub which welcomes home fans and away fans. They sell 35ml spirits, have a pool table and dart board and a separate lounge area. Photo - Geograph.org.uk

Hamilton vs Morton – Match Preview by Dean McKinnon. Dougie Imrie’s Morton side will visit the gaffer’s old stomping ground on Saturday as The Ton look to stretch their unbeaten record under their new gaffer to seven matches. The Championship’s form side have shot up the table under the tutelage of former Accies player Imrie, as the Sinclair Street side look to distance themselves from the bottom end of the Championship. Following last week’s pulsating 2-1 victory against Queen of the South, Imrie’s Morton side will look to open up some breathing space between themselves and the rest of the bottom half of the league. Squad Update Following his half-time substitution on Saturday after picking up a knock, veteran defender Brian McLean should be the only injury concern for Dougie Imrie’s trip to his old stomping ground. Photo - GBR Photographs. Current Connections The last time we faced off against Accies, I trawled out former player Dougie Imrie as the most memorable, if slightly tenuous, link between the clubs. Oh how times have changed! The newly appointed Morton gaffer spent two spells at Hamilton across his career. Imrie joined Accies 1st February 2010 from Inverness Caledonian Thistle for a fee of £25,000, debuting five days later in a Lanarkshire Derby against Motherwell. Two years later, again during the January window, Imrie moved to Paisley as St Mirren looked to stave off relegation, with a fee of £35,000 required to facilitate the transfer. Tale of the Tape A 98th minute defensive error prevented Hamilton from departing Cappielow with all three points on Matchday Twelve. Lewis Smith put the away side ahead on the 39th minute, collecting a pass from Kieran McDonald on the left of midfield, and smashing his effort into the top corner. Hamilton, who felt the wrath of the home support as they attempted to run down the clock, came undone in the eighth minute of stopped time. Jaakko Oksanen floated a free kick into the penalty box, with Accies goalkeeper Reegan Mimnaugh fumbling the ball before it landed in the Sinclair Street net to secure a late point for the hosts. Morton recorded their first league victory of the campaign at New Douglas Park on Matchday Two. Hamilton started the brighter of the two sides but struggled to test goalkeeper Jack Hamilton. With the first half winding down, Cammy Blues received the ball in midfield and sprayed a well-executed half volley pass into the right-hand channel for Gozie Ugwu to chase. The powerful forward raced towards the Hamilton penalty area before firing an angled drive into the far corner of Ryan Fulton’s net to settle the match. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis Despite their comprehensive win in Dumfries on the 2nd January, Hamilton have struggled of late to turn draws into wins. Last season’s Premiership basement side have tied with Partick, Ayr, Raith and Arbroath, alongside a 1-0 away defeat to Dunfermline, in their last five matches. The Lanarkshire side, who have conceded 40 goals so far this term, haven’t won at home since a 1-0 victory over Dunfermline on 4th December last year. Betting Guide All match odds are provided by McBookie. Odds are correct as of 6pm on 16th February 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. The hosts are even money to claim their first win in six outings, with the draw priced at 9/4. Dougie Imrie’s side head into this match priced at 12/5 to leave Lanarkshire with all three points, with 3/4 your reward if you fancy hedging your bets on The Ton to avoid defeat using the double chance market. If you fancy Morton to repeat their previous 1-0 scoreline at New Douglas Park, you can back this at 8/1. Photo - GBR Photographs. Match Officials Referee - Andrew Dallas. AR1 - Colin McAlpine. AR2 - George King.

Away Day Guide – Hamilton (19th February) Photo – footballgroundguide.com Tickets- Tickets can be purchased by calling the Ticket Office on 01698 368650, at the club shop on matchday or on the Hamilton website. Prices are as follows :- Adult £20; Concessions (OAPs, U18s) - £10. Disabled Supporters Information- Away supporters can enter via the exit gate adjacent to turnstile 12. Those ambulant can use the stairs to enter the North Stand, or those in wheelchairs can use the spaces behind the goal, at ground level trackside. There is cover here in the event of particularly inclement weather, but additional space can be allocated in the front of the East Stand, if not in use, (also ground level, but a normal pitch side view as opposed to behind the goal). Stewards are always on hand to assist where required. There is a designated Refuge Point in the first floor landing area, opposite the lift, beside the main staircase, in the event of an emergency. The sign is also in braille. Accessible seats are available in all stands for ambulant disabled. Away supporters can use the disabled toilet beside turnstiles 4-6. There are five designated accessible car park bays for away supporters these are located in the North Stand car park and accessible through turnstiles 7-12. Supporters Buses – The Gourock Morton Supporters bus will leave Gourock train station at 1pm. The bus is now FULL. The cost will be decided on the day, message their page on Facebook or contact Mark on 07847847357 to book a space. The Port Glasgow Morton Travel Club bus will leave from The Sutherland Bar at 1.45pm. The cost will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Bryan on 07969760292 to book a space. 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. There are several services every hour on low levels to Hamilton West, departing Glasgow Central at :15, :28, :45, and :57. All information taken from the ScotRail website. By Car – Use the postcode ML3 0FT for the stadium. The approximate journey time from Cappielow via the M8 and M74 is 41 minutes without traffic. Parking is available at the main stand car park, at the north end, or in the underground car park below Morrison’s, beside turnstiles 10-12. Arrangements to specifically drop any spectators off at front door area can be accommodated if requested/required. Pre Match – The Academical Vaults (26 Burnbank Rd, Haamilton ML3 9AA) is a two minute walk from Hamilton West train station and a ten minute walk to the stadium. Bar West (165 Almada St, Hamilton ML3 0ET) is a four minute walk from Hamilton West train station and a thirteen minute walk to the stadium. Photo - MatchPint.co.uk

Dean, Alan and Stephen review yesterday's exhilarating win, preview next week's match against Hamilton and discuss some issues with the Cappielow stewarding.

Dean, Alan and Stephen review yesterday's exhilarating win, preview next week's match against Hamilton and discuss some issues with the Cappielow stewarding.

Morton vs Queen of the South – Match Preview by Russell Gordon. Queen of the South visit Cappielow on Saturday for a fixture rearranged from Boxing Day in the wake of both clubs' exits from the Scottish Cup, and which most observers would look upon as the proverbial six-pointer, with eighth placed Morton sitting 5 points ahead of the Doonhamers, who prop up the table. It's fair to say that such a cushion offers Morton much more room to manoeuvre than it does our visitors, but this has to be looked upon as an opportunity to create some real daylight between ourselves and automatic relegation spot. Whilst we're well and truly back in the groove of going to the football again, Morton will be providing the usual stream for those who can't attend, which can be purchased here for the princely sum of £14. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Again, there are no major injury concerns reported in the squad as yet, and whilst the team generally picks itself just now, Glens' Vodka SPFL Championship Manager of the Month for January, Dougie Imrie will again have the welcome headache of Robbie Muirhead battering his door down for a starting place, such is his excellent contribution almost every time he comes off the bench. With Oisin McEntee returning last week to the defence in place of Michael Ledger, it's difficult to imagine the backline changing after such a composed defensive performance away to one of the supposed title challengers in the Highlands last weekend, as Morton came down the A9 with three very welcome points from a satisfying afternoon's work. Iain Wilson will be hoping to break into the midfield, but it's difficult to see who of Gary Oliver, Reece Lyon and Cammy Blues should sit out to allow the former Kilmarnock and Dunfermline ace his first start. Current Connections There are no ex-Morton players in the Queens' ranks, but plenty ex-Doonhamers in the home squad. Club captain Kyle Jacobs spent four years in Dumfries before making the move to Cappielow three years ago, whilst more recently, Michael Ledger made five appearances for the borders club in the curtailed 2019-20 season having arrived in the January window, before signing for Morton for the following season. New signing Iain Wilson had a couple of loan spells at Palmerston in his time as a Killie player. Since starting his career at Hearts, Gary Oliver has had two spells at both clubs, and Livingston loanee, and Championship Player of the Month Gavin Reilly started his career in Dumfries. Photo - GBR Photographs. Tale of the Tape It doesn't make good reading, in spite of Queens' lowly position in the table. A 2-3 defeat at Cappielow in August was the first sign that Morton might not be in for a particularly smooth campaign, as our visitors notched their first points of the campaign with a resounding win which in truth flattered Gus MacPherson’s charges on the day. This was followed by an insipid 0-0 draw in Dumfries, only really memorable for Robbie Muirhead's lob unfortunately hitting the bar as both teams had to settle for a share of the spoils. The latest fixture between the two was the Challenge Cup Quarter Final at Palmerston in the dying embers of MacPherson’s tenure. Whilst he was to be relieved of his duties after the 2-2 draw with Ayr the following Saturday, Morton's dreadful performance in the 1-2 defeat was perhaps the straw that broke the camel's back, especially with such an angry reaction from the travelling support on the night. Opposition Analysis It's fair to say that not all is well at Palmerston. With one league win since early October, the prospect of visits to the likes of Peterhead, Kelty and Grangemouth next season is a realistic one. Injuries to the likes of Harry Cochrane, Udoka Chima and Paul McKay haven’t helped Queens’ cause, to the extent that club captain Willie Gibson has had to fill in at centre back on occasion, and the return of goalkeeper Sol Brynn to parent club Middlesborough was a massive blow, although Innes Cameron's return from Kilmarnock and the loan signing of Motherwell's Darragh O'Connor may well prove to be positives in Queens' battle to escape the trap door. With the weekend's game at the Firhill bog postponed late in the day (a mere seven days after Partick were whining about their fans being put out by a late pitch inspection at a windswept (?) Gayfield), Queens were idle, but they can take some encouragement from their last outing, a 3-3 draw on a day of controversy in Kirkcaldy, courtesy of a fantastic late Shea Gordon equaliser. Ahead of the game I spoke to QoSTV commentator Finlay Jack (@Finlay_Jack5), who spoke of the importance of this match to his side – “This feels like a bit do or die for us. I’ve been exceptionally optimist all season but with Ayr beating Killie it’s getting that little bit tougher. If we get beat, I still have complete faith that we can stay up, but a win would really help the cause! Imrie has clearly got the Ton playing, which is a concern, but 25% of our league wins this season have came at Cappielow, so who knows… Innes Cameron returning for us is huge. Though, in my opinion, Paul McKay and Harry Cochrane were proving to be a fantastic spine of our side, along with Innes, so not having them is an issue. It’s no coincidence our form has dipped without them. Defensively we’ve been poor. I have the utmost respect for Gibson (naturally a winger/RB), East (naturally a winger/ST) and Debayo (a LB/LWB) who have each filled in at CB consistently this season. Roberto Nditi also plays there, albeit he’s played RB, LB, LWB, and CDM this season so it’d maybe be a stretch to call him an out and out CB! There lies our issue, I guess. All of these players are absolutely capable of playing Championship level, though with no McKay or Chima (who has missed almost the entire season) they’ve been forced to play there. Bringing in Darragh O’Connor should help, although he endured a difficult first two games last week. I’ll go for a Queens win as I always do. Hopefully the manager of the month ‘curse’ strikes Imrie and we can get a result. We are absolutely more than capable, but we need to show it more consistently. Morton 2-3 Queens for me!” Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 11th February 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. It's been a while, but Morton head into the match as favourites for a change, although 11/10 could be considered generous given the two sides' differing form. Our visitors are priced at 11/5 and the draw at 9/4 For those optimistic of an enjoyable afternoon at the office, Morton to score over 2.5 goals is 15/4 and to score in both halves is 12/5 Match Officials Referee- Mike Roncoe AR 1- Chris Rae AR 2- Brian Christie

Craig and Chris discuss Morton's win in Inverness, Dougie Imrie's tenure so far and look ahead to the game with Queen of the South.

Craig and Chris discuss Morton's win in Inverness, Dougie Imrie's tenure so far and look ahead to the game with Queen of the South.

Inverness CT vs Morton – Match Preview by Russell Gordon. For a third time already this season, Morton head up the A9 for a visit to Inverness hoping to complete the set after a defeat and a draw at the Caledonian Stadium already this season. After Friday night's TV thriller against Raith Rovers, the 'Ton can go into the fixture with a degree of confidence that we don't often have when visiting what hasn't been a particularly happy hunting ground down the years. For those unable to make the long journey, our hosts will be providing a stream for the match, priced a £15 and available to purchase here. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News I'm beginning to enjoy writing that there are no fresh injury concerns on a weekly basis, touch wood. Dougie Imrie added to his squad on deadline day with the signing of former Dunfermline and Queen of the South midfielder Iain Wilson, who is expected to go straight into the squad. With Oisin McEntee's encouraging performances in recent weeks coinciding with a drop off in form from Brian McLean, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary to suggest the Newcastle loanee will come in for his more experienced teammate, although after conceding penalties two weeks in a row, Michael Ledger's place in the back line may also be under threat. Young goalkeeper Joshua Bysouth has signed professional terms so we may finally see a goalkeeper on the bench! Current Connections Connections are few and far between in the two squads, with nobody in either squad ever having represented the other, although Morton did sign Inverness defender Wallace Duffy on loan from St. Johnstone before accommodating Inverness's approach to sign him on a permanent deal which suited the player and his parent club, before he had the opportunity pull on the famous hoops. Morton Manager Dougie Imrie however did represent the Caley Jags for two seasons from 2008 to 2010. Tale of the Tape It doesn't make good reading I'm afraid, although there was the one shining light of Morton's Scottish Cup penalty shoot-out success against the Highlanders in a Cappielow replay that followed two 1-1 draws in the tie, and was made all the sweeter by Inverness Manager Billy Dodds' temper tantrum about the temporary changing facilities at Cappielow. The league games however have been a horror story, with an insipid 0-2 defeat in the Highlands in October being followed up by a 1-6 Cappielow mauling in December, as Inverness enacted revenge for their surprise Scottish Cup exit at the hands of the then managerless Morton. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis Since that festive horror show however, the two teams' fortunes have taken different paths. Whilst we're all aware of our own side's improved form, Inverness have picked up a mere four points out of the available twenty-four, including draws against Queen of the South and Dunfermline and a home defeat by Hamilton that has done our own cause no good whatsoever. I spoke to Andrew Moffat (@AMoff7) of the Wyness Shuffle podcast (@TheICTPodcast), who felt Inverness's lofty position in the table papered over a number of cracks, and was particularly scathing of our pal, Billy Dodds; "Inverness Caledonian Thistle have not won a game of football in six matches. Inverness Caledonian Thistle have only won four games of football since the start of October. Two of those football matches were against Greenock Morton. Caley are on somewhat of a mini crisis at the moment- a crisis of confidence, given the aforementioned run that we are on, and a crisis of identity, having some key injuries to contend with, the manager’s curious tactical decisions and the addition of four new faces. On the face of it, third in the league plays second bottom, your money would be on Caley, especially at home. But Caley have only won two matches at home since October. Like most managers in the Championship we have seen through Billy Dodds' tactics and are really hoping he tries something new. Dodds tends to opt for a semblance of a 4-4-2, and he does this every single match. He will only deviate when we are already behind, but by that time you’re chasing the game and your best hope is a draw. And low and behold we have drawn 5 of the last 6 matches. It’s easy to forget that despite his experience, this is Dodds' first full time gig as a manager, and it does show at times. Most fans still harbour enough hope that he’s the man for the job, and with a few tactical tweaks and an altered approach we can still be in the mix at the end of the season. Admittedly he has recently been hampered by injuries to key men such as evergreen top scorer Billy McKay, perma-crock Aaron Doran and defensive mainstay Danny Devine (who has been excellent). In the transfer window we have shifted out former Raith forward Manny Duku, mainly due to having scored a total of zero league goals (despite even starting the first 8 games of the season when we left Billy McKay on the bench). As you read this you’ll be starting to get an idea of Dodds’ curious decisions. We have however brought in four forwards; with loan deals for winger Sam Pearson (Bristol City), strikers Logan Chalmers (Dundee Utd) and Joe Hardy (Accrington), as well as actually signing someone on an 18-month deal- forward Austin Samuels from Wolves, the striker having spent the first part of the season at Aberdeen. It’s anyone’s guess who will play where but Samuels looks like he’ll be a starter and Pearson should play on the right. Other than that our recent standout players have been young Reece McAlear in central midfield, on a season long loan from Norwich, who’s scored a few recent bangers, and Sean Welsh who might be coming back to a bit of form but at his age is asked to do far too much in the middle of the park in a 4-4-2. Most fans would love Dodds to switch to a 3-5-2, as it seems the personnel we have would be most suited to this but whilst he persists, and it’s this will continue to cost us." Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 4th February 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Morton are rank outsiders for the trip up north, with the hosts priced at 8/13 and our own favourites a somewhat generous 4/1 and the draw 13/5. With things looking up for Morton we might as well put an optimistic spin on the tips. 1-0 Morton comes in at 11/1 whilst the more conservative amongst us may prefer the double chance of Morton/the draw at 5/4. Match Officials Referee- Euan Anderson AR 1- David Roome AR 2- Paul McAvinue

Away Day Guide – Inverness (5th February) Photo - ICT Website Tickets Tickets now available from ictfc.tickethour.co.uk and from the Club Shop on matchday. Prices are as follows – Adult £20; Concessions (OAPs, Students) - £15; U18s - £6. The Match will be live streamed on ICTV for £15 and is available now from www.ictfc.tv. Disabled Supporters Information The following provisions are in place for disabled fans - 26 wheelchair places with adjacent carer seats in both the North & South Stands; 14 wheelchair places with adjacent carer seats in the Main Stand; wheelchair shelters in North Stand and beside Main Stand; 3 wheelchair places with adjacent carer seats in the West Stand and accessible seats available in all stands for ambulant disabled. Reserved car parking bays in Directors, North and South Car parks. The car parking bays are situated in close proximity to the various points of entry to the stadium. Spaces can be booked in advance by emailing admin@ictfc.co.uk or by phoning 01463 222880. Your main point of contact is Inverness CT's Disability Access Officer – David Scott. You can email him - dao@ictfc.co.uk or call 01463 222880. Supporters Buses The Gourock Morton Supporters are NOT running a bus. Port Glasgow Morton Travel Club are NOT running a bus. By Train There are two services an hour to Glasgow Central on the low line, departing Gourock at :08 and :38 every hour, as well as one train an hour on the high line, departing Wemyss Bay at :57 every hour. Travel to Glasgow Central and transfer to Glasgow Queen Street. The 10.07 service from Queen Street is the best bet for a direct service to the Highlands, with the 18.52 being the only option for the return trip. If you do not purchase advanced tickets, make sure you split your tickets as follows for the best possible price – Glasgow Queen St. to Perth (return) and Perth to Inverness (return). The station is around a 20-25 minute walk from the stadium, supporters are advised to you use the designated walking route through the Industrial Estate which is signposted from Longman Road and avoids crossing the A9 trunk road. All information taken from the ScotRail website. By Car Use the M8/M80/A90 towards Perth. From Perth head north on the A9 until you reach Inverness. At the Longman Roundabout before the Kessock Bridge, take the right lane as you approach the traffic lights. Then take third exit and carry on along Stadium Road until you come to the Stadium and away car park. Be prepared for delays on the A9 due to ongoing roadworks and traffic. The approach to the Kessock Bridge can also be busy at peak times. Pre-Match Photo - Digital Travel Guide The ICT Social Club (28 Greig St, Inverness IV3 5PX) welcomes away fans and is around a 15 walk from the train station. They also offer a bus service to/from the stadium on matchdays. The stadium has a bar that welcomes away fans, where alcohol is served until 2.45pm and then again at 5pm.

Craig, Louise and Alan look at Morton's 2-2 draw with Raith Rovers and discuss transfer deadline day.

Craig, Louise and Alan look at Morton's 2-2 draw with Raith Rovers and discuss transfer deadline day.

(Photo- BBC) Window Shopping in The January Sales- The Hits And Misses by Russell Gordon Since its inception in 2003, and introduction for what in Morton's case was the fateful 2003/04 season, the January Transfer Window has been part of the game in a similar way to pies, bovril and penalties to Rangers. Brought in by FIFA in an attempt to bring stability to clubs' squads in the post-Bosman era, it's been a period when we've seen them get shot of dead wood, strengthen their title challenges and desperately try and save a sinking ship. And of course, Morton being Morton, we've seen examples of all in the last couple of decades. But how have we benefitted or lost out in the winter window? In recent years, the window, or at least the approach to deadline day at the end of August or January always feels like a frustrating time as a Morton fan, watching clubs like Partick Thistle or Raith Rovers hoovering up our own personal targets whilst Morton seem to sit on their hand and count what pennies they can afford on a loan signing. But it's not always like that... Chris Templeman, 2005 Back in 2004/05, with the window in it's infancy, the SFL allowed clubs two transfers a season out with the designated windows, and in a season that Morton were really pushing the boat out in their attempts to return to the First Division, it would be remiss of me not to bend the rules and mention Chris Templeman, such was the significance and timing of the signing. After the disastrous collapse of the previous season, manager John McCormack had been belatedly relieved of his duties with Morton toiling in midtable. His successor Jim McInally had endured a difficult start to his time in charge when Chairman Douglas Rae decided to get his cheque book out to the tune of a reported £100,000 for Brechin's talismanic striker, Templeman in December. With Brechin and Stranraer holding commanding leads over Morton in the chase for the two promotion places, it was hoped that by weakening the leaders and adding goals to our squad we'd squeeze past one of the two and into the First Division before big spending Gretna arrived in the division the following year. Templeman's finest hour came in the Scottish Cup defeat of Kilmarnock in 2007 (Photo- Getty Images) For a man of his height, he certainly wasn't the Duncan Ferguson type that we might have hoped for, preferring the ball played to feet. In spite of his undoubted skill, he was an awkward type with a languid playing style whose game really relied on confidence. He was to finish the season with a medal, but unfortunately that was as a result of his previous club getting over the line with Stranraer, and ahead of ourselves. Templeman himself was to score seven league goals for Morton that season, including a hat trick against Forfar at Cappielow. Not an appalling return, but for Morton's investment, not exactly earth shattering. The following season was to prove a nightmare for the affable front man, as he was caught up in Rowan Alexander's mind games ahead of the visit of Gretna in September 2005. Alexander questioned why McInally continued to pick Templeman ahead of fellow forward Jason Walker ahead of the game- really none of his business, but it was enough to get folk talking about the subject and unsettle Morton ahead of a 2-0 win for the visitors. Templeman would score only two goals before being packed off on loan back to Brechin for the second half of the season, as Morton were to suffer more promotion heartbreak. Templeman, and Brechin were back in the Second Division the following season and there was to finally be a happy ending. The title and promotion were delivered, and one of the best individual performances Cappielow has seen in the modern era was produced by the returning striker as SPL Kilmarnock were unceremoniously bodied out of the cup 3-1, thanks in no small part to Templeman's double. The following season was to see his opportunities at the higher level restricted before he eventually moved onto East Fife and eventually Forfar and Montrose before going junior. It's difficult to assess his time at Morton without alluding to his transfer fee, but I always remember a mate comparing him to the Hot-Shot Hamish cartoon character. He was comfortable playing in front of small crowds and with lesser expectations, but the fee was like a noose around his neck which never really allowed him to become the player we'd hoped. Brian Wake, 2008 As one door closed, another opened. With Templeman heading off the the Fifers, and Morton toiling at the wrong end of the table in their first season back, under fire manager McInally brought in striker Brian Wake from league leaders Hamilton Accies. We'd already benefitted from the implosion of Gretna, with Allan Jenkins and Ryan McGuffie coming in as part of the fire sale. But Wake was to have the most immediate impact. That said, the initial signs weren't encouraging as he failed to find his feet and McInally was replaced in the dugout by Davie Irons. There was one narrow win against Stirling Albion, when, late in the game and through on goal, he decided to square the ball instead of shoot only for it to end terribly, which summed up his start in his new surroundings. Wake's unlikely goalscoring exploits saved Morton's skin, cementing his cult hero status years on. (Photo- Getty Images) But it was all to change as the season reached its climax. A goal that was to prove vital in spite of a 2-3 defeat in Perth got the ball rolling, and another in the 3-0 hammering of Dunfermline on the penultimate day set up a nerve-wracking trip to Firhill, in which Morton had to match Clyde's result at home to already relegated Stirling. Step forward Wake, whose magnificent double helped keep Morton out of the play-off place by the narrowest of margins and sparked celebrations that were perhaps more exuberant than those the previous year when Morton had won promotion. Wake was to stick around another year and a half, scoring goals fairly regularly, and often from the bench. There are many who will look back on his time at Morton and point out to his limitations as a player, but on that day, a cult hero was born, and he thoroughly deserves to be remembered so fondly for those heroics. Colin McMenamin, 2013 One who won't be looked back upon so fondly was Colin McMenamin. An utterly bizarre signing that was funded by our club's sponsors at the time and was completely unnecessary. Morton were in a title race with Partick Thistle and Dunfermline Athletic and after beating both over the festive period, were going into the new year in a strong position. They were scoring goals for fun, and had the added bonus of the return of the quite magnificent Peter MacDonald, who had missed the first half of the season through injury, to compliment Archie Campbell and Peter Weatherson, both of whom were enjoying fine campaigns to that point. Added to that, with Michael Tidser and Martin Hardie chipping in from midfield, surgery on the backline was arguably more urgent. Hindsight's a wonderful thing, but with Mark McLaughlin not getting any younger, and little cover in the full back positions, there wasn't much need to bring in a further attacking option. One wonders if it was more of a commercial than footballing decision to sign a goal scorer (a term I'll use loosely) than what was actually required. Perhaps the most memorable moment of Colin McMenamin's time at Morton was when Douglas Rae got his name wrong in introducing him to the crowd. (Photo- www.alamy.com) As it turned out, he went onto score twice in fifteen appearances- one being a penalty, and both being in routine victories over the eventually relegated Airdrie. The defence would go on to struggle, with Thomas O'Ware thrown in far too early in his career as Partick gradually pulled away, with a little helping hand from the Cowdenbeath fog. As cost-cutting measures came in the following summer, Morton's big hitters all moved onto pastures new. Whilst the departures of MacDonald, Hardie and Tidser were painful, McMenamin's went under the radar somewhat. Such was his contribution, he wasn't missed, even considering how bad the following season was to be. Garry O'Connor and Rowan Vine, 2014 There could be a book written about that disaster of a season, and Kenny Shiels' scattergun approach to signings saw an already horrific season go from bad to worse. This pair were by no means the only gutless failures to come in that winter, but were certainly the most high profile. Anyone remember much about Ben Sampayo? No, me neither. If ever a photo summed up a season... (Photo-SNS) O'Connor was a Scotland international, and Vine a £3 million player at earlier points in their careers. What we got was nothing of the sort, and Chairman Douglas Rae was prompted to bemoan the return on his investment on the overweight former Scotland striker, who delivered one goal in eleven really grim appearances for Morton. It was undoubtedly a sign of desperation from Rae, who had already dabbled in the has-been market by signing, and subsequently punting Spanish striker Nacho Novo earlier in the season after a similar return. Rae described O'Connor as "hopeless and unfit" in an interview with the Greenock Telegraph as the season from hell approached its inevitable conclusion. Vine on the other hand contributed four goals from twelve games, notably scoring the goal that effectively killed off Falkirk's title aspirations and celebrating in front of their fans, so it's not all bad, but in all honesty, he really wasn't great either. Had he converted his penalty in that final day hammering at Hamilton it wouldn't have made a great deal of difference, but his lazy effort epitomised his time at the club. A rare moment of joy in 2014, as Rowan Vine celebrated a goal in a late season 3-0 win over Dumbarton, as the fat lady was tuning up her vocal chords (Photo- SNS Group) It was no surprise to see neither player ever make a league appearance after leaving Morton, and thankfully the policy of signing high profile overpaid and over-the-hill duds seems to be a thing of the past. The next year's window was to prove more fruitful. Ross Forbes, 2015 Incredible when you think back, but at the time, we didn't actually enjoy the month of January 2015. Morton were clinging on into the title race behind Stranraer and Forfar, had recently been knocked out of the Scottish Cup by non-league Spartans, and had lost top scorer Declan McManus, who returned to Aberdeen from his loan spell. Manager Jim Duffy addressed the loss of McManus by signing Hibs' Ross Caldwell, and to much fanfare, the returning Peter MacDonald from Dundee. Unexpectedly, McManus would also return at the end of the month to play his part, but that was only a side note to the story of the 2015 window. But there was better to come- we often see players returning to Cappielow, but the return of Michael Tidser from Rotherham really got the juices flowing, with fans of clubs higher up the food chain criticising the ambition of the former Morton midfielder who openly admitted he wanted to return to a club where he had spent his happiest days instead of trying his luck in the Premiership or Championship. There had to be a snag though, and a brief loan spell from Rotherham at Oldham, with two appearances, meant that Tidser had represented two clubs that season, so subject to what at the time was a little known rule, wasn't actually eligible to play until the following season and couldn't contribute to Morton's title challenge. Amidst all the furore, it was a good thing that Jim Duffy had managed to engineer a swap deal with Dunfermline for Ross Forbes, with 'Ton striker Andy Barrowman, a Pars hero from a previous spell heading in the other direction. Whilst the Dunfermline fans would have been happy to drive Forbes down the M8 themselves and take Barrowman back up the road with them, there was only one winner in the deal. Barrowman would continue where he left off, with Dunfermline finishing seventh in what should've been a two horse race, and Forbes playing a starring role in Morton's title charge. His injury time winner against Ayr at Cappielow in the run-in resulted in absolute bedlam, with Morton eventually sneaking over the line. Carlsberg don't do swap deals, but if they did... (Photo- m7sport.com) It was far from the end of Forbes' contribution though, as he would go on to play a vital part in a Morton team that surprised many over the next two seasons- his wonderful goals against Hibs in an incredible 3-0 win in the capital in our first season back, and against St. Mirren in a 3-1 derby win the following season, which should've been about six or seven and smashed their 17 year unbeaten derby record, were particularly memorable, and his contribution to Thomas O'Ware's incredible goalscoring record at the time can't be ignored. There was a time that opposing managers knew exactly what was coming, but could do absolutely nothing about it. He would be nominated for the Championship Player of the Year in 2016-17, losing out to some bloke at Hibs called John McGinn (no idea what became of him), and as well as his ridiculous number of assists, knew how to find the net too- scoring 12, including brilliant free kicks against Hamilton in the League Cup and Raith in a 1-0 league win at Cappielow, a double at Somerset Park and a brilliant solo goal in a narrow win against Queen of the South. Forbes would eventually depart in January of the following season as injuries began to catch up with him, but what a star. I was too young to see the days of Andy Ritchie, but have seen many Morton teams and had many heroes, since. When hearing tales of the Idle Idol, who had the reputation of appearing lazy, but producing a moment of absolute genius, it's difficult to argue that Forbes is the closest we've seen to Ritchie since those heady days. The Notable Mentions He's been mentioned elsewhere of course, but Michael Tidser was another January transfer window signing from Swedish club Ostersunds in 2010, and in terms of longevity, perhaps our most successful when you take his two spells at the club into consideration. Certainly not a high profile signing at the time though, unlike Lawrence Shankland, who came on loan from Aberdeen, but immediately after a loan spell with St. Mirren. Shankland was supposed to propel us to play off success with Hibs' title win inevitable, but had a largely forgettable spell at Morton, before getting a wake up call, signing for Ayr and eventually having a sterling career which included international honours, alongside another January window signing, Stuart Findlay- who came in in 2014 and was one of the very few successes of that season. Last year was perhaps the most frustrating of windows since their inception, with Morton's form falling off a cliff, no sign of a managerial appointment to make any signings and no inward movement until the club decided to tease us about the potential signing of a Champions League player- who turned out to be Tottenham striker Kaziah Sterling, who got a run out for a few minutes of a dead rubber a few years back, was chased out of Southend and on arrival at Cappielow, contributed absolutely nothing before being sent back down the road as soon as Gus McPherson actually got a look at him. What the end of this transfer window brings we don't yet know, and a midfielder and reserve goalkeeper would be nice, but our most important signing this winter is arguably in the dugout as opposed to on the pitch anyway. We do, however live in hope for some late excitement. Please, no Star Wars GIFs on Twitter, though!

Morton vs Raith Rovers – Match Preview by Russell Gordon. Morton and Raith Rovers return to league duty at Cappielow in front of the BBC Scotland cameras tomorrow night after very different Scottish Cup experiences last weekend. Whilst Morton were heartbreakingly close to causing an upset against high flying Motherwell at Fir Park, the Fifers were easing through with the minimum of fuss against North Region Juniors, Banks O' Dee. With restrictions lifted, there are no limits on the crowd that can realistically adversely affect the attendance, so again it looks like we're getting back to "normal". Although the game is on BBC Scotland, it's also available on Ton TV for anyone who would prefer to listen to Gerry and Andy's more informed musings for the princely sum of £7. Streams can also be purchased here. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News As has been the case in recent times, Dougie Imrie has benefitted from a relatively clean bill of health, and given the continuity in his selection in recent weeks, there are likely to be few questions as to how Morton line up- although with the return of Oisin McEntee, and with Robbie Muirhead's name again being added to the scoresheet after coming off the bench, the manager has some welcome decisions to make. Jamie Brandon will be hoping to continue in the right wing-back position, having been substituted in his two previous starts since arriving on loan from Hearts after a long-term injury. Current Connections There's only one player at each club who has represented their opponents- Raith right back Reghan Tumilty had a stop-start time of it during his two-year spell at Cappielow before opting to sign for newly promoted Raith in the summer of 2020, much to the dismay of many of the Morton support, who felt he wasn't given a fair chance under then Morton boss David Hopkin. Morton's talisman Gozie Ugwu spent last season in the kingdom, scoring 3 goals in 13 appearances. 'Ton Assistant Manager Andy Millen had a spell at Stark's in 1997. Tale of the Tape Anyone of a Morton disposition might want to skip to the next paragraph. We've not beaten Raith since February 2017, when a second half Lee Kilday header saw Morton come back down the road from Fife with maximum points. There was a 0-2 defeat in Kirkcaldy later that season before Raith's enforced three-season abeyance in League One. On their return, we've seen nothing but Raith Rovers victories, with three from three in last season's abridged league campaign, including a 5-0 mauling at Stark's Park, and two narrow defeats for Morton this term- 0-1 at Cappielow in September and 1-2 in Fife in November. Raith certainly appear to have an Indian Sign over us. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis On a more promising note, Raith haven't been firing in all cylinders in recent times, with only one league win, against title favourites Kilmarnock in the seven since they took the points against Morton in November. Admittedly Morton have only had two league wins since then, but at least they've been in our last two outings! An area of concern for the Fifers will be the drop off in form of Canadian striker Dario Zanatta, who was on fire in the first quarter of the campaign but has failed to find the net since notching the winner in that aforementioned victory over Killie. I spoke to Raith Rovers fan, and A View From The Terrace (TheTerraceTV) panellist Shaughan McGuigan (@ShaughanM), who wasn't in the most optimistic of moods, given the two clubs' contrasting fortunes in recent weeks. "As much as Raith Rovers appear to have something of a hex over Morton, with six straight wins in the last half dozen meetings, you'll struggle to find too many Rovers fans who are confident about making it seven. The team appears to have fallen off the rails in the last few weeks, and while it's probably down to a few reasons rather than a single issue, that means it feels even trickier for the team to turn things around. The injury which Brad Spencer received at Gayfield back in December certainly didn't help, as no-one else in the squad is quite as adept at taking the ball from the back four and breaking through the opponents' lines, but that's also coincided with a handful of forward players seeing their form fall off a cliff. Dario Zanatta had no issue in tormenting Championship defences and pinging them in from 25 yards every week at the start of the season, but he now appears devoid of confidence, likewise Ethan Ross, who has been unable to recapture the form which saw him score five goals in as many games after his move from Aberdeen. Raith's travails are of course coinciding with Morton's form picking up, which makes this game feel like it's perfect timing for them, and less than ideal for ourselves. Of course, the nature of football is such that Rovers form could inexplicably turnaround on Friday night and they'll kick on and potentially challenge for a promotion spot, but there's a real feeling that the season might fizzle out from here. This match might go some way to telling us which side from the two can most look forward to the remainder of the campaign." Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 28th January 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. The hosts go in as underdogs at 21/10, with Raith priced at 5/4 and the draw 11/5, which might be a decent bet given how the teams' are looking much better matched than earlier in the season. Given his form for coming off the bench and bagging a goal, Robbie Muirhead is 15/2 to score the last goal of the game. Given that I've tempted fate by alluding to Dario Zanatta's drop off in form in recent weeks, the pessimist in me would point to 5/2 for Zanatta to score anytime. Match Officials Referee- David Dickinson AR 1- David McGeachie AR 2- Graham McNellie Fourth Official- Steven Reid

Craig & Ewan discuss Morton's Scottish Cup trip to Motherwell.

Craig & Ewan discuss Morton's Scottish Cup trip to Motherwell.

Motherwell vs Morton – Match Preview by Dean McKinnon. Dougie Imrie will take his new-look Morton side to lock horns with his old foes Motherwell. Imrie, who spent a total of seven seasons at The Steelmen’s rivals Hamilton, has taken seven points from his first three matches in the Sinclair Street dugout. Having taken a point away from promotion candidates Kilmarnock, followed by dismantling Dunfermline 5-0 at Cappielow, Imrie’s side showed their clinical side on Saturday, besting fellow relegation candidates Ayr United 2-0 at Somerset Park last Saturday. If you are unable to make it to Fir Park tomorrow, you can click here to purchase the match stream. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad Update Morton will boast a full squad to choose from for their trip to Fir Park. Oisin McEntee made the bench last week at Somerset Park after suffering a broken wrist against Arbroath in December. Mark Russell was also fit enough for a place among the substitutes last week following his positive COVID test. Morton will also be prepared for life without Tom Allan, who returned to parent club Newcastle last week. Current Connections Veteran centre-back Brian McLean cut his teeth as a senior player at Motherwell. Having signed for Rangers from Queens Park as a youth player, the Rutherglen born defender was sent out on loan to the Steelmen for the 2005/06 campaign. McLean made thirty league appearances, scoring three goals. This was enough to convince McLean to extend his stay in Lanarkshire, who signed a permanent deal ahead of the following season. After a four year stay at Fir Park, making sixty-one appearances in all competitions, McLean moved to Falkirk, who were relegated from the SPL in 2009/10. Motherwell’s second choice goalkeeper Scott Fox signed for The Ton on an emergency loan last season as the Sinclair Street side navigated their way through the relegation playoffs. With regular goalkeeper Aidan McAdams injuring his hamstring in the semi-final second leg against Montrose, Gus MacPherson brought Fox in for the two legged playoff final against Airdrieonians. Shotts born defender Ricki Lamie was recruited by Jim Duffy in 2014 as he attempted to return Morton to the second tier at the first time of asking. Lamie, who was once goaded into a red card by Morton stalwart Peter Weatherson whilst representing Airdrie, was deployed at left back in League One and appeared to struggle initially with this new position. His game improved massively as Morton went onto win League One and Lamie matured into a stand out Championship player, equally comfortable in at centre back and left back. He scored his first senior goal in a Hogmanay Renfrewshire Derby, snatching a point for ten man Morton with the last kick of the ball. At the end of the 2017/18 season, and after 132 Morton appearances, news broke that Lamie was joining Premiership side Livingston, leaving with the best wishes of the entire Morton support. Tale of the Tape It’s safe to say that Fir Park has not been a happy hunting ground for The Ton in recent years, however Morton ran the home side close on their last visit to The Well in April last year. As expected, Motherwell had more of the ball than their Greenock counterparts, but The Ton held on stubbornly as the match headed to extra time following a ninety minute stalemate in regulation time. Scotland full-back Stephen O’Donnell’s 121st minute strike looked to have stolen the tie for the home side as his deflected strike flew past Aidan McAdams, however the visiting side had other ideas. A Lewis McGrattan corner was met by Marcus Fjortoft, who headed home from close range to send the tie to spot-kicks. Defender Sean McGinty’s tame penalty was saved by Liam Kelly as the Premiership side claimed their place in the Fifth Round. Morton have only bested their Lanarkshire counterparts on their own patch once, with the Sinclair Street side going on to lift our nation’s showpiece trophy in 1922. Morton’s last win against Motherwell came in the League Cup, in a 3-2 extra time victory at Cappielow. Alex Samuel gave The Ton a 1-0 lead after eleven minutes, which looked to have secured the tie before Scott McDonald’s injury time equaliser levelled the tie and forced extra time. Play was suspended for a short time as Motherwell fans clashed with stewards and Police, a situation worsened as goals from Alex Samuel and Michael Tidser put Morton 3-1 up. Despite Louis Moult grabbing a goal back, The Ton held out to progress to the next round of the Cup. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis The home side head into Saturday’s Scottish Cup match in good form, having won three of their last five league matches. The Well have toppled Dundee United, St Johnstone and Livingston, as well as drawing 1-1 with Hibs at Easter Road and falling 1-0 at Celtic Park. Having only lost once at home this season, a heavy 6-1 mauling in the hands of Rangers, The Steelmen are currently sitting 4th in the Premiership. Ahead of tomorrow’s match, I spoke to Motherwell fan Scott Philip, who spoke of the improved mood in the home camp compared to last season - “Motherwell can go into this game feeling much more confident than they did the previous meeting in the competition last year. That’s despite a hugely disappointing midweek defeat which saw the Steelmen fall flat to 10 men Ross County in Dingwall. 9 months on from that meeting and 3 manager of the month awards later, Alexander has gradually managed to implement his methods on the Motherwell side and lofted them to 4th in the table. It hasn’t always been pretty, infact it’s barely been pretty at all, but it’s hard to argue with results. Largely down to a newly established steeliness and grit within the side, they are now hard to beat and know how to see out games and grind out those results. It doesn’t always go to plan and there has been bumps along the road, none bigger than Tuesdays 3-1 defeat at County or the recent 3-0 drubbing at Dens Park. But it’s been their home form that’s been most impressive, winning 7 of the last 10 at Fir Park with the only defeats coming at the hands of the Old Firm. Liam Kelly has been the outstanding performer so far this season for Motherwell. Followed by Dutchman and fan favourite Kevin Van Veen who should now enjoy a more central role in attack after the departure of top scorer Tony Watt. Motherwell fans will be keen to see Celtic loanee Liam Shaw making an appearance in the hope that he can provide some much needed creative spark in midfield. Ricki Lamie, who is subject to interest from south of the border, is expected to miss out again with an injury picked up before Christmas.” Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds provided by McBookie. Odds are correct as of 7am on 18th January 2022 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. The Premiership side head into this tie as heavy favourites, priced at 2/9 to progress through the tie via any means and 40/85 to settle the tie within regulation time. The Well are also 5/2 to win with BTTS and 13/10 to win with a clean sheet. If you fancy the tie to head to extra time then you can back the draw at 31/10, with 9/1 chalked up for a 0-0 stalemate. The Ton are 16/5 to progress through the tie and 5/1 to settle the tie within 90 minutes. The Ton are 11/1 to win with BTTS and 9/1 to win without Jack Hamilton conceding. Match Officials Referee - Nick Walsh AR1 - Frank Connor AR2 - Graham McNeillie