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  3. Admin
    Dunfermline vs Morton – Match Preview
    by Dean McKinnon.
    Morton travel over the Kincardine Bridge on Saturday to face Dunfermline with a spring in their step following the win over Inverness midweek, along with having a new face in the dugout. Former St Mirren, Queen of the South and Queens Park manager Gus MacPherson was announced on Wednesday night, agreeing to take the reigns from Anton McElhone until the end of the season.
    The squad will head into Saturday’s match on a high after their revitalising victory midweek. Anton McElhone shuffled the pack, introducing Markus Fjortoft, Reece Lyon and Kazaiah Sterling to the fold, as well as utilising club captain Sean McGinty at left back in place of the injured Lewis Strapp. A solid defensive performance laid the foundation for Aidan Nesbitt’s drilled finish to give The Ton their first win in eleven outings.

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Current Connections
    Declan McManus joined Morton in 2014 on loan from Aberdeen, aiming to assist Jim Duffy in winning the League One title at the first attempt. He was a star man for the title winning Ton, scoring twenty three goals and being selected for the PFA League One Team of the Year. He then went south of the border for a spell at Fleetwood Town, before returning to Greenock midway through the 2015/16 season. He has since had spells at Raith Rovers, Dunfermline, Ross County and Falkirk before resigning for Dunfermline in 2020.
    Tale of the Tape
    The last meeting between the sides was a dull 0-0 at Cappielow in January in front of the BBC Scotland cameras, with Dunfermline failing to make the breakthrough despite having the better of the chances. Aidan McAdams denied Iain Wilson, Dom Thomas and Declan McManus as Morton failed to register a single shot on target.
    Anton McElhone’s managerial debut came in this fixture in December. The former Spurs fitness coach found himself unexpectedly promoted after David Hopkin walked out of the club less than 48 hours before the match, following a dispute with chairman Crawford Rae. A new look Morton, lining up in a 4-2-3-1, took the lead thanks to a well-executed volley from former club captain Jim McAlister. Former Morton striker Declan McManus equalised for the home side from the penalty spot before a thumping finish from Craig McGuffie gave the away side all three points.

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Opposition Analysis
    Former Morton striker Declan McManus has been a key part of the Pars’ season so far, sitting joint third in the scoring charts with seven goals to his name. The Pars have averaged 1.53 goals per game from 9.76 shots attempted per match. The Fife side sit bottom of the fouls conceded charts, indicating that they prefer to play free-flowing football. By comparison, Morton have conceded the second highest number of fouls in the Championship (237), trailing only Arbroath.
    Morton’s attackers could look to exploit midfield enforced Iain Wilson. Wilson sits joint third across the Championship for cautions this term with five to his name. The combative defensive midfielder played for Kilmarnock and Queen of the South before joining Dunfermline and has made fifteen appearances so far this season.
    I spoke to Dunfermline supporter Dennis Hamilton ahead of Saturday’s match, who spoke about the need for The Pars to recapture their early season form –
    “The Pars are on a patchy run of form at the moment, and we’ve slipped a bit from chasing Hearts. We missed a great opportunity the other week when we got beat by Queen of the South which was gutting, especially seeing as our local rivals Raith have usurped our position. The last couple of weeks of missing games, due to the Coronavirus outbreak (East End Park is being used as a vaccination centre, so although it’s still under investigation, I’m putting it down to our commitment to the greater good that’s caused this!) could work in our favour, giving the players an unexpected break to freshen up. Or it could have worked against us if the players aren’t sharp enough. There’s a wee bit of uncertainty as to who’ll be available on Saturday, but hopefully we’ll be able to play a strong side.
    In the games I’ve seen this season, Kerr McInroy looks ‘a pler’, and signing Craig Whigton in January looks like it could have been a great bit of business. Hopefully he and Declan McManus can form a fruitful partnership for the rest of the season and beyond. Bringing in Steven Whittaker was a surprise, mainly as he could probably play at a higher level still, but giving him a coaching role as well seems to have swung it for us.
    Morton are a bit of a bogey team for us, we don’t seem to have much success against you very often, although I have very fond memories of 2011 when we won the First Division at Cappielow, one of the great old school grounds of Scottish football. I always feel a bit of nerves against Morton due to your knack of getting results against us, but I’m hoping for a better game than the 0-0 draw in January. I think I daydreamed about four times about root canal surgery, which would’ve been more enjoyable. Hopefully we can get a result.”

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Betting Guide
    All match odds are provided by our sponsors – McBookie. All odds correct as of 11am on 11th March 2021 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 heavy favourites, pricing up at 1/2 to win the match outright. BTTS and Dunfermline to win is 12/5 and The Pars are 29/20 to win to nil. Dunfermline are also 6/4 to win on a -1 goal handicap.
    The draw prices up at 16/5, with a 0-0 stalemate sitting at 11/1. If you fancy The Ton to repeat their heroics of earlier this season, you can back to them to win at 5/1, BTTS and Morton to win is 9/1 and The Ton to win to nil is 17/2. If you fancy Morton to record a comfortable victory at East End Park you can back them on a -1 handicap at 14/1.
    Keep your eyes across our socials for our recommended BetBuilder bet!
  5. Admin
    Inverness vs Morton – Match Preview
    by Dean McKinnon.
    As Morton enter the final third of this shortened Championship season, the situation is far from ideal at the Tail of the Bank. The Ton are second bottom of the table and in the midst of a winless run that extended to double figures on Saturday, as Morton fell 2-0 to fellow strugglers Ayr United at Cappielow. A flat and uninspiring result lead to a huge outpouring of anger from the Cowshed faithful on Saturday night as Morton fans began seriously contemplating the threat of relegation. A positive result on Tuesday night would have a curative effect on the Morton squad, management and fanbase.
    Lewis Strapp, a key player for The Ton and the only player capable of playing left back in the squad, is an injury doubt following his early substitution on Saturday with what appeared to be a foot issue. If Strapp cannot play, Anton McElhone is placed in the difficult situation. He either has to consider changing shape to a back three at short notice, or playing Robbie Muirhead, a striker to trade, at left back.

    Photo - GBR Photographs. 
    Current Connections
    Nobody in the current Morton squad has ever plied their trade in Inverness. The Caley Jags do have someone in their ranks with somewhat of a link to Cappielow. Right sided defender Wallace Duffy joined Morton on loan from parent club St Johnstone in September last year, only for the loan to be terminated a few days later due to ‘non footballing reasons’. He was subsequently released from the Perth side and signed for Inverness on a two-year deal.
    Tale of the Tape
    The two sides met six weeks ago, on 27th January, with Morton battling back from 2-1 down to claim a point despite being reduced to ten men midway through the first period. A well-executed Sean McGinty half volley gave The Ton an early 1-0 lead, only to be pegged back a minute later by Shane Sutherland. Daniel MacKay then rounded off an incisive counter-attack to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. Things went from bad to worse for The Ton as Rabin Omar was given a second booking in the 28th minute. Morton rallied in the second half, taking full advantage of the away side’s lack of match fitness. Cameron Blue’s lung-bursting run from midfield met a Gary Oliver cross, with Blues slotting the ball past Mark Ridgers to snatch a point.

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Opposition Analysis
    It’s safe to say that Inverness are in a similar position to Morton, looking over their shoulders fearfully having only won once in their last eleven outings. The stats tend to suggest that Inverness are creating chances, sitting second highest in both the ‘shots taken’ and ‘shots on target’ ratings. The Highland side average 10.88 shots taken per match, and 5.18 shots on target per match, second only to league leaders Hearts.
    Despite some high-profile departures during the summer, Inverness have a solid spine with players such as Mark Ridgers, Brad McKay, Danny Devine and James Keatings. They’ve also freshened their squad up with new recruits from their academy and young players such as Wallace Duffy and Scott Allardice.
    Ahead of the postponed fixture last month, I spoke to Andrew Moffat (@AMoff7), host of The Wyness Shuffle Podcast (@TheICTPodcast) and he gave his insight into Inverness’ stop-start season so far –
    “Lockdown is not without its challenges, lack of human interaction, home schooling, daytime TV and  forgetting your mask when you make the weekly trip to the shops, but at least, thanks to the power of technology, you still get to watch your team every Saturday. Unless you’re a Caley Thistle fan, denied as we have been, of the basic human right to warm up scotch pies in your microwave before screaming at your telly for 90 minutes.
    In the space of 45 days, mainly due to the adverse weather conditions, ICTFC have played just two games, our first game of 2021 being a 2-2 draw on Wed 27th January. Morton fans will remember this well, they being soundly outplayed for the first half, reduced to ten men in that same period then gaining the upper hand in a bizarre second half that saw Caley look firmly like a team that had never before played together, let alone for just a month.
    At time of writing we are three points and four games behind Morton, and closer to the relegation spots rather than the play-offs. Something that would no doubt be troubling Morton and Inverness fans were it not for the abysmal form of Queen of the South and their hastily assembled band of crap footballers, and the abysmal luck of the admittedly decent-to-watch Alloa Athletic.
    This is somewhat of a reset season for John Robertson and Inverness, having seen the spine of his side, assembled over the last three seasons, picked off by premiership clubs. The replacements brought in have, with the exception of 30-year old Shane Sutherland from Elgin, been young players trying to make their way in the game – RB Wallace Duffy from St Johnstone, CB Robbie Deas from Alloa, CM Scott Allardice (ex of Dundee United) and youth academy graduates Roddy McGregor, Dan Mackay and Cameron Harper. Common consensus seems to be that while on our day we are a match for anyone in the division, this might prove to be more of a bedding-in season for these boys.
    This lack of game nous is none more so evident than in the latter stages of a number of matches this season, which has seen us drop numerous points from winning situations, the 2-2 with Morton a case in point.
    Other than that, and our lack of a recognised goal-scorer, the main issue now is whether our wafer thin squad, which has already been decimated by injuries at the start of the campaign, can cope with the huge amount of games we’ll be faced to play between now and the play-off dates, as we catch-up with our backlog of matches.
    The last time we actually won a game of football was the 4th December, a 3-0 victory against Queens. This match summed up the squad at the time, with young players full of promise, playing exciting attacking football. Since then star-man Kai Kennedy has left for Raith Rovers and the performances of the last two games have been nowhere near this standard. We’re at our best when we’re moving the ball quickly and getting interchanges between our attacking players such as Keatings, Storey, Doran and McGregor. Given our lay-off, its currently taking time for them all to get back up to speed, but fingers crossed (for us, not you) this happens this weekend, should the game actually be on, which it probably won’t. But on the plus side you won’t have to listen to the ICT-TV ‘commentator’, a man who combines as much knowledge of football as David Tanner with the oral stylings of Alan Partridge.”

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Betting Guide
    All match odds are provided by our sponsors – McBookie. All odds correct as of 6am on 8th March 2021 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling.
    The Caley Jags go into Tuesday’s game as favourites at 5/6. Inverness to win and BTTS prices at 13/5 and the home side to win to nil is 11/5. If you fancy Inverness to record a comfortable victory over Morton a -1 handicap prices at 23/10.
    The draw prices at 13/5, with a stalemate 0-0 pricing at 10/1. Morton to leave with a much needed win prices at 31/10, with Morton to win and BTTS pricing at 6/1, as does The Ton to win and keep a clean sheet.
    Keep your eyes across our socials for our recommended McBookie BetBuilder ahead of Tuesday night’s game. 
  6. Admin
    Morton vs Ayr United – Match Preview
    by Dean McKinnon.
    It’s crunch time at Cappielow. Saturday’s match is arguably the most important match of the season thus far. It’s eighth against ninth, with both teams only recording one win in their previous ten matches. Morton will take the positives from back-to-back draws against Hearts and Dundee, however the predicament of nine league matches without a win will still weigh heavily on the mind of Anton McElhone and his squad.
    The shift to 4-3-3 appears to have had somewhat of a rejuvenating effect on the Morton squad and the performances against Hearts and Dundee do bring a sense of encouragement. Kyle Jacobs has been excellent since his return to the side and Craig McGuffie is the man of the moment after two outstanding strikes in two games. This positivity, however, has been marred by a weakness in game management that this squad has exhibited multiple times over the season, with last week being the sixth occasion so far this season that The Ton have led a match and failed to see it out.

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Current Connections
    Man of the moment Craig McGuffie came through the ranks at the Ayr United Football Academy, spending a total of five years with the Ayrshire side. During this period, he spent time on loan at Junior side Glenafton and with Raith Rovers in League One. He was a key part of the Ayr side that won the League One title in 2018. In total he made 109 appearances for The Honest Men, scoring ten goals.
    Michael Millar was signed by Jim Duffy in his endeavour to return Morton to the second tier at the first time of asking in the 2014/15 season. The Celtic youth player was utilised in various roles in defence and midfield as Morton clinched the League One title on the final day of the season against Peterhead, with Millar scoring his only goal for the club in that title winning match. He was released by Morton after their first season back in the Championship, subsequently signing for Livingston. He then had spells with Brechin City and Raith Rovers before signing for the Ayrshire side at the start of this season.
    Andy Murdoch still has a place in the heart of many a Morton fan. He signed for The Ton in late September 2016 as a free agent following Jim Duffy’s side making a disappointing start to the season. He complemented Celtic loanee Jamie Lindsay perfectly and was a key part of the side that progressed to the League Cup semi-final against Aberdeen that season. Following Ray McKinnon taking over in 2018, he informed Murdoch that he would not be offered a contract. This has often been labelled as the worst decision McKinnon made during his ill-fated stay at the Tale of the Bank.
    Defender Jack Baird came through the ranks at St Mirren, making 165 appearances over five seasons with the Saints. He was, somewhat surprisingly, made available for loan ahead of the 2019-20 season, and subsequently crossed the Renfrewshire divide to sign on loan for Morton, initially until January 2020. Baird found his services sought after the festive period by then manager David Hopkin, who triggered an extension to his loan agreement until the end of the season. Upon returning to St Mirren at the end of last season, he was informed he would be leaving the club and signed for Ayr United the following day.
    Tale of the Tape
    Morton’s most recent match against Ayr was at Somerset Park on 29th December. An Aidan Nesbitt penalty gave The Ton a 1-0 lead after the now departed player/manager Mark Kerr chopped down Cammy Salkeld in the box. Ayr equalised after a floated free kick in the box caused a mix-up in the Morton defence, allowing Greenock resident Luke McCowan to tap the ball home from close range.
    The first meeting between the sides this season was somewhat more pulsating. Ayr took the lead in the first half after Lewis Strapp bundled the ball into his own net. Early in the second half Aaron Muirhead was sent off for the away side, however this didn’t seem to hinder Ayr as they doubled their lead through Cammy Smith. This did not deter The Ton, who rallied and scored three times inside five minutes. Goals from Gary Oliver and Cammy Blues, followed up by a Lewis Strapp header, rounded off a sensational turnaround.

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Opposition Analysis
    Ayr are currently looking towards the future, with former player/manager Mark Kerr and his assistant Mick McArdle leaving by mutual consent following their recent slump in form. Ayr’s Head of Youth, David White, has been tasked with leading The Honest Men on an interim basis until new club owner David Smith appoints Kerr’s successor.
    Ayr will look towards Greenock born Luke McCowan to provide their goal threat. The former East End United player graduated from the Ayr United Football Academy into the first team, making a total of fifty first team appearances so far. Ayr have struggled for firepower this year, scoring 1.25 goals per match. They attempt 8.75 shots per match, which may also suggest an issue in supplying their forward line with chances. The Ayrshire side are also joint bottom of the league for shots on target, tied with ourselves. Both Morton and Ayr also find themselves at the bottom of the yellow card tally.
    I spoke to Ayr fan Marc Dunlop (@Marco_Ayr) ahead of this crunch match, who spoke of his side looking for a fresh start after parting ways with manager Mark Kerr - “The Honest Men come into this fixture without a manger and with 1 win in the last 11 games. It is safe to say things didn’t work out for Mark Kerr and his assistant. From a supporters perspective, it’s been a really tough watch this season, particularly since the turn of the year.
    As a squad, Ayr do have some tidy footballers, who will be conscious of an incoming manager looking on. This could spur a positive reaction, as head of youth development, Davie White, takes charge for his first game as interim boss.
    Supporters’ main gripe this season has been the tactics deployed by the previous manager & playing players out of position. For White to get the best out of this squad, he must play individuals in their natural positions, to collectively get the best out of the whole team. Ayr supporters will be hoping for a big performance from their team and will be hopeful that the shackles can come off, allowing the players to express themselves going forward. Key to this will be Michael Moffat & ex St Mirren man Cammy Smith. If we are to get anything from this game, those two will be instrumental in achieving this.
    I’m sure I speak for the majority of Ayr supporters in saying that this game is very much a free swing, whilst we wait anxiously for news of who will be taking control of proceedings, going forward.”

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Betting Guide
    All match odds are provided by our sponsors – McBookie. All odds correct as of 6am on 04/03/21 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling.
    If you fancy The Ton to prosper in this crunch match, they price up at 13/8. Morton to win and BTTS is 15/4 and to win to nil prices at 4/1. If you fancy the home side to record a comfortable victory then Morton -1 prices at 9/2.
    The draw prices at 5/2, with a 0-0 stalemate pricing at 11/1. If you anticipate the Honest Men leaving with maximum points you can back this at 6/4. Ayr to win and BTTS is 7/2, as is Ayr to win to nil. If you fancy Ayr to win comfortably, the away side -1 prices at 4/1.
    Keep your eyes across our socials for our recommended McBookie BetBuilder ahead of the match!
  7. Admin
    Morton vs Dundee – Match Preview
    by Dean McKinnon
    Morton head into Saturday’s match looking to continue the momentum generated by an excellent performance and result at Tynecastle last week. Craig McGuffie’s outstanding strike from the edge of the box gave The Ton the lead after fifty-three minutes, with a header from Jamie Walker securing a share of the spoils for both sides. Anton McElhone freshened his side up, lining up in a 4-3-3 and reintroducing Kyle Jacobs in the heart of midfield after his injury lay-off. Despite conceding chances in the opening stages of the first half, Morton competed well at Tynecastle and Anton McElhone will hope his Morton side’s endeavours prove a catalyst in preventing their winless streak reaching double figures.
    After drawing with Arbroath and back-to-back defeats in the hands of Raith Rovers and Queen of the South, and several unsuccessful attempts to play an ill-fated home fixture against Ayr United, Dundee will be looking to rejuvenate themselves and will view this fixture as the perfect opportunity. The old adage of the Championship being a ‘tight league’ has never been more accurate than in this current campaign. Following Inverness’ 2-2 draw with Alloa on Tuesday night in the Highlands, there is only eleven points between bottom side Alloa and Raith Rovers in third place.

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Current Connections
    Paul McMullan joined Morton on loan on 24th February 2016 from Celtic and it’s safe to say he had a dream debut. He registered an assist as Morton demolished Hibs 3-0 at Easter Road. His loan spell was short lived, making eleven appearances between then and the end of the season, scoring once against Queen of the South. After a season long loan spell at East End Park, he joined Dundee United in 2017. In January he signed a pre-contract agreement with rivals Dundee and a fortnight later joined the Dees on loan until the end of the season.
    Paul McGowan joined The Ton on loan from Celtic in 2006 as a youngster looking for first team football. He played a crucial part in Morton’s Second Division title win, scoring fourteen goals in forty-four appearances, winning the SFL’s Young Player of the Month award in January 2007 and was third place in the Second Division’s Player of the Year award. He scored the third goal against Kilmarnock in the famous 3-1 Scottish Cup win at Cappielow after a cut back from Jim McAlister. Celtic rejected a fee reported as being ‘near six figures’ from Morton to lure the youngster to Cappielow permanently. After spells at Hamilton and St Mirren, he signed for Dundee in 2014 and has made 236 appearances to date for the Dark Blues.
    Dundee manager James McPake had a brief spell at Cappielow as a player. He joined Morton on loan from then First Division Livingston in the 2005/06 campaign. He played ten games for The Ton, scoring once. He debuted in the 2-2 draw with Gretna at Cappielow and scored his sole goal in a 4-1 routing of Alloa. After returning to Livingston, he would later go on to play for Coventry City, Hibs and Dundee.
    Declan McDaid is on the books of Dundee and is currently on loan with League One Partick Thistle. Born in Greenock, McDaid made his Morton debut in April 2013 in a 5-2 win over Airdrie. Despite showing a great amount of promise, the winger did not fit with the lopsided 4-4-2 employed by Allan Moore, who opted to play without a right winger to accommodate a central midfield three of Michael Tidser, Fouad Bachirou and Martin Hardie. McDaid, unhappy at not being offered more game time by then manager Allan Moore, left Cappielow at the end of the 2012/13 season and subsequently signed for Partick Thistle, making twenty six appearances over three seasons.

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Tale of the Tape
    Dundee secured their first three Championship points of the season against Morton on the second matchday of this season. Jonathan Afolabi, on loan from Celtic, scored the only goal of the game with a close range volley in the fifth minute. Morton's cause was hindered by Robbie Muirhead, who was sent off after two bookings for dissent in quick succession in the second half.
    Morton's last win against Dundee came in September 2019 with Peter Grant's emphatic header on the brink of half time earning all three points for the home side. Morton would later go on to be beaten 2-1 at Dens Park and then draw 1-1 at Cappielow ahead of the season being concluded ahead of schedule.
    Opposition Analysis
    It’s safe to say that anyone who enjoys a ‘both teams to score’ coupon will be very fond of Dundee this season. With 1.86 goals per game from 9.5 shots attempted per game, they are the third highest goalscorers in the league behind Hearts and Raith Rovers. Their most prevalent goal threat this year is former Dundee United forward Osman Sow. The tall Swedish forward has seven league goals in twelve appearances so far this term. Former Liverpool and Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam has been outstanding for The Dees so far this term, with five goals and a league leading six assists to his name.
    Whilst the Dundonians appear to have firepower to match that of league leaders Hearts, their defensive woes have been their downfall so far this term. So far they have conceded an average of 1.93 goals per match, and this has proven costly. The most notable example was in a 3-3 draw with Dunfermline at Dens Park. The Dees were 3-0 up after 70 minutes thanks to goals from Osman Sow, Charlie Adam and Liam Fontaine, however they conceded three goals in the last fifteen minutes to let this comfortable lead slip. With Morton bottom of the cautions table (18 yellow cards) and Dundee second bottom (20), the form card would suggest this match will be low on cautions.
    I spoke to Dundee fan David Murray ahead of the match, and he stressed the importance of this fixture to his side’s campaign – “Simply put, this game against Morton is a must win for Dundee. Dundee have not tasted victory in the league since January 2nd when Dundee had an impressive 3-1 home win against league leaders Hearts. Since then we have played three games in the league drawing one to Arbroath and losing the next two too; Raith Rovers and an in form Queen of the South side leaving us 18 points behind Hearts and only 3 points of the relegation playoff. Added to all this Dundee's visit to Cappielow signals the start of seven games in twenty one days which includes away visits to Hearts and Dunfermline back to back. Momentum is crucial here for us and we need to get back to winning ways otherwise this run of fixtures could really kill our already disappointing season so far.
    Dundee have only kept two clean sheets this season in the league of which was against Morton and added to that we have only won one league away game this season. This has to change this weekend and Dundee will be looking to recent signing Jason Cummings and Paul McMullen as well as the main man Charlie Adam. Paul McMullen has had two assists in two games and Jason Cummings got his first goal last weekend since signing. Charlie Adam has been, simply put, sensational. If Charlie is fit, he is the key to shutting down Dundee as everything goes through him.
    As a whole this season has been very poor from a Dee's perspective. Dundee fans are usually guilty of having very high expectations and believing that we are bigger than what we are. That being said a stat which has been put about the forums is that, statistically speaking, James McPake is the third worst Dundee manager of all time with only Jim McIntyre and Alan Kernaghan being worse. James McPake should be performing so much better than what he has and our squad on paper is a very good one and he has been able to make signings during the current economic climate (Please no more admins!) The performances have been dull, never mind not getting results adding to the pain. The fans want and expect better. A win might not fully take away the feeling he isn't the man for the job but it might give us the momentum to start this run of games with a positive step.”

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Betting Guide
    All match odds are provided by our sponsors – McBookie. All odds correct as of 8am on 26/02/21 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling.
    Despite their home advantage, Morton are the outsiders for this Championship clash. You can back The Ton at 3/1 to win the match, 6/1 to win with BTTS and 6/1 to win to nil. The draw prices up at 13/5 with a 0-0 stalemate pricing at 10/1.
    If you back the bookies’ hunch that The Dees will leave Cappielow with all three points you can back that at 17/20. Dundee to win with BTTS prices at 11/4 and the away side winning to nil prices at 23/10.
    Keep your eyes across our socials for our recommended McBookie BetBuilder ahead of the match!
  8. Admin
    Hearts vs Morton – Match Preview
    by Dean McKinnon.
    Morton travel to the capital on Saturday for their visit competitive visit to Tynecastle in thirty-two years. The previous encounter, a Premier League match in 1988, saw Allan McGraw lead his Morton side to a 2-0 defeat. Morton’s last win at Tynecastle takes us all the way back to 1984, as The Ton ran out 2-1 winners on the day with goals from Dougie Robertson and Alex O’Hara. This Morton side featured club legends such as Jim Holmes and John McNeil, with Morton’s centre half that day - Jim Duffy – going on to manage at Cappielow.
    Following last week’s trip up the A9 to face Inverness falling foul of the sub-zero temperatures, The Ton have had a fortnight’s preparation ahead of locking horns with the Championship leaders. As we approach the business end of this shortened season, the gap between Morton and the relegation zone is becoming increasingly uncomfortable for the Cowshed faithful. Anton McElhone’s men are now on a seven-game winless run and most observers would be forgiven for heading into this clash with a sense of pessimism.  
     

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Current Connections
    None of the current Hearts squad have ever featured for The Ton, however midfielder Andy Halliday may stick in the minds of the Cowshed faithful. Whilst representing his former club Rangers, Halliday was shown a second yellow card for gesturing towards the Cowshed in the wake of former Morton loanee Barrie McKay scoring his side’s second goal in a 2-0 win.
    Robbie Muirhead signed for Hearts in June 2016. Muirhead made nineteen appearances and scored twice, both goals coming in a 2-0 victory over Rangers at Tynecastle. His time with the Gorgie side was short lived, signing for MK Dons for an undisclosed fee in January 2017 on a two-and-a-half-year deal. Both Robbie Muirhead and Aidan Nesbitt played under current Hearts Head Coach Robbie Neilson whilst playing for MK Dons in League One.
    Gary Oliver graduated from Hearts’ youth academy and made his first team debut amidst the club’s administration and subsequent relegation from the top flight in 2013-14. Oliver's professional debut for Hearts was in a League Cup match against Raith Rovers on 27 August 2013, coming on as a substitute. The following season, he had a brief loan spell at Stenhousemuir before being released by the Edinburgh side to join Queen of the South.
    Tale of the Tape
    December marked the first competitive meeting of the two sides in thirty-two years, with the Jam Tarts running out 2-0 winners in what turned out to be David Hopkin’s last match in the Cappielow hotseat. Two Jamie Walker goals coming either side of half time proved decisive as Hearts maintained their positive start to their Championship title bid.

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Opposition Analysis
    Hearts will head into this game as heavy favourites, and the stats suggest this is an accurate reflection of their performance thus far in the second tier. The league leaders have scored 42 goals so far this term, an average of 2.63 goals per game from 13.69 shots taken. Northern Ireland international Liam Boyce, Scotland international Steven Naismith and Hearts academy graduate Jamie Walker all feature in the Championship top goalscorers table with ten, five and four goals respectively. It’s also worth noting that Hearts have scored in every league game this season, and eleven of their league matches this season have featured three or more goals. Young prospect Andrew Irving is joint top of the Championship assist table, tied with Dundee’s Charlie Adam.
    The attacking dexterity of the Edinburgh side is matched by a solid rear-guard. Having conceded only 1.13 goals per game, leading the clean sheet charts with six shutouts this term, the Jambos appear to have all the ingredients of a title winning side as they aspire to return to the top flight at the first time of asking. With 187 fouls conceded this season, an average of 11.69 per match, Hearts are second only to Arbroath in this facet of play. Morton, with 186 fouls this term, adopt a similar tact when defending.  
    Ahead of Saturday’s trip to the capital, I spoke to Adam Kennedy (@adamtkendo), host of the From Perth to Paisley podcast, about his side’s recent form – “After a disappointing display and the dropping of points against Queen of the South last Friday night, everyone connected with the Jambos will be looking for a reaction and a result against Morton at Tynecastle this weekend.
    Still 13 points clear at the top of the Championship table, Hearts have won three of their last five with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Raith Rovers before back-to-back 1-0 victories over Dunfermline Athletic and Ayr United ahead of the share of the spoils at Palmerston.
    Whilst performances haven’t been great recently, we’re still churning out victories before the match against Queens. And, having scored the most goals in the division, should provide some entertainment in the capital.
    Only Dunfermline Athletic and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who both have games in hand, have conceded fewer goals in the Scottish Championship than the men in maroon. However, Hearts have kept just six clean sheets in 16 league matches, one of which came in the reverse fixture at Cappielow.
    It was a pretty active January transfer window in Gorgie. Hearts loaned out both Olly Lee and Craig Wighton, for the remainder of the duration of their contracts, to Gillingham and Dunfermline respectively. Jordan Roberts, who signed for the club in the summer, joined Motherwell on loan on deadline day and academy graduate Lewis Moore joined fellow Championship side Arbroath for the remainder of the season on loan.
    In terms of additions, the Jambos have only added in offensive areas. Midfielder Aaron McEneff arrived from reigning Irish champions Shamrock Rovers. Winger Gervane Kastaneer has signed on loan from Coventry City for the remainder of the campaign. On the other flank, Hearts confirmed the signing of former Dundee United, Celtic and Aberdeen winger Gary Mackay-Steven. And up front, forward Armand Gnanduillet arrived in Edinburgh after his deal with Turkish second division side Altay was cut short.
    Our previous match with Morton saw a 2-0 victory courtesy of a Jamie Walker brace back in the first week of December. Despite the Ton’s best defensive efforts, Hearts struggled at times to break their hosts down but remained patient and a goal shortly before and after half time was enough to seal three points in Inverclyde. It’d be inevitable, in my eyes, to see Morton attempt to execute a similar gameplan but the Jambos will be hoping for a similar result by any means necessary.”

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Betting Guide
    All match odds are provided by our sponsors – McBookie. All odds correct as of 2pm on 18th Feb 2021 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling.
    The bookies have Hearts pegged as heavy favourites for this match. Hearts are 2/9 to win, 13/8 to win with BTTS and 21/20 to win to nil. If you predict a comfortable home victory then a -1 handicap prices up at 4/6, a -2 handicap at 17/10 and a -3 handicap at 4/1.
    A draw prices up 11/2, with a 0-0 stalemate pricing at 22/1. If you fancy Morton to take all three points they price up at 10/1 to win, 14/1 to win with BTTS and 18/1 to win to nil.  
    Our recommended McBookie BetBuilder –
    Total match goals over 2.5
    Both teams not to score in the first half
    Lewis Strapp to be booked anytime
    Andy Halliday to be booked anytime
    A stake of £10 returns £240
     
  9. Admin
    Morton vs Inverness - Match Preview
    by Dean McKinnon
    Morton travel to the Highlands on Saturday with the explicit aim of getting their season back on track. The mood around Cappielow is currently less than rosy after seven matches without a win. The squad appears bereft of midfield presence following the shock retirement of skipper Jim McAlister and are looking towards new loan signing Kazaiah Sterling to improve their goal haul. With a trip to the Highlands, followed by a trip to Tynecastle, followed by a home match against a rejuvenated Dundee side, February could be an uphill battle for the Greenock men. There is not a great deal of optimism around the Tail of the Bank at the moment and talk of a relegation has been unavoidable.

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Current Connections
    Nobody in the current Morton squad has ever plied their trade in Inverness. Inverness do have someone in their ranks with somewhat of a link to Cappielow. Right sided defender Wallace Duffy joined Morton on loan from parent club St Johnstone in September last year, only for the loan to be terminated a few days later due to ‘non footballing reasons’. He was subsequently released from the Perth side and signed for Inverness on a two-year deal.
    Tale of the Tape
    The sides less than a month ago, on 27th January, with Morton battling back from 2-1 down to claim a point despite being reduced to ten men midway through the first period. A well-executed Sean McGinty half volley gave The Ton an early 1-0 lead, only to be pegged back a minute later by Shane Sutherland. Daniel MacKay then rounded off an incisive counter-attack to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. Things went from bad to worse for The Ton as Rabin Omar was given a second booking in the 28th minute. Morton rallied in the second half, taking full advantage of the away side’s lack of match fitness. Cameron Blue’s lung-bursting run from midfield met a Gary Oliver cross, with Blues slotting the ball past Mark Ridgers to snatch a point.

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Opposition Analysis
    Inverness find themselves in a rather unique position, owing to this unique season and the challenges caused as a result. They are faced with squeezing sixteen league matches into eleven weeks to conclude this curtailed Championship season. Despite some high-profile departures during the summer, Inverness have a solid spine with players such as Mark Ridgers, Brad McKay, Danny Devine and James Keatings. They’ve also freshened their squad up with new recruits from their academy and young players such as Wallace Duffy and Scott Allardice.
    With an average of 1.67 goals per match from 10.55 shots taken so far this term, it appears that Inverness are a side capable of both creating and taking their chances. With an average of 1.36 goals conceded per match, it points towards an onus on Morton’s attacking players to find the net if The Ton are to take anything away from the Highlands. Morton’s attacking players could look to exploit centre-back Brad McKay. The former Hearts player tops the Championship for yellow cards, with five cautions in ten appearances so far this season.
    I spoke to Andrew Moffat (@AMoff7), host of The Wyness Shuffle Podcast (@TheICTPodcast) ahead of Saturday’s match and he gave his insight into Inverness’ stop-start season so far –
    “Lockdown is not without its challenges, lack of human interaction, home schooling, daytime TV and  forgetting your mask when you make the weekly trip to the shops, but at least, thanks to the power of technology, you still get to watch your team every Saturday. Unless you’re a Caley Thistle fan, denied as we have been, of the basic human right to warm up scotch pies in your microwave before screaming at your telly for 90 minutes. 
    In the space of 45 days, mainly due to the adverse weather conditions, ICTFC have played just two games, our first game of 2021 being a 2-2 draw on Wed 27th January. Morton fans will remember this well, they being soundly outplayed for the first half, reduced to ten men in that same period then gaining the upper hand in a bizarre second half that saw Caley look firmly like a team that had never before played together, let alone for just a month. 
    At time of writing we are three points and four games behind Morton, and closer to the relegation spots rather than the play-offs. Something that would no doubt be troubling Morton and Inverness fans were it not for the abysmal form of Queen of the South and their hastily assembled band of crap footballers, and the abysmal luck of the admittedly decent-to-watch Alloa Athletic. 
    This is somewhat of a reset season for John Robertson and Inverness, having seen the spine of his side, assembled over the last three seasons, picked off by premiership clubs. The replacements brought in have, with the exception of 30-year old Shane Sutherland from Elgin, been young players trying to make their way in the game – RB Wallace Duffy from St Johnstone, CB Robbie Deas from Alloa, CM Scott Allardice (ex of Dundee United) and youth academy graduates Roddy McGregor, Dan Mackay and Cameron Harper. Common consensus seems to be that while on our day we are a match for anyone in the division, this might prove to be more of a bedding-in season for these boys. 
    This lack of game nous is none more so evident than in the latter stages of a number of matches this season, which has seen us drop numerous points from winning situations, the 2-2 with Morton a case in point. 
    Other than that, and our lack of a recognised goal-scorer, the main issue now is whether our wafer thin squad, which has already been decimated by injuries at the start of the campaign, can cope with the huge amount of games we’ll be faced to play between now and the play-off dates, as we catch-up with our backlog of matches. 
    The last time we actually won a game of football was the 4th December, a 3-0 victory against Queens. This match summed up the squad at the time, with young players full of promise, playing exciting attacking football. Since then star-man Kai Kennedy has left for Raith Rovers and the performances of the last two games have been nowhere near this standard. We’re at our best when we’re moving the ball quickly and getting interchanges between our attacking players such as Keatings, Storey, Doran and McGregor. Given our lay-off, its currently taking time for them all to get back up to speed, but fingers crossed (for us, not you) this happens this weekend, should the game actually be on, which it probably won’t. But on the plus side you won’t have to listen to the ICT-TV ‘commentator’, a man who combines as much knowledge of football as David Tanner with the oral stylings of Alan Partridge.”

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Betting Guide
    All match odds are provided by our sponsors – McBookie. All odds correct as of 2pm on 11th Feb 2021 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling.
    Inverness head into this clash as favourites at 8/11. Inverness to win and BTTS prices at 12/5 and the home side to win to nil is 2/1. If you reckon the home side will record a comfortable win over The Ton you can back them on a -1 handicap at 19/10. A draw prices at 14/5, a score draw at 15/4 and a 0-0 stalemate at 11/1. If you are confident that the away side will take something from the match, the draw/Morton double chance prices at 6/5. Morton are 7/2 to win the match, 13/2 to win with BTTS and 7/1 to win to nil.
    Inverness striker Shane Sutherland prices up at 9/2 to score first/last and 13/10 to win the net at any time. If you predict that Kazaiah Sterling’s debut goal will come against Inverness you can back him at 7/1 to score first/last and 2/1 to score at any time. If you fancy Sean McGinty to replicate his goal against Inverness, he is score anytime 14/1. Inverness defender Brad McKay is 5/4 to be booked at any time across the 90 minutes, with Morton midfield playmaker Aidan Nesbitt 7/2 to be shown a yellow card.
    Our recommended McBookie BetBuilder –
    Sean McGinty to score anytime
    Over 2.5 match goals
    Brad McKay to be booked anytime
    Michael Ledger to be booked anytime
    £10 stake returns £840.
     
     
     
     
  10. Admin
    Morton vs Raith - Match Preview
    by Dean McKinnon
    With the reduced Championship season reaching the half way point, Morton sit mid-table in sixth place. The Greenock side find themselves six points ahead of the relegation play-off spot and three points adrift of the final promotion play-off place. While this may sound like the comfortable, mid-table position that Morton fans called for heading into this season, The Ton have not won in six matches and find themselves focusing more on the bottom of the table than casting their eyes upwards. A win on Saturday will allow the Cowshed faithful to do more of the latter.
    With limited attacking prowess being The Ton’s most noticeable ‘Achilles heel’ so far this term, Anton McElhone looked to bolster his goalscoring options on transfer deadline day. Tottenham Hotspur’s Kazaiah Sterling joined the club on loan until the end of the season. He has cited interim manager Anton McElhone, who spent a decade with Spurs as a fitness coach within their academy, as one of the main reasons behind his loan switch. With only 28 senior appearances, one of which being a substitute appearance as Spurs beat Apoel Nicosia 3-0 in the Champions League, and three goals to his name, The Ton will be hoping he adjusts to life in the Championship and hits the ground running.

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Current Connections
    Craig McGuffie spent the second half of the 2018-19 season on loan at Starks Park from parent club Ayr United. McGuffie made fifteen appearances in this spell, scoring three goals.
    David McGurn is the most obvious link between The Ton and our Fife counterparts. He joined Morton in 2002 as a youth from Hillwood Boys Club. After being promoted to the first team, he spent the entirety of 2003-04 deputising to Craig Coyle, who ironically also played for Raith Rovers. After one hundred appearances over four seasons in the first team, he left to join then part-time Raith Rovers to enhance his career prospects out with football. After seven seasons between the sticks, he had spells with Stranraer and Cowdenbeath before returning to Kirkcaldy in 2019 as a player/goalkeeping coach.
    Reghan Tumilty spent two seasons on the books at Morton. He was a mainstay in the turbulent 2018-19 season, making forty appearances in all competitions. David Hopkin didn’t appear to rate the full-back, sending him out on loan to Jim Duffy’s Dumbarton side for the first half of the 2019-20 season. He was recalled over the festive period but chose to leave the club in the close season to join Raith Rovers.
    Tale of the Tape
    The sides have only met once in the last three seasons, with Raith securing an emphatic 5-0 win at Starks Park earlier in the season. Raith went ahead through a Daniel Armstrong penalty, with Daniel Musonda doubling their advantage shortly afterwards. Morton captain Jim McAlister was then sent off for a rash challenge on goalscorer Daniel Armstrong. A second half double from Ross Matthews and a late Fernandy Mendy goal compiled the misery of the Greenock men.

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Opposition Analysis
    Raith have scored the second highest number of goals in the Championship thus far (28), despite taking the second fewest number of shots (105), highlighting an impressive shot conversion rate of 26.67%. With their top goalscorer, Daniel Armstrong, only having four goals to his name so far this term, it shows that the Kirkaldy side have goals spread throughout their side. Sitting joint top of the bookings table (25), it also shows that this Raith side impose themselves upon the game.
    Raith’s last five games have proven that while they have a very capable side, they are not the finished article yet. They bounced back from a 2-0 home defeat to Queen of the South with an impressive 3-2 win at Tynecastle. This was avenged by the capital side three days later with a 4-0 defeat at Starks Park. They then toppled free-spending Dundee 3-1 but were comprehensively beaten 4-1 midweek by rivals Dunfermline.
    I spoke to Raith supporter Andy Simpson (@Andy271194 on Twitter), who was optimistic of his side’s chances at Cappielow – “After a heavy defeat on Wednesday night, Rovers fans will be looking for a big reaction and a performance on Saturday against Morton. Our recent run of results have been inconsistent, with our last six form line showing as W-L-W-L-W-L. Our season so far though has been very promising and we have enjoyed watching a very free flowing attacking style of football with only Hearts having scored more league goals so far this season.
    One thing that can be guaranteed when watching the Rovers this season is goals. Defensively, we can be accused of being suspect with just three clean sheets in 13 league games. This is part down to the formation and the attacking intent shown in games which can leave us vulnerable defensively.
    Despite recently losing loanees Ethan Ross and Lars Lokotsch, the Rovers have recruited particularly well in the January window and have strengthened the squad for the remainder of the season. Adam King comes in from Dundee Utd and gives us an additional option in midfield, and the forward line has been bolstered by the additions of Kai Kennedy, Timmy Abraham and Jamie Gullan who returns for a third spell at the club.
    Our previous game with Morton, which ended in a 5-0 victory for the Rovers, suggested to me that Morton would be in real danger of the drop this season however this appears to have been a false reflection of this Morton side. Having climbed the league table since and into playoff contention, I expect a very difficult match which could go either way. I do expect both teams to find the net and this could be settled by the odd goal. I will predict a 3-2 win for the Rovers.”

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Betting Guide
    All match odds are provided by our sponsors – McBookie. All odds correct as of 3pm on 4th Feb 2021 and are subect to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling.
    Morton price up as outsider heading into this match. If you fancy The Ton to defy the odds and claim all three points, you can back them to win at 19/10, win with BTTS at 15/4 or win to nil at 5/1. If you fancy Morton to win and the match to have over 2.5 goals, this prices up at 16/5.
    Both sides to pick up a point prices up at 2/1, with a score draw 3/1 and a 0-0 draw pricing at 17/2. You can back Raith Rovers at 6/4, Raith and BTTS at 31/10 or Raith to win to nil at 4/1. Raith to win and the match to have over 2.5 goals prices up at 13/5.
    Our recommended bet for this match, using McBookie’s BetBuilder feature – A £10 stake on Cammy Salkeld and Kyle Benedictus to be booked, the first half to feature over 1.5 goals and the second half result to be a draw returns £380.
     
     
  11. Admin

    Jim McAlister - A Tribute

    By Admin,


    Feature Article
    (Photo- Gary Bradley) Jim McAlister- A Tribute by Russell Gordon   After penning my thoughts on the erstwhile Morton Chief Executive Dave MacKinnon's departure on Thursday I had hoped that one day I'd be able to write more fondly of someone departing Morton for pastures new.  I didn't expect to be doing so only a few of days later, though.   Whilst there remains a number of questions to be answered in relation to the shock announcement, those questions are for another day. After 342 starts, 19 substitute appearances, 23 goals, 8 yellow cards and 1 red card, the curtain came down on the career of one of Morton's modern day greats.   I won't pretend to recall an awful lot of the fresh faced 17 year old's contribution on his maiden appearance at Cappielow (as a player at least, the Scotsport cameras caught him at the age of 10 supporting the 'Ton against Dundee United in that heart breaking final day showdown in 1996) but his early days saw the predominantly right footed McAlister operate as a left winger. He went on to make two starts in turgid 0-0 draws at Borough Briggs and Links Park, and a further four substitute appearances that season, unfortunately not registering enough appearances to pick up a medal as Morton won the Third Division title.   The following season, Jim perhaps mercifully made only one start and had a splattering of substitute appearances as Morton's promotion bid collapsed after holding what seemed an unassailable lead at Christmas time. It might be worth noting that his only start was against Stenhousemuir, in one of the very few games Morton actually won in the second half of that season.   It was only a matter of time before Jim did establish himself in the first team though- and once he did, he was extremely difficult to dislodge, barely missing a game over the next six years. That period of course saw its ups and downs, from the play off failure at Peterhead, through getting his hands on a Second Division Championship medal and establishing Morton back in the First Division after that extended spell in the lower leagues that had been inflicted on the club. Whilst his 5 goals en route to winning the title in 2006-07 were all significant, with four of them coming in wins by the odd goal, it was his contribution to Paul McGowan's clinching third goal in the 3-1 Scottish Cup win over SPL Kilmarnock that was the real standout moment of the season for me.   After missing only one league game in his three seasons in Morton's first team in the Second Division, he only missed one in the following two in the First Division- suspended for a 1-3 defeat at McDiarmid Park, as St. Johnstone celebrated their return to Scotland's top tier. Unfortunately, Morton's overdue return to the promised land looked like a forlorn hope, so as he entered the final year of his contract, Jim's eyes naturally looked elsewhere. He attracted an unlikely admirer in Dan Petrescu, former Romanian international, and manager of his homeland's champions at the time, Unirea Urziceni; after impressing in a 1-3 pre-season friendly defeat by a team that would go on to compete in the Champions League, and make light work of Rangers in the process, that season. Whilst he played a trial game, nothing came of it and more local suitors began to keep tabs on him, notably Motherwell, our friends from Paisley and Malky McKay's English Championship Watford.   His final season of his first spell at Cappielow was to prove a toil though, as Morton struggled around the foot of the table. Jim's remarkably consistent run of appearances was brought to an abrupt halt when he broke his foot in a 3-3 draw against Queen of the South towards the end of the season, in what turned out to be the last time he turned out for Morton for over 8 years. It shouldn't be forgotten however that he did make a telling contribution, with his only goal coming in the final minute of a game against Partick Thistle at Cappielow as we were approaching the business end of the season. This was of course back in the days when the Maryhill Minnows managed to occupy a place in the upper two divisions of the Scottish game- changed days!   When the time came to move onto pastures new, it was SPL Hamilton that won his signature, but an indifferent 2 years at Accies saw them relegated in his first season and fail to make an immediate return to the top flight in his second. He did however manage a red card against Celtic for "leaving the boot in on a prostrate (Mark) Wilson", according to the Daily Mail's match report at the time, so good on him.   In the summer of 2012, it was onwards to Dens Park, and the disappointment of another relegation followed as a Dundee side that were ill-equipped for the SPL after their short notice promotion due to the implosion of Rangers struggled to make an impact. He did get on the scoresheet for the Dees in a 5-1 Scottish Cup win against his former employers, choosing not to celebrate. In a three year stay on Tayside, he won a Championship winners' medal in our season of shame of 2013-14 and enjoyed a top six finish the following year, whilst Dundee United striker Nadir Cifci allegedly enjoyed a piece of Jim's leg, as they were caught up in a biting incident in a late season Tayside derby.   The next step in his career was to Blackpool, a club not without its problems and falling through the EFL. In Jim's first season, they were to endure relegation to League Two as the Karl Oysten roadshow worked to full effect. But promotion was secured the following year though the play offs, in a sparse Wembley as Blackpool's fans gave their gala occasion the short shrift in protest of Oysten's shenanigans. Another absentee (from the team at least) was Jim though, who had broken his leg earlier in the season.   Jim's Blackpool days (Photo- blackpoolfc.co.uk)   After only two appearances the following season, it was time to come home and Jim joined Raymond's Revolution at Cappielow along with fellow veteran Chris Millar. By now operating as a central midfielder, he had an up and down first season as Morton struggled for the most part before rallying and finishing comfortably in fifth place in the table. One of the main reasons for the club's excellent late season form was the club captain's performances in an unnatural central defensive position at a time he was needed most to provide a bit of stability to what had previously been a shaky backline. Having not remembered seeing him in that position before, I'd go as far as to say he was the club's best centre back that season. He did also manage a crack at management on the final day, leading Morton to a 1-0 win over Dundee United, after Jonatan Johansson stormed out after a boardroom altercation with the chairman. There can't be too many guys with a 100% record in charge of Morton!   Jim takes charge of Morton for the only time in the 1-0 2019 win over Dundee United (Photo- gmfc.net)   Last season's curtailed campaign saw a headed goal in each of our home games against Dunfermline, the first being a late, late equaliser and one against Dundee in a 1-1 home draw. And Dunfermline were to be his final victims- his last goal coming in the recent 2-1 victory at East End Park, but not before he was ordered off for the first time in a Morton jersey, for a dangerous first half tackle in the 0-5 doing in Kirkcaldy, a month previous.   Jim's final strike in a Morton jersey, in the recent 2-1 win at East End Park (Photo- dafc.net) In recent weeks, he's assisted Caretaker Manager Anton McElhone along with Millar and Brian McLean whilst also contributing on the pitch, until now, sadly. And let's not kid ourselves, it will be a massive gap that he leaves, on the pitch and off.
    I'm at pains to label someone from the modern era as a legend at Morton, given that we're living through our longest sustained period of mediocrity in what is now approaching 150 years of history. But that shouldn't detract from the individual achievements of some. Whilst many of his peers' careers fell by the wayside, some fell down the leagues, some went junior, and some went out of football, it's testament to the dedication he had to his profession to have made so many consecutive appearances for Morton, and to have made the 7th most ever in spite of 8 years away will ensure that he has his own place in Morton's history.
     
    Most new revelations to come from Cappielow this season have been met with anger, but the reaction to this has mostly been sadness, which is quite telling about the esteem he is held in and the affection his teammates and the fans have for him. Thanks for the memories, Jim. Morton will certainly be poorer for your exit.
  12. Admin

    So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye...

    By Admin,


    Feature Article
    So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye... by Russell Gordon   Dave MacKinnon (Photo- The Scottish Sun)   So, after twenty eventful months, Dave MacKinnon's tenure as Chief Executive of Morton is now coming to an end, somewhat acrimoniously some might say.   After Warren Hawke's spell in office ended with the JJ/Charlie Telfer soap opera being played out in front of the national media on the day Falkirk were emptied into League One (stop laughing at the back, there), Crawford Rae looked towards his old friend; former Rangers and Arsenal defender, and ex-Dundee CEO MacKinnon to take the reins at Cappielow, to work with new first team manager David Hopkin.   MacKinnon immediately went on a charm offensive- meeting and greeting fans at Galabank on the night of a 5-0 League Cup group stage win against Annan in what, looking back, would appear to have been an attempt to get the support onside.   However, the cracks soon started to appear. Alarm bells started ringing when a group of fans were called in for a personal meeting with Hopkin regarding social media posts the day before Morton beat hapless Partick Thistle at Cappielow in August. This was followed up by a 0-5 rout in the Highlands and a 0-6 doing at champions-elect Dundee United, as Morton's deplorable away record became a major talking point. We eventually picked up our first away points nine games in in a Nicky Cadden-inspired win at Recreation Park just before Christmas.   Social media was something he never got to grips with- after the meeting with disgruntled fans the club appeared to announce the signing of Kilmarnock defender, and former Scotland international Kirk Broadfoot on Twitter, before deleting the tweet, doubling down and announcing the loan signing of Jack Baird from St. Mirren, who instead re-signed their former defender.   Off the pitch, things weren't great either, as news of employees breaking gambling rules arose. It turned out to be long-serving kitman Andy Bryan who was in the dock, along with physio Alyson Fielding. The case left a sour taste in a lot of mouths as many weren't convinced about the club's motives in outing their employees.  Only those involved could of course give us a conclusive answer to that one, but what would be fair to say is that, after 45 years' service, Andy at least deserved to be told he was being relieved of his duties face to face, rather than by recorded delivery letter.   Andy Bryan (Photo- gmfc.net)   As 2019 ended and 2020 began, Morton's on the field form suddenly improved, but the calamity behind the scenes continued. Hopkin's team selection for the game at Arbroath in January raised a few eyebrows, and gained some less than complimentary assessments from some via Twitter. His team selection was vindicated as Morton ground out a scrappy 2-1 win, but the drama unfolded the following evening as the club announced they'd be blocking accounts "which we deem to not be in the best interest of the club, and in the spirit of constructive challenge and support".   Fair enough if they're getting abused by all and sundry, but when those who were blocked identified themselves, there was very little evidence of any abuse, and it came across as MacKinnon throwing the baby out with the bathwater. MacKinnon then spent an awful lot of time meeting with fans trying to build bridges, as he should've done, but one wonders how much time and effort could've been saved by not entering into such mud-slinging with the support in the first place. This of course resulted in fans of many Scottish clubs declaring open season on Morton as the club became the Scottish game's laughing stock for a few weeks.   (Photo- @RussellJAGordon, Twitter)   Free tickets for away games became the norm for many as MacKinnon went on his latest charm offensive, but by advertising that, the many who didn't get on his wrong side were missing out instead of the few who did, which rankled with those who were previously unaware of the arrangement before MacKinnon made his philanthropy public.   Form continued to improve along with fan relations as weekly updates started to appear on the club's socials, and MacKinnon brought in local Celtic fans Gerry McDade and Callum McFadden on a casual basis to engage with the support. All was going well- the team had pulled clear of the relegation zone with a string of impressive results, which peaked with a fine 4-0 mauling of Queen of the South at Palmerston.   That was followed up by an unfortunate defeat in Inverness and a very fortunate draw at home to Arbroath before the season was curtailed by the Coronavirus pandemic. Morton were sat comfortably in 7th place in the table, with no realistic chance of the season continuing, so most fans eyes looked elsewhere in Scottish football as MacKinnon quite sensibly kept his counsel on the solution going forward, whilst many of his peers were losing their heads around him.   The government furlough scheme proved a godsend for the club, with all but our erstwhile CEO put on the scheme as he ran a one man show for a few months. Other clubs however, decided to use the time productively by starting fundraising schemes amongst their fans and communities. Morton however, asked Callum McFadden, and his CFB Football platform (@FootballCFB on Twitter), to run the club's communications for free whilst the Media Assistant Ewan Boyle was furloughed. This move raised a few eyebrows as it was seen as an opportunistic move by Callum to manoeuvre himself into someone else's position. It created yet another divide between sections of the support and the club, and whilst Callum didn't eventually take on the role on a permanent basis, it was no surprise to see that Ewan was made redundant.   Throughout lockdown, MacKinnon did to be fair have some positive moments, notably putting his odious Inverness Caledonian Thistle counterpart, Scott Gardiner, firmly in his box after his club jumped into bed with big brothers Rangers and Hearts when attempts to get a resolution for completing the season were being made. Gardiner appeared to want the leagues declared null and void, whilst also claiming the prize money for a second placed finish, which quite rightly irked MacKinnon.   So, with the new season approaching, and an agreement reached to go with a shortened season starting in October, Morton went about assembling a squad for the new season and made arrangements for the unprecedented circumstances that awaited them. Gerry McDade took on the role of Public Relations Officer, which also entailed commentary duties for the now essential streaming service, along with club legend, all round good guy and patter merchant Andy Ritchie. Squad assembly wasn't without its problems, with defender Wallace Duffy, signed on loan from St. Johnstone, departing for Inverness on a permanent deal without kicking a ball. Rumours circulated that Duffy took a look at the place and immediately wanted out, but it turned out to be far more innocent than that, with Inverness offering him a contract which suited St. Johnstone and Morton playing ball. A large, 22 man squad was assembled, but was to prove extremely unbalanced, with a ridiculous number of mediocre attacking options and a solitary goalkeeper. We're an injury or a COVID case away from a disaster unless this is addressed.   Anyway- off the pitch, how did the streaming go? The club were well warned that its website had form for crashing as soon as a statement was released, so would be unlikely to cope with the traffic that a match stream would attract. The first game against Queen of the South in the League Cup proved to be a disaster. Charged at a tenner a skull, it never got off the ground and was eventually transferred to YouTube and made free-to-air. This proved a costly oversight as the club was forced to refund everyone who had stumped up for their stream. The club did learn their lesson however, and there have been very few problems since, with the streams improving game by game, and the Gerry and Andy double act proving extremely popular not only with Morton fans, but fans of other clubs.   On the park, things were much more pleasing on paper than they were on the eye, with Morton occupying a mid-table position despite playing some eye-bleeding football, but as ever, there was a bombshell around the corner. Hopkin resigned in early December after an insipid defeat by title favourites Hearts and a disagreement with the board over his squad heading into the transfer window. It was difficult to have any sympathy for the manager given that he hadn't even signed a reserve goalkeeper as part of his relatively large squad, but as the dirty washing was being aired in public, MacKinnon was nowhere to be seen.   What appeared to be the final nail in MacKinnon's coffin was when a story appeared in the Telegraph this month about a document threatening to discredit Chairman Crawford Rae and the incoming MCT fans group. Many believed MacKinnon to be responsible for this and from there on, his departure was inevitable. He, of course refused to comment given the nature of the allegations and the police involvement. The police soon established no criminality before his departure was announced this morning.   The news was met with approval from most, with the notable exception of @Cappiefan1 on Twitter, who has increasingly come across as an account ran by MacKinnon himself.   After Gillian Donaldson and Warren Hawke, MacKinnon proved to be the latest disappointing CEO to pass through Cappielow's gates, and after early indications of transparency, it was telling that he disappeared under his rock as soon as the proverbial hit the fan. It's important to remember that he was hamstrung by the Chairman's tightening of the purse strings, but he handled the pandemic dreadfully, acting as a Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none over the summer, creating unnecessary issues with an already disillusioned and untrusting support that didn't need to be made, wasting time pandering to Hearts fans who blamed Morton for not looking out for their interests and guiding the club from one embarrassing episode to another.   In an eventful 20 months at a club that is no stranger to controversy, chaos and infighting, MacKinnon's time at the club saw him manage to ramp it up and take Morton to a new level on that front. Sadly, that's the only new level he managed to take us to. He won't be missed.
  13. Admin
    Morton vs Arbroath - Match Preview
    by Dean McKinnon
    Morton head into Saturday’s match against Arbroath looking to continue the momentum generated by a positive second half performance against Inverness on Wednesday evening. The Ton trailed 2-1 at half time, also having Rabin Omar dismissed for two bookable offences inside the first half hour of the match. Anton McElhone’s side rallied in the second half, exemplified by intelligent striker play from Gary Oliver. He received the ball with his back to goal, skinned Inverness right back Wallace Duffy and delivered an excellent cross for the advancing Cammy Blues. His perfectly timed run and composed first-time finish earned a point for the home side.
    While the Greenock men have every right to be pleased with their endeavours in the second act, there is some cause for concern. A solid rear guard has been the hallmark of this Morton side so far this term, both under the tutelage of David Hopkin and interim manager Anton McElhone. However, Queen of the South and Inverness have exposed defensive frailties in this Morton side in their last two outings, and The Ton will be hoping to get back to their best against the league’s basement side and lowest scorers Arbroath.
    A win on Saturday would provide adequate breathing space between The Ton and the Championship relegation zone. Morton are currently ten points clear of bottom side Arbroath and nine points clear of nineth place Alloa, however having only four points to show from their last five matches, Morton will be hoping that a home win will allow them to continue looking towards the upper echelons of the league table, rather than looking over their shoulder.

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Current Connections
    The current Morton squad are without any links to our Angus counterparts. Arbroath goalkeeper Derek Gaston spent seven seasons in Greenock, making 219 appearances and playing a key part in the League One title win in 2015. Bobby Linn was signed by Jim McInally in January 2008, for a reported fee of £15,000, in an attempt to seal the Second Division title. He left in January 2009 to sign permanently with East Fife following a loan spell. Luke Donnelly joined The Ton on loan from Celtic in February 2017, playing seven games without a goal. Kris Doolan signed for Morton in February 2020, making one appearance before the season was ended prematurely due to the ongoing pandemic.
    Tale of the Tape
    Arbroath ascended to the second tier for the first time since the 2002-03 season, clinching the League One title in 2018 at the expense of Raith Rovers. Since their return to the Championship, Morton have squared off against The Red Lichties on five occasions, fixtures which have not been littered with goals. Only one of these five meetings has featured more than two goals.
    The last meeting of the sides was an uninspiring 0-0 draw at Gayfield in November. David Hopkin’s 5-4-1 nullified Arbroath’s attacking threat but The Ton offered very little going forward, with former Morton loanee Ross MacIver remaining isolated throughout the lacklustre affair. Morton’s last victory in this fixture came at Gayfield in January 2020, with early goals from John Sutton and Luca Colville securing a 2-1 victory for the Greenock side. The clash between the two sides at Cappielow in March 2020 was also the last before the COVID enforced shutdown, with a 93rd minute equaliser from Sean McGinty rescuing a point.

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Opposition Analysis
    It’s safe to say that Arbroath are struggling to replicate the success of last season, after defying the odds and pre-season predictions to finish in an impressive fifth place. Despite retaining the spine of the squad, results have not gone their way so far this term and they find themselves bottom of the table with seven points from their first twelve matches of the campaign.
    Averaging 8.25 attempted shots and only 3.1 shots on target per match, The Gayfield side are struggling for both supply and firepower, with only eight goals to their name this term. They have retained the combative and disruptive style implemented by manager Dick Campbell, ranking second in the league for fouls committed (13.4 per match) and bookings (1.75 per match).
    I spoke to Arbroath TV commentator Ewan Smith (@EwanSmithPR) ahead of the game, he fancies the away side to take something from Saturday’s match - “Anyone looking at the table, seeing Arbroath bottom and thinking they’ll get a nice easy game against a ‘struggling’ part-time team is in for a big shock. Granted they’ve not hit the heights that took them to fifth last season but the signs have been there for weeks that Arbroath are starting to rediscover their form. Their performance levels - first half against Hearts at Tynecastle aside - have been very good, the only thing missing has been goals.
    They desperately need a player like Craig Wighton in their frontline, someone who can get them a goal out of nothing. They’ve got one of the best defences in the league and Derek Gaston is a big part of that. He was popular at Morton and has made some important saves for Arbroath. Tam O’Brien and Ricky Little have been immense for the last few seasons and Colin Hamilton and Jason Thomson are very capable and experienced wing-backs.
    Ben Williamson already looks a real find in midfield since joining on loan from Rangers. He was outstanding against Charlie Adam in the draw with Dundee last week. Morton looked timid when they were at Gayfield, and seemed content with a point. At the time I thought Morton would be right down there with Arbroath in the relegation battle. But while Morton have kicked on a bit since then, I still think this will be very close and it wouldn’t surprise me if Arbroath nicked a 1-0 win.”

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Betting Guide –
    Morton are slight favourites in this game, pricing up at 7/5 to win, 7/2 to win with both teams scoring and 16/5 to win without Arbroath hitting the net. A draw is priced at 12/5, with 0-0 pricing up at an impressive 10/1. If you fancy the Smokies to record an away win, they price up at 9/5 to win, 17/4 to win with both teams scoring and 4/1 to win without Morton scoring.
    Given this fixture’s historic lack of goals, goal markets could prove a prudent investment. Under 1.5 match goals prices at 12/5. The score to be 0-0 at half time prices at 19/10. If you fancy Morton to keep a clean sheet against low-scoring Arbroath this can be backed at an impressive 9/5.
    Using McBookie’s ‘Bet Builder’ feature – the half time score to be 0-0 and the full time score to be 1-0 Morton returns £110.40 from a stake of £10.
    All odds provided by McBookie and were correct as of 11:30am on 28th January 2021.
    Click here for all the latest match build up, live updates and reaction in our Match Thread!
  14. Admin

    Morton Club Together Q&A Session

    By Admin,


    Feature Article
    Just One Cornetto Podcast - Morton Club Together Interview Transcript. 
    Dean McKinnon asked questions submitted on TheMortonForum and social media for Morton Club Together's Communications Director Graham Barr. Click below to listen to the interview in full (starting at 30:00).

    Q: When exactly does MCT expect to take over the playing side of the club?
    A: The plan at present is to take over ownership on the 1st of June.  In the meantime, we will be involved in longer term discussions around the future of the club such as extending playing contracts, commercial agreements, season ticket strategies and so on.
    Q: When is a new manager expected to be in place? If this is not before the end of the season are they going to address player contracts before the season is complete and will the new manager be involved in these decisions?
    A: The interim management team are in place until the end of the season when a decision will be made about the way forward.  The current interim team have been consulted, and that consultation will continue, about signing players for next season.
    Q: A common complaint almost every week is the commercial and marketing of the club. What changes to the commercial and marketing of the club will we see when MCT take over?
    A: This is obviously an area I’m very focussed on with my role heading up that side of things at MCT.  MCT has a strong marketing and commercial team that have been working to improve existing offerings and develop new ideas to increase commercial revenue at the club.  We will also look to work alongside staff at the club to understand what has worked in the past financially, and what perhaps hasn’t.  Recently MCT put forward the idea of the festive offer to the Greenock Morton board, when you could but the two home games around Christmas for a slightly discounted price of £25.  Behind this idea was a fully planned out campaign with a content plan leading up to the end of sales.  120 people purchased this offer which is a positive sign that it had a decent impact.  That small example is a good indication of how we will approach things – agreeing a concept that we think will appeal to fans and the putting a full plan in place and executing it.  It’s the approach we will take to things such as season tickets, kit launches, game by game sales and much more.  Overall communication, visibility and consistency are the keys.  For me this is key and something that has been lacking.  If people have ideas, please let us know and we will consider everything. From a sponsorship point of view, we want to maximise the potential income the club makes from that.  By improving the communications, presence, and social media output of the club, we will also make the club more appealing to these potential sponsors.  We will look to develop existing and new commercial partnerships within the Inverclyde community and beyond.  
    Q: Is the playing budget likely to increase decrease or stay the same when MCT takes over?
    A: We hope to see the budget increase, but that currently depends on when we can welcome fans back into Cappielow.  
    Q: A peppercorn corn rent has been widely talked about. Do MCT have to pay commercial rates for the ground or is this included in the peppercorn rent deal with the landlord?
    A: Yeah the club will be responsible for commercial rates.
    Q: As far as the none playing side goes what else do MCT see as their major assets and overheads?
    A: Of course, we understand that fans see Cappielow as the club’s main asset, and negotiations are ongoing around that.  We will update fans as soon as we can on that.  The biggest and most valuable asset to Greenock Morton is our license to play in the professional leagues in Scotland. The Morton brand is also a huge asset, with an almost 150 year history, strong links to the community and loyal supporters.  In terms of major overheads, the biggest outlay is of course the wage bill.  There are plenty of other costs associated with running a football club, but there are also a significant amount of income streams that can be maximised as well. 
    Q: What will be the most significant change when MCT come into the club?
    A: I may be slightly biased coming from the comms side of things but first and foremost there will be a huge improvement in communications from the club.  As a fan owned club, we will look to be open and transparent with the fans at all times.  We will look to share everything we can and provide timely updates on a regular basis.  Linked into this is the club’s marketing.  We will look to promote all aspects of Greenock Morton whether that be season tickets, kits, merchandise or indeed just the promotion of the matches themselves.  As a community owned club, we will also look to shine a light on all of the positive impacts Greenock Morton have on the local community, especially highlighting the great work Brian and the team do at Morton in the Community.  
    Q: Will we be looking at staying full-time next season?
    A: The simple answer is yes. We have no current plans to become a part time club and we believe through the work that we’ve carried out that Morton can be run sustainably and successfully as a full-time club..
    Q: When MCT take over the running of the club, will the existing volunteers be kept on, who currently help the club with mascots, programmes, match photography etc?
    A: Absolutely, the club have a lot of people who have given up their time over the years and we would appreciate their continued support.  We’ll also look to supplement this volunteer effort with our own volunteer team who will hopefully be able to extend that amount that can be done at the club. 
    Q: How can MCT expect to run a club on £100k a year and what are they doing to secure investment seen as there has been none other than from fans?
    A: An important point to note is that there are many different income streams that we will look to maximise such as season tickets, kit sales, sponsorship, matchday attendance and merchandise.  It is our goal to improve the club commercially and generate more income than has been generated in the past.  There are also efficiencies that can be made, and some which have indeed already been made that will help Morton to operate successfully.  MCT are also looking to have patrons who will contribute £25,000 per year to the club.  We have secured patrons and sponsors already. Many of them wish to remain anonymous and we are continuing with our efforts to secure others. It is not a case of we need 4 patrons and 6 sponsors but rather the more income we can generate from all sources, including patrons and sponsors, the more money we can put into the playing budget and beyond.
    Q: MCT are making club decisions now. In the club daily too. These are the guys who can answer. No news on releases and resignings. Why not? They did previously. I preferred club coms from Gerry Mcdade maybe stopped now.
    A: The first thing to say is that the general premise of this question is false. MCT is currently present within the club on virtually a daily basis through Gordon Ritchie who is now one of the club’s Directors.  The main purpose of this is to learn the operations of the club, not to run it.  This is proving extremely valuable for MCT in our preparations for community ownership and we thank Gordon for giving up the time he is to be in Cappielow on a daily basis voluntarily.  We currently have two votes on a board of seven, so we have influence through that but not control. With regards to the news side of things, we are not in control of the club’s media outlets.  As I’ve mentioned already, we will look to significantly improve the club’s media output when we do takeover. Our current involvement with the club is about one thing and one thing only – safeguarding the future of the club and ensuring MCT is fully prepared to take over in June.  Any suggestions or ideas we have put forward to the club have been done so through the Morton Board, for example the festive offer that ran in December that I talked about earlier.
    Q: Why have MCT been called out in the leaked document?
    A: I suppose the only person who can really answer that is the person who wrote the document.  Much of my answer to the last question addresses the false accusations made of MCT in the document.  As I’ve said already, I think most fans understand that we’re simply trying to get in the best position possible for ownership in June.  It’s fair to say that there has been some resistance from a very small number of people who seem to want MCT to fail.  Overall, we’re committed to providing an exciting future for Morton for the people who matter most, and the people we are working so hard on behalf of - the fans.
    Q: Are we going to play on an astroturf pitch next season?
    A: Nah there are no plans to play on an astro pitch.  The Cappielow pitch has been a pride of the club for a number of years and Mark has done a great job maintaining it.  Unfortunately there’s no getting away from the fact that the pitch has suffered this year and is poor right now, but we’ll look to support Mark to get the pitch in as good a position as possible for next season.
    Q: Can we see more transparency with the running of the club and better communication with the on-going surrounding the club and the business dealing, the fans feel left out with anything that's happening at the club?
    A: Yeah we’ve talked about this already but it is such a simple thing to improve. Communication with our support is vital. We’re here to ensure that, as far as we can, our members and supporters have as much information as we can provide.
    Q: Can we start bringing in local talent from the area, we're missing out on some great players that Morton should be picking up on rather than other clubs finding these players (Morgan, Taylor etc)?
    A: No youth system is perfect, and unfortunately we will always see some local players slip through the net with all the best will in the world. We also have to be realistic and recognise that the old firm has a massive pulling power in our area. However, it is always disappointing when we hear of local youngsters who have slipped through the net and our plan includes a closer link between the youth academy and the community, and with the first team. We want to see players graduate from the academy and play first team football at Morton. We have two great examples of what can be achieved with Lewis and Reece and we want to see more of that for Morton.  The more we see that happening, the more Morton will become an appealing option for youngsters.  We also feel that Morton provide a great platform for young players to start and progress their career.
    If you have any questions for Graham Barr, or any of the Morton Club Together directors, please e-mail communications@mortonclubtogether.com and a member of the team will get back to you. 

  15. Admin
    Queen of the South vs Morton – Match Preview
    by Dean McKinnon.
     
    Morton travel down the M74 to face Queen of the South on Saturday, looking to continue their positive run of form and momentum generated in the wake of David Hopkin’s shock resignation. In the minutes preceding our last meeting with the Dumfries side, current Morton chairman Crawford Rae announced that interim manager Anton McElhone, with the assistance of senior players Chris Millar, Jim McAlister and Brian McLean, would remain in charge for the rest of the season. This decision appears to have been vindicated thus far, with The Ton remaining unbeaten in the five games since McElhone took the reins.
    This new look Morton team look balanced and measured. A side equally capable of playing the ball through the thirds in an aesthetically pleasing manner, whilst playing cynical, territory-based football when required. There are still valid concerns about Morton’s attacking capabilities, nonetheless The Ton look comfortable defensively and industrious in midfield. This team looks almost unrecognisable from the side that Raith Rovers carved open at will in early November and the Cowshed faithful find their side berthed in the final promotion play-off place.

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Current Connections
    Players moving between the two clubs has been very common in recent years. Gary Oliver has alternated between Dumfries and Greenock from 2015 to the present day, having two spells with both clubs. Kyle Jacobs had a four-season stint at Queens between 2015-2019. Michael Ledger joined Morton in the summer following his release from the Doonhamers. Gregor Buchanan, who scored the deciding penalty in the League Cup clash earlier in the season, played for Morton in the turbulent 2018-19 season before joining League One Falkirk. Joe McKee spent three seasons in Greenock between 2013-16 before securing a move to League Two Carlisle United.
    Tale of the Tape
    In the last three seasons the sides have met on ten occasions, with the Greenock men boasting five wins and three draws. This is the third meeting of the sides this season, the first being played at Palmerston, a stadium in which Morton have recorded a number of handsome wins in recent times. The first game was the season’s curtain raiser, a 2-2 draw in the League Cup group stages, with Queens taking a bonus point after winning the penalty shoot-out. The Ton took the lead twice through Sean McGinty and Aidan Nesbitt but goals from Queens stalwart Stephen Dobbie and top goalscorer Connor Shields allowed the Dumfries side to force a penalty shootout. In the last match before Christmas, goals either side of half time from Kalvin Orsi secured a deserved 2-0 win for Morton.

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Opposition Analysis
    Connor Shields is the most obvious goal threat for the Doonhamers. He is joint top scorer in the league with six goals in eleven Championship appearances so far this season. Queens are the league’s fifth highest scorers (17) and have taken the fourth highest number of shots in the Championship this season (108). On the contrary, they have conceded the highest number of goals (29) and currently find themselves in a relegation dogfight with part time sides Arbroath and Alloa. Both Aidan Fitzpatrick and Willie Gibson have four bookings apiece this term, placing them both joint second in the league for cautions. The Doonhamers’ fortunes have improved recently, finding themselves in a four-game unbeaten run. They toppled Raith Rovers, Ayr United and Queens Park before drawing 2-2 with Arbroath last week.
    I spoke to QOSTV commentator Finlay Jack (@Finlay_Jack5) ahead of the game to discuss his side’s upturn in form and his prediction for the match, he spoke optimistically of his side’s chances - “The upturn in form pretty much came out of nowhere. We lost Stephen Dobbie to hamstring injury and were bottom of the league, we had a 16-year-old in goals away to Raith (who beat us 5-2 earlier in the season) and we put it a performance full of fight to come away with a 2-0 win. Since then we’ve kicked on well. The manager has found a nice balance to the team with Dan Pybus playing as a number 10, and of course Connor Shields is scoring goals for fun at the minute, which always helps. If Shields can keep scoring when Dobbie slots back into the team then we can start looking up the table rather than down it. Saturday will be a tough game, Morton have done well under Anton McElhone, but Queens will go into the game full of confidence. I think it’ll be a similar game to when the sides met last month at Cappielow, just the other way round. 2-0 to Queens for me.”

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Betting Guide
    William Hill offer the largest price for the home side at 11/8. PaddyPower offer BTTS and QOTS to win at 7/2. VBet are offering an impressive 41/17 on the draw. If you are feeling confident of an away win - William Hill, Betfred and Betway are all offering 2/1. PaddyPower price BTTS and Morton to win at 9/2.
    Connor Shields will be looking to continue his impressive goalscoring form this season. You can back him to score first or last at 13/2 or to score anytime at 11/5 (Bet365). If you fancy Kalvin Orsi to follow on from his double against Queens on 19th December, he is 12/1 to score first/last, or 9/2 to score anytime (Bet365). If you are looking for slightly longer odds, Queens forward Connor Shields to score first and Morton to win the match is priced at 55/1 (Bet365). 
    Odds were checked at 6.30pm on Tuesday (19th Jan).
  16. Admin
    Morton vs Inverness Caledonian Thistle - Match Preview
    by Dean McKinnon
    Morton will head into Wednesday evening’s game looking to recover from Saturday’s frustrating 2-1 defeat in the hands of Queen of the South. The Ton fell short after a thumping header from Ayo Obileye and a mazy dribble and composed finish from Aidan Fitzpatrick condemned Morton to their first defeat under interim manager Anton McElhone. Morton pulled a goal back after Kalvin Orsi was in the right place at the right time to rebound an Aidan Nesbitt shot, but ultimately fell short despite their late rally.
    Morton head into three successive home games, squaring off against Inverness, Arbroath and Raith Rovers in the next fortnight. Three positive results will ensure Morton stay comfortably clear of the relegation dogfight, however there is no place for complacency at the Tail of the Bank. Queen of the South have turned their fortunes around with three wins in their last four Championship outings, as well as strengthening their squad with the arrival of nineteen-year-old striker Dapo Mebude on loan from Rangers. Ayr are looking to kickstart their recent slump with the loan signing of Ipswich Town defender Corrie Ndaba. Raith Rovers have returned to winning ways after their impressive 3-2 win over Hearts at Tynecastle.
    At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, the next three home games may well prove to be season defining. A comfortable mid-table season will surely assist the transition into fan ownership in the summer, allowing the club’s new custodians to evaluate the footballing operations at the club and act accordingly. It is more crucial than ever that Morton do not spend the final phase of the season looking over their shoulders. A win on Wednesday would be a massive stride towards a positive end to the all-too-alien season.

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Current Connections
    Nobody in the current Morton squad has ever plied their trade in Inverness. Inverness do have someone in their ranks with somewhat of a link to Cappielow. Right sided defender Wallace Duffy joined Morton on loan from parent club St Johnstone in September last year, only for the loan to be terminated a few days later due to ‘non footballing reasons’. He was subsequently released from the Perth side and signed for Inverness on a two-year deal. 
    Tale of the Tape
    Morton, historically, have a terrible record against the Highland side. Since their formation in 1994, The Ton have only five victories to their name in twenty-seven attempts. In the last three seasons, Morton have only one win to speak of. That came in the Championship in October 2019 in a 2-1 victory, with a Bob McHugh double securing the points for the home side. This is the first meeting of the sides this season and the Cowshed faithful will be hoping to defy the record books.

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Opposition Analysis
    Inverness currently occupy eighth place in the Championship, however this could be considered somewhat of a false position. They currently have four games in hand over Queen of the South, who sit in seventh, and three games in hand over both Ayr United and Morton in this most unusual of seasons. Inverness last played on 29th December, taking a point from a 1-1 draw against Dunfermline at the Caledonian Stadium. Will the away side rock up to Cappielow feeling fresh or will they show a lack of match sharpness? Raith Rovers’ victory at Tynecastle on Saturday following an isolation period may suggest the former outcome.
    The Caley Jags average of 1.6 goals scored from 8.9 shots taken and 1.3 goals conceded per game. Morton, by comparison, have averaged 0.9 goals per game from 7.4 average shots per match while conceding 1.25.
    Nineteen-year-old Roddy MacGregor has been a notable creative force in midfield for the Caley Jags so far this season. The youngster is in his second full season at senior level, having signed a full-time contract as an academy graduate in 2018. He made twenty appearances in all competitions last season and has featured eight times this season, with two goals and three assists to his name.

    Photo - GBR Photographs
    Betting Guide
    BetWay offer the largest price on Morton to win at 2/1. PaddyPower offer an impressive 4/1 on BTTS and Morton to win. SkyBet, BetFred and BetFair offer the largest price on a draw at 12/5. If you fancy the away side to claim all three points then BetFred and BetWay price Inverness at 13/10. PaddyPower offer BTTS and Inverness to win at 16/5. Bet365 offer EVS on under 2.5 goals.
    Inverness’s playmaking midfielder Roddy McGregor prices up at 14/1 to score first/last and 9/2 to score anytime (Bet365). If you fancy Aiden Nesbitt to right the wrongs of Saturday, he is 11/1 to score first/last or 7/2 anytime (Bet365). If you are looking for an outsider bet, Gary Oliver to score anytime, under three match goals and the second half to have more goals than the first prices up at 28/1 (Bet365).
    Click here to read our match thread and follow all the live reaction.
  17. Admin
    Morton’s League Cup Semi Final 2016 – Where Are They Now?
    by Dean McKinnon. 

    22nd October 2016. Hampden Park. I would love to offer a personal insight into the emotion of standing in our national stadium watching Jim Duffy lead his Morton team out in our first semi-final appearance for thirty-five years, but unfortunately I was not in attendance.  I watched from afar on a stream, having accepted an invitation to work abroad a few months earlier. Staring ruefully at the TV in a living room in Moscow was not how I envisioned watching one of Morton’s biggest achievements of the 21st century. My conflicting emotions and reflective self-pity wouldn’t make for a particularly enjoyable article however, so I digress.
    The League Cup campaign did not begin in a fashion befitting its culmination. After a lacklustre 0-0 draw against Albion Rovers in Coatbridge, Morton gained a bonus point after winning 4-3 on penalties. Clyde were the next opponents, providing stubborn opposition in a laboured 1-0 win at Cappielow. Travelling down the coast towards Ayrshire to take on old foes Kilmarnock, Morton fans could be forgiven for lacking a great deal of confidence. Gary Oliver was the squad’s only fit striker and the performances against Albion Rovers and Clyde were uninspiring. Hardly a set of circumstances that pointed towards upsetting the odds against a Premiership team featuring former Scotland international Kris Boyd. 
    Step forward Jai Quitongo. An explosive and direct young winger who had been released from the youth systems of both Hamilton and Aberdeen. Jim Duffy utilised Quitongo as a striker, and he certainly grasped the opportunity with both hands. He assisted Gary Oliver in opening the scoring after eight minutes before sealing the win with his first ever senior goal, marking the occasion with a celebration that would become forever associated with Quitongo. The jubilant away support sung the name of their new goal hero, along with the modified version of ‘Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside’ historically associated with this fixture. Is this the last we’ll hear of Jai Quitongo in this cup run? Absolutely not. A week later, goals from Celtic loanee Jamie Lindsay and the aforementioned Quitongo sealed a routine win against Berwick Rangers. Morton progressed through to the Second Round as group winners. 

    Photo - The Scotsman.

    Were The Ton suitably rewarded for finishing top of their group? Not particularly. A trip to Lanarkshire to take on the Premiership’s perennial underdogs Hamilton Academical was outcome of the draw. A familiar and revered face opened the scoring, but they were not wearing the ‘unique’ chequered yellow and blue kit donned by the away side. Sir Douglas of Imrie dispatched a penalty in very similar fashion to the goal that secured his place in the heart of all Morton fans. However, anyone who had watched Jim Duffy’s Morton side win League One at their first time of asking was well aware that this squad had character in abundance and would not let this setback disrupt them. Ross Forbes’ wand of a left foot drew the Championship side level with an exquisite free kick from the edge of the box. Forbes would then turn provider, with a chipped ball forward into the channel provided Quitongo with something to chase. He outmuscled the Hamilton defence and unleased a right footed half volley that flew into the top corner. 
    Another thumping finish. Another backflip celebration. Another Premiership team humbled. 

    Photo - SNS

    More familiar opponents, and a more familiar venue, were the reward for Morton’s endeavours, being drawn at home to Championship counterparts Dundee United in the Quarter Finals. Ross Forbes used his head to flick the ball into the same right-hand channel as the winning goal of the previous round. Jai Quitongo smashed the ball high into the roof of the Wee Dublin End net. That man Ross Forbes would once again display his magic, with a whipped delivery into the near post for Tam O’Ware to nod in to double the advantage of the home side. A second half goal for the Taysiders was not enough to spark a comeback and it was confirmed - The Ton were heading to Hampden for the first time in thirty-five years. 

    Photo - BBC.

    Aberdeen started the match the better of the two sides, hitting the woodwork and having a succession of corners. Morton had their backs to the wall but defended admirably to keep the score level heading towards half time. Jai Quitongo was put clear through on goal in the dying minutes of the first half. The underdogs scoring on the brink of half time would make Derek McInnes, the Aberdeen manager and former Morton star, tear up his half time notes. The stuff of dreams for all those who’d travelled up the M8 to watch their team. The Morton support held their collective breath and hoped that their young talent would show composure in the most high-profile match of his career to date. 
    It was not to be. Quitongo’s attempt on goal was matched by goalkeeper Joe Lewis and the sides went in level at the interval. Aberdeen turned the screw after the break and got their just rewards. Despite a valiant performance by their Championship counterparts, a fractionally offside goal from Aberdeen’s talisman Adam Rooney and a clincher from Kenny McLean sealed The Dons’ place in the showpiece final. 
    As shown throughout this cup run, and the season as a whole in which The Ton finished fourth in the Championship, Jim Duffy had built a Morton side with character, ability and charm. The lopsided 4-4-1-1 was organised and capable of shutting teams out, with a dynamic and hardworking midfield providing the service to the intelligent Gary Oliver and explosive Jai Quitongo. 

    Photo - SNS

    Where did these players go after this season? Did this young squad go on to fulfil it’s potential? Let’s have a look.
     
    Andy McNeil 
    McNeil came to Morton with a reputation that no goalkeeper wants. The old cliché of ‘he has a howler in him’ seemed to be the consensus of the Edinburgh born goalkeeper who started his senior career at his boyhood club of Hibs. Despite this reputation he served as a dependable shot-stopper at the Tail of the Bank. Upon leaving Morton, McNeil travelled to join Hong Kong Premier League side R&F, where he currently serves as a goalkeeper coach.
    Michael Doyle 
    There was somewhat of a disconnect during ‘Mickey’ Doyle’s two season stay at Cappielow. Fans recognised how hard working and likable the full back was, but his lack of an end product was a frustration in a lop-sided 4-4-1-1 system that expected a lot from Doyle’s limited attacking prowess. Doyle spent a season with Queen of the South before signing for Falkirk after their relegation to League One in 2019. He then followed the former Morton manager Ray McKinnon to League Two Queens Park. He was one of four former Morton players to feature against The Ton this season in the 1-0 win over the Glasgow side in the group stage of the League Cup. 
    Thomas O’Ware
    Despite O’Ware coming through the ranks at Morton, serving the club for seven years, the relationship between the player and the Morton faithful is fractious to say the least. O’Ware dropped the bombshell that he would be leaving Morton to seek a ‘new challenge’ ahead of the last game of the 2017/18 season, for which he was subsequently dropped. He also issued a plea to St Mirren boss Jack Ross to sign him and stated that he would have no issues crossing the Renfrewshire divide. 
    St Mirren’s interest did not materialise and the defender found himself signing for Partick Thistle. He suffered a serious knee injury in August 2018 that kept him out for the rest of the 2018/19 season. Despite scoring a late winner against Morton in the 2019/20 season, his side were relegated to League One. He was named Head Coach of the Troon FC Development Team in August 2020.  
    Gavin Gunning
    Gunning signed for Morton with the intention of putting himself in the shop window, and rebuilding his reputation, following his acrimonious departure from Dundee United for picking the ball up mid-match to have an injury treated. He was imperious during his short time at Cappielow and is fondly remembered by the Morton support. After twelve appearances he left Morton in the January transfer window in 2017 to sign for Grimsby Town. Despite rumours of his return, and manager David Hopkin confirming that an enquiry was made, Gunning signed for Gloucester City in the National League North, his fifteenth club. 
    Mark Russell
    Mark joined Morton having been released from St Mirren Boys Club. After breaking into the first team in the 2013/14 relegation season, he established himself the following season in League One as an attacking full-back, comfortable with the ball at his feet and more than capable of driving past opponents. His development seemed to stall after a run of games playing in left midfield rather than as a full back. 
    He left Morton for ‘a new challenge’ after the 2017/18 season and signed for Falkirk. This was a somewhat questionable move given his refusal to sign for McKinnon’s Morton team, only to subsequently sign for McKinnon’s Falkirk team. Following his release from Falkirk he moved to Ireland to sign for Finns Harp in the League of Ireland Premier Division. 
    Jamie McDonagh
    The versatile Northern Irishman signed for Morton having failed to make the grade at Sheffield United. Initially signing for Morton as a forward he found himself utilised at right midfield and right back throughout the course of his time in Greenock. Following the conclusion of the 2016/2017 season McDonagh signed for Sligo Rovers. He then spent two seasons at Derry City before signing for Glentoran. Earlier this season he lined up against a Motherwell side containing his former Morton teammate Ricki Lamie in the Europa League first qualifying round.  
    Jamie Lindsay
    The Celtic youngster had his first taste of senior football in the Championship with Dumbarton in 2015/16 before joining Morton on a season long loan. A mainstay in this Morton side, Lindsay made forty appearances in all competitions in 2016/17 before being given the chance to play in Scotland’s top-flight with Ross County. Despite their relegation, Ross County signed Lindsay permanently where he helped them gain promotion back to the Premiership. He would go on to sign for Rotherham United in the summer of 2019 and went on to win promotion to the Championship. It was obvious to all inside Cappielow that Jamie Lindsay had the ability to play at a higher level. I think it’s a safe assertion that all Morton fans wish Lindsay well and will keenly monitor his development in the English Championship.
    Andy Murdoch
    A late addition to the 2016/17 squad, the former Rangers youth player signed for The Ton as a free agent in September 2016 following a poor start in the Championship alongside Gavin Gunning. He was a standout performer in 2016/17 and subsequently accepted a one-year extension for the following season. After Ray McKinnon’s appointment in the Cappielow hotseat, he made it known to Murdoch that he would not be offered a contract, much to the dismay of the Morton support. He then signed for Championship rivals Ayr United, where he remains to this day. He started against The Ton in the pulsating 3-2 comeback win earlier on in the season.
    Kudus Oyenuga 
    Morton were the tenth club Oyenuga played for, including spells north of the border with St Johnstone, Dundee United and Cowdenbeath. The former Spurs youth player spent one season at Cappielow before signing for Chelmsford City. He has since went on to have spells at Dartford, Haringey Borough, Welling United, Margate, Leatherhead and most recently Brentwood Town. 
    Jai Quitongo
    It may sound blunt, but Quitongo’s career trajectory has been nowhere near as meteoric as the opening few paragraphs of this article would suggest. Following Quitongo being linked with a number of clubs, Morton rejected an offer from Doncaster Rovers for the youngster. He had surgery on a knee injury in January 2017 before deciding to leave Morton following the conclusion of the 2017/18 season. He was subsequently signed by Partick Thistle before being released by the Jags in March 2019 following off-field allegations. 
    He then signed a four-year deal with Iranian side Machine Sazi. He made eight appearances then left the club in late 2019. In January 2020 he signed a short-term deal with Dumbarton, playing under former Morton manager Jim Duffy. He now joins another former Morton manager, Ray McKinnon, at Queens Park in League Two. 
    Gary Oliver 
    Gary Oliver, nephew of former Morton manager Jim Duffy, started his career at Hearts, making twenty-five first team appearances over three seasons. He then spent a year on loan at Stenhousemuir in League One before signing a permanent deal with Queen of the South in 2015/16. He then signed for Morton in 2016, staying at the club for three seasons. Following his release, he returned to the Doonhamers in 2019/20, before returning to Greenock this summer to play under David Hopkin. 
    Subs:
    Aidan Nesbitt
    Nesbitt joined the club on a season long loan from Celtic following a loan spell with Partick Thistle. After the 2016/17 season’s conclusion he moved to MK Dons to work under his fellow Scot Robbie Neilson. Following Neilson being sacked, Nesbitt found himself out of favour at MK Dons. He was then reunited with his former gaffer in January 2019, signing for Neilson’s new side Dundee United on a short-term deal until the end of the 2019 season. Nesbitt rejoined The Ton ahead of the 2019/20 season and is currently still playing for the club. 
    Scott Tiffoney
    Tiffoney was released from St Mirren’s youth system and was picked up by Morton. He spent six months on loan at Clyde before breaking into The Ton’s first team. The pacey forward’s performances earned him a move to Premiership outfit Livingston in the summer of 2018. He was immediately loaned back to former club Morton and was later sent on loan to Ayr United. At the time of writing, he has made ten appearances for Livingston this season. 
    Lee Kilday 
    Lee Kilday rose through the ranks at Hamilton before joining Jim Duffy in attempting to win League One and return Morton to the second tier. He initially rotated between right back and centre back before securing a place in the centre of defence. He was selected as Morton’s club captain in August 2016. Hamilton would offer an undisclosed fee in an attempt to lure Kilday back to Lanarkshire, but he remained at The Ton. Kilday didn’t make a single appearance for the club in 2017/18 having suffered a serious ankle injury. In March 2018, in an effort to aid his recovery, Kilday was loaned out to League One club Airdrieonians. Kilday’s 157 appearances for The Ton had us all dreaming of a team of Lee Kildays. 
    In a now familiar career move for players released by Morton, Kilday signed for Dumfries side Queen of the South for the 2019/20 season. Leaving the Doonhamers after a single season, he joined the long list of former Morton players signed for Ray McKinnon’s Queens Park side. 
    Unused subs:
    Ricki Lamie 
    Shotts born defender Lamie was signed by Jim Duffy as a raw left sided defender. Morton stalwart Peter Weatherson had managed to provoke the younger into a red card in a match between Morton and Airdire. Lamie had a challenging start to his Morton career as he attempted to cut his teeth playing at left back in League One. He worked hard, endeared himself to the Morton support and developed into a solid defender equally capable playing in central defence or left back. Lamie scored his first ever senior goal at St Mirren Park as a ten-man Morton team snatched a late equaliser on Hogmanay 2016. 
    Lamie’s career has went from strength to strength since leaving the club. He signed for Premiership side Livingston in the summer of 2018 and spent two seasons with The Lions. The versatility he perfected under the tutelage of Jim Duffy saw his feature as a centre back, left back and left wing back as Livingston successfully established themselves as a top-flight club. His performances earned him a move to Motherwell, where he featured in all three rounds of The Well’s Europa League campaign this season. 
    Michael Tidser
    Released from Celtic at the age of 19 despite being captain of their U19 side, Tidser sought football abroad and moved to Swedish side Ostersunds. Morton manager James Grady signed the midfielder in January 2009 and he made his debut away at Raith Rovers. He was a player who oozed composure and class and quickly endeared himself to the Morton support. He was an integral part of the 2012/13 squad who challenged for the First Division title, scoring 11 goals in all competitions that season.
    In June 2013 a £50,000 offer from Rotherham United was accepted by Morton chairman Douglas Rae and the player moved south of the border to join the League One club. He would play for Rotherham at Cappielow a week later in a friendly, where he received a standing ovation from the home support. Rotherham would finish second in League One that season, although Tidser was very much a squad player. 
    Tidser spent the first half of the 2014/15 season on loan at Oldham Athletic, but only made five appearances. He was released by Rotherham and a deal was struck to return to the Tail of the Bank. The jubilation that Tidser was ‘coming home’ in January 2015 was short lived when it transpired that, as he had already played for two clubs in the 2014/15 season, could not play for the rest of the season. Incompetence on this scale has become all too familiar at Cappielow, with then Chief Executive Gillian Donaldson being the focal point of fans’ frustrations. 
    Over the next three seasons Tidser would make 70 appearances in all competitions. It could certainly be argued that throughout Duffy’s spell in the dugout at Cappielow that he did not get as much as he could out of Michael Tidser. The faults of Ray McKinnon have been (justifiably) very well covered by Morton fans, but it cannot be denied that he got the absolute best out of the midfielder. Somewhere between an advanced playmaker and a ‘number ten’, Tidser thrived in a midfield five and was back to his best. The same praise could not be offered to McKinnon’s successor, Jonathan Johansson. 
    Then came the news no Morton fan wanted to believe. The story broke that Tidser had signed a pre-contract agreement with Falkirk. Ray McKinnon’s Falkirk. Bear in mind, this was not simply a player who’d arrived at Cappielow on the ever-spinning merry-go-round that is lower league Scottish football and hung around for a season. This was Michael Tidser. A player Morton plucked from the scrapheap after an unsuccessful spell abroad and being released from Celtic. A player who would have surely went on to finish his career at Cappielow with a testimonial and the everlasting admiration of every single Morton supporter. Despite his admirable performances for the rest of the season, playing his part in Morton’s push to fifth place, there was a very sour note to his departure for newly relegated Falkirk. 
    His reuniting with Ray McKinnon was not a successful one. Falkirk struggled in the third tier and Tidser featured infrequently for The Bairns, making only nine league appearances in the 2019-20 season. For a man of his abilities, Tidser is now playing his football in a rather remedial environment, captaining Lowland League side Kelty Hearts under the tutelage of former Scotland international Barry Ferguson.
    Jon Scullion
    You could be forgiven for looking at Jon Scullion and dismissing the idea of a career in football. A technically gifted but physically challenged striker who signed for Morton having failed to make the grade at St Mirren. He run amok in the Development League but struggled to make the jump to senior level. Thirty-four appearances across three seasons, with four goals to show for his efforts, was not enough to convince manager Jim Duffy to retain Scullion. He was released in the summer of 2017. Following an unsuccessful trial at Lowland League side East Kilbride, he signed for Kilburnie Ladeside in the West of Scotland Premier Division. He is currently still with the Junior side. 
    Derek Gaston
    Gaston signed for Morton from Albion Rovers, who signed him three years previously from Baillieston U21s. A goalkeeper with a large frame yet remarkable agility and shot stopping abilities, Gaston went on to make over two hundred appearances between the sticks for Morton. Forced out of the team in the relegation season in 2013/14, he regained his place in the side the following season and was pivotal in Morton winning League One. Current Morton manager David Hopkin released him in the summer of 2019, a decision that was questioned by the Morton support. 
    Gaston would remain in the second tier after signing with Arbroath. He helped the Angus side secure their Championship status last season, finishing in an impressive fifth place. Gaston is still held in high regards by the Morton support and appeared against The Ton last weekend in the 0-0 draw with Arbroath. 
    Jim Duffy
    A no nonsense centre back throughout his playing career, in which he had a three-year stint at Cappielow, Jim Duffy first ventured into management aged just thirty. Taking over the reigns at Falkirk, he then went on to have spells in the dugout at Dundee, Brechin City and Clyde. He also served in the backroom staff at Hearts and Norwich City.
    With Kenny Sheils sacked, and a relegation and ten goal humiliation still casting a sizeable shadow over the club, Duffy took charge at the Tail of the Bank. His remit was simple – win League One at the first time of asking. He went about building a young, industrious squad. A League One campaign, the hallmark of which was late comebacks from Morton, fittingly came down to the wire. In scenes remanent of that magical day in 2003, Morton had to overcome Peterhead at Cappielow to be crowned champions. A 3-1 win for the home side sealed Morton’s tenth league title. Club captain Peter MacDonald lifted the trophy along with Douglas Rae, the last piece of silverware the former chairman would see the club win. 
    Duffy would remain in the dugout for three Championship campaigns, finishing fifth, fourth and seventh respectively. Following two late season slumps in successive seasons, Duffy was relieved of his duties following the 2017/18 season. The sacking of another former Morton player, Stevie Aitken, saw Duffy take over the managerial position at Dumbarton. Last season, Duffy guided the club to a comfortable mid-table finish.

    Photo - gmfc.net. 
    Massive thanks to Chris McNulty (@chrismcnulty75) for his help in sourcing these photos! 
  18. Admin

    Departures, Defeats, Draws and Dismissals.

    By Admin,


    Feature Article
    (Photo- Gary Bradley) Departures, Defeats, Draws and Dismissals.   A Review of Morton's 2020-21 Season, Part Two. By Russell Gordon   As 2020 came to an end and 2021 began, Morton could actually look forward to the new year with a degree of optimism, in spite of all the uncertainty in the background. Sitting in a comfortable position in the table, and with a fixture list that looked quite favourable, even the most pessimistic of observers would've looked upon the month of January as an opportunity to create a bit of a gap between ourselves and the league's bottom feeders. It was struggling Alloa who we were to first foot on the 2nd of the month. Markus Fjortoft's first senior goal of his career- a near post header from a corner, looked to have secured the three points, but Robert Thomson came back to haunt his old employers with a late equaliser. It was most definitely a case of two points dropped. With all football out with the Premiership and Championship closed down by the Scottish Government due to the second wave of the pandemic, the cup tie against Dunfermline fell foul of the restrictions. But the Pars were due to visit on league business that same week, and in front of the BBC Scotland cameras. It would be fair to say there couldn't have been many outside the fans of the two clubs who managed to sit through the entirety of that turgid 0-0 draw on a glue pot pitch in what must've been Auntie's worst possible advert for their Championship coverage.   With four points dropped that would've been more than useful, a trip to Palmerston all of a sudden held a bit more to fear than the home fixture against the same, but now resurgent opponents a month previous had. And justifiably so. First half goals from Ayo Obileye and Aidan Fitzpatrick, who waltzed through the Morton defence unchallenged to score, gave Queens a healthy lead before Kalvin Orsi halved the deficit in the second half. A horror late miss from Aidan Nesbitt was to prove crucial as Morton dropped more points.   In midweek, Inverness came calling for the re-arranged Boxing Day fixture, and an improved performance saw ten-man Morton take and early lead before clawing back from 1-2 down through Cammy Blues' late equaliser after Rabin Omar's second yellow saw the Ton play for over an hour with ten men. But the next day, the drama really began to unfold as the second high profile resignation of the season saw CEO Dave MacKinnon walk, to the dismay of absolutely nobody. In spite of a £500,000 government grant to all Championship clubs, Crawford Rae had indicated that he wanted to see the wage bill cut in the January transfer window, and with the departure of Hopkin, loanees McPake and McIver, and now the club's CEO, he certainly got his wish. But there was more to come. Club captain Jim McAlister indicated that his time was up and the final match of his career would be the following Saturday against Arbroath as he had attained long term employment that would be more beneficial to him at such a stage of his career.   Jim McAlister brought the curtain down on his playing career in the 0-1 defeat to Arbroath at Cappielow in January. (Photo- Gary Bradley)   With his final appearance on the 31st of the month, just as the transfer window was closing, and without one signing in the door, Morton hosted Arbroath in another crucial game against a team in and around us, but enjoying a more fruitful run of form. To make the 0-1 defeat even more galling, with our deplorable record in front of goal, the scorer of Arbroath's winner at Cappielow was Livingston loanee Jack Hamilton, who would've been exactly what we could've done with. All of a sudden, Morton were in a relegation battle, and in it deep. Without a manager and without their club captain, who it turned out had taken a job as a kitman at Rangers. It was telling that the Chairman was prepared to allow his captain and most experienced player to walk in order to save a few quid, with scant regard for whether his departure endangered Morton's Championship status.   As the transfer window closed however, Morton belatedly sprang into action and picked up a couple of frees in Justin Johnson, an ex-Hamilton winger whose contribution to the club was to prove so insignificant that I'm not even sure if he was still on the payroll by the season's end. He was joined by goalkeeper Jamie Butler, who contributed slightly more than Johnson. When I say slightly more, he's been injured since day one but has been seen cutting about the bench and was apparently involved in a bit of coaching. But the club whetted our appetites by hinting that they'd be bringing in a Champions League striker. Alas, Robert Lewandowski was too busy trying to break Gerd Muller's longstanding Bundesliga record, but Spurs striker Kaziah Sterling had been punted by Southend after doing nothing on loan at Roots Hall in the first half of the season, and he had made a 2-minute cameo appearance for Tottenham against APOEL three years previous.   He was to debut from the bench in another insipid home defeat, this time by promotion chasing Raith Rovers as the winter of discontent plumbed new depths. With a first visit in a generation to Tynecastle looming, there weren't many grounds for optimism at all. But lo and behold, Morton rocked up in the capital and gave the league leaders an almighty scare, and it took a Jamie Walker header to spare the home side's blushes and rescue a point after Craig McGuffie's fine strike had given Morton a shock lead. McGuffie was to produce another howitzer the following week as we again picked up a point against promotion hopefuls, this time Dundee. But it felt more like two dropped rather than a point gained as the Tayside club twice hit back to nick a point. So, things were looking up, and a struggling Ayr side came calling for what was at this stage the biggest game of the season. What happened? Yes, Morton were rancid and lost 0-2, making it now 10 games without a win.   Craig McGuffie celebrates giving The Ton a shock lead at Tynecastle. (Photo- Gary Bradley)   So, a midweek trip to the Highlands for a re-arranged game wasn't one that many of us would've expected to yield too many points, but Morton burst a few coupons and came back down the road with three precious points, Aidan Nesbitt the hero with a fine second half strike. But it was to be the last match of Anton McElhone's tenure as Crawford Rae all of a sudden decided that after three months it was time to appoint a manager. Ex-Queen's Park and Queen of the South boss Gus McPherson came in, assisted by ex-Morton "favourite" Andy Millen. With fellow strugglers Ayr replacing Mark Kerr with Hopkin, many suspecting that Rae's hand was perhaps forced by Hopkin's intentions to be reunited with his former assistant, but that turned out not to be the case.   A narrow defeat at East End Park was followed up by an encouraging home win over Queens, Aidan Nesbitt bizarrely netting directly from an out-swinging corner and Gary Oliver finishing the job as McPherson debuted former Sheffield United midfielder Stephen McGinn, who had come in on loan from Hibs.   With restrictions easing, the lower leagues were allowed to resume, and along with it the Scottish Cup, which actually gave Morton fans a wee bit of pleasure. When Dunfermline eventually visited on cup duty, the game was to prove similar to the earlier Cappielow draw, before the Pars took their regular place back on our mantelpiece as Aidan McAdams celebrated his birthday in style, proving the hero as Morton won their first penalty shoot-out of the season at the fourth attempt. Happy days.   After disposing of one Fife club, it was two road trips to the kingdom to follow- firstly to Kirkcaldy for a narrow defeat as James Gullan's late goal saw Raith complete a league whitewash on the Ton, and secondly to Methil in the next round of the cup. A quite dreadful performance saw Morton trail as the final whistle approached, but they were to get off the hook as a late, late Sean McGinty penalty forced extra time before Robbie Muirhead's extra time strike took us into a last sixteen tie at Fir Park.   We were coming into the run in now, and every point would be a prisoner. So a midweek home hammering by Inverness, not out the woods themselves yet by this stage, was to prove most unwelcome. Morton were hosed 1-4, and to be honest, the result flattered us. But as was so often the case, an improved performance and a surprise point at Dens brought little cheer, but some scope for optimism. It took until late on for Dundee to rescue a point after Nesbitt had given Morton a shock lead in what was to prove Sterling's last appearance before he was told to pack his bags. If only we could've turned some of those single points over the course of the season into three, there would've been little to worry about.   Again, Morton would excel themselves on the road as they travelled to Motherwell in the cup, holding the Premiership side comfortably for two hours before heartbreakingly, Scotland right back Stephen O'Donnell struck to settle the tie. Or so he thought, as Morton had other ideas. Substitute Lewis McGratten won a corner as the Ton made one last throw of the dice and Fjortoft dramatically headed home to take us to yet another penalty competition. Sadly, our luck was to desert us as Sean McGinty's tame penalty was smothered by Liam Kelly in an otherwise flawless shoot-out, and the Steelmen prevailed.   Markus Fjortoft's late equaliser at Fir Park took Premiership Motherwell to penalties as Morton were unfortunate to bow out the Scottish Cup. (Photo- Gary Bradley)   With champions Hearts visiting in midweek though, the performance was a good confidence boost to take into a game that was a bit of a free hit. Anything we could get was a bonus, and a point apiece it was, but it probably should've been more against a side that were half way to Magaluf by this stage of the season. Well, maybe not this year, but you catch the drift. Orsi hit the post in the first minute and Craig Gordon was to prove the difference between one point and three. Not to worry though- we had Alloa, already relegated, to come at Cappielow at the weekend.   It was again a first minute chance for Orsi that was to prove the pivotal moment, as this time he collapsed on the ball when through on goal. Things didn't get any better as Morton huffed and puffed before falling behind to an Innes Cameron goal early in the second half. Again, it was Fjortoft who restored parity but a winning goal didn't arrive and we were up against it as we headed into a final day winner-takes-all decider against Arbroath at Gayfield.   Off the park at least, things were looking up as MCT asked their members to approve a takeover proposal that involved the retention of the ground as the club's asset and the debt being expunged, whilst Golden Casket retained the car park. The proposal was approved almost unanimously and it's looking like Morton can look forward to a fan-owned future. But in what division?   With Morton level on points with Ayr but with an inferior goal difference and a point behind the Red Lichties, we had to better Ayr's result or win the game to finish above Arbroath. What followed was an insipid draw in which Morton didn't get a shot on target, and didn't really threaten. With around 50 fans travelling to support the team in spite of having no chance of seeing the game, they were let down not only by the poor performance, but by the sheer folly of new club captain Sean McGinty. As news of what was to prove Ayr's crucial equaliser came from the bench, McGinty had a rush of blood to the head and his inexplicably late tackle on Abroath's Scott Stewart earned him a red card which ruled him out of the play-off semi-finals in the process. Having had the opportunity to meet the manager outside Gayfield that evening, I can testify that McPherson shared the fury of myself and the fans around me as we faced up to visiting the Last Chance Saloon.   Captain Calamity Sean McGinty's horror tackle led to his red card and subsequent suspension for the play-offs which ultimately proved to be a blessing in disguise for Morton. (Photo- Gary Bradley)   But there was to be one final twist before we faced up to our date with destiny. Any observers that are ignorant to the trials and tribulations of our club who stumbles across my musings could be forgiven for thinking that we're by far the biggest shambles of a club in the land, but it's always nice to know there's someone worse off than yourself. Especially when that someone is Falkirk. The Bairns had suffered an incredible collapse from the position of coasting towards the title to missing out on even making the play-offs in the final few minutes of the regular season, as Montrose's late winner against already promoted Partick Thistle, coincided with a couple of late Airdrie goals against Falkirk, propelled the Angus club into a play-off semi-final with Morton and left the greeting-faced Grangemouth Galoots licking their wounds, crying about the injustice of it all and slumming it in the third tier for another season.   For Morton, it was another trip up the east coast.
  19. Admin
    Morton v Montrose - Match Preview
    by Russell Gordon
    Cup fever comes to Greenock as League One promotion-chasers Montrose visit Cappielow Park supported by Dalrada Technology for a tie that should prove far more of a test than the convincing victory the ‘Ton recorded over Lowland League Bo’ness United in the last round of the competition. 
    With Montrose sitting in fourth place in their division, and eying a stab at the play-offs in May, the trip to Greenock could prove a fine barometer for Stewart Petrie’s men as to the level they’ll hope to be competing against next season. 
    With the match not available on the season ticket, individual match tickets are available at the below link: 
    Fanbase | Select Ticket (fanbaseclub.com) 

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Squad News 
    Dougie Imrie could have a defensive dilemma with Jack Baird again missing out of the draw against Partick at Cappielow last weekend, while Dundee loanee Tyler French was forced to sit out of the previous round’s success against the BUs in the event of him returning to his parent club. 
    Given that we’re now well into the transfer window, Dundee boss Tony Docherty’s stance on French’s availability may well have softened, but I’d expect French to sit out, although in the event of Morton progressing, he’d likely to be available for any future tie in the competition, unless we draw Dundee themselves. 
    Current Connections  
    There are two former Morton players in the visiting squad. Centre back Kerr Waddell enjoyed a loan spell at Cappielow from Dundee in the bizarre 2018-19 season under Raymond McKinnon and subsequently Jonatan Johansson following the former’s controversial departure. 
    Waddell proved a popular figure amongst the Morton support, making 22 starts and 6 substitute appearances and scoring twice, in a Scottish Cup replay win at Peterhead and more memorably notching the only goal in a Friday night live TV victory over eventual champions Ross County. 
    He was however, injured in a 0-3 defeat by Partick in March, missing out on the run in as Morton charged clear of the relegation zone towards a comfortable fifth placed finish, leaving Falkirk rooted at the bottom of the table and staring at a season (or five) of League One football. 
    Waddell was also to find himself in League One the following season, where he has remained ever since, having signed on a permanent deal for the Gable Endies, a surprising move considering his well-documented allegiance to their local rivals, Arbroath. 
    A good bit further back, Michael Gardyne had a short spell at Cappielow under his former Celtic youth coach, Jim McInally. Signing on deadline day in August 2007, his spell in Greenock was a brief and uneventful one, leaving in the following window for Ross County, where he had been on loan the previous season, in the January 2008 window after only five months at Morton. 
    Gardyne made only ten appearances for Morton, failing to find the net in that time, before enjoying two hugely successful spells in Dingwall, punctured by a move to Dundee United and a loan at Kilmarnock. On finally departing Victoria Park, he joined up at local rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle, but his time in the Highland Capital was to prove an unhappy one, as he was allegedly forced to leave “for the benefit of dressing room harmony”. I’ll say no more. 
    Approaching 38, the veteran has enjoyed a fruitful spell at Montrose since that controversial departure from Thistle. 
    Tale of the Tape  
    Morton and Montrose haven’t shared a division since way back in 2002-03 when the ‘Ton won the Third Division title as they began their journey back up the divisions post administration. 
    Since then, there have been a few meetings in various competitions, most recently in 2021, when Morton visited Links Park for a Challenge Cup tie and progressed on penalties after a turgid afternoon. 
    It wasn’t, however, Morton’s only visit to Links Park that year, having fallen to a 1-2 defeat on the east coast in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final, leaving Morton clinging on desperately for their Championship lives. 
    Gary Oliver’s early strike had given the visitors an early lead, but goals from Russell McLean and Graham Webster turned the tie around heading into the second leg. 
    When the teams met at Cappielow, the pressure was all on the hosts, on an evening that under normal circumstances would have produced a crackling atmosphere, the match was played out in an eerie atmosphere as we came towards the end of the closed-doors era of Scottish football. 
    Oliver was again off the mark early doors, and Morton’s lead was doubled by Cameron Salkeld 20 minutes in to hand them the advantage in the tie. McLean again netted to send the tie into extra time, before Craig McGuffie clipped in a delightful 120th minute winner to send the few inside Cappielow into raptures and Morton into a final in which they would dispose of Airdrie with relative ease. 
    Prior to that, Morton enjoyed a resounding 4-0 League Cup second round victory over Montrose at Cappielow, giving them a tie at Celtic Park in the following round, which proved quite memorable. 
    In that league campaign in 2002-03, the ‘Ton collected ten points from the twelve available, but the Scottish Cup doesn’t hold fond recent memories of Montrose. Allan McGraw’s magnificent team of 1996 toiled to a 1-1 draw at Cappielow against the Gable Endies, having taken the lead through Marko Rajamaki, before travelling up to Links Park the following evening for a replay against a team enduring a season similar to that that Edinburgh City are suffering in the same division this term. 
    While Morton were overwhelming favourites having been given the second chance, it was the underdogs who prevailed 3-2 after Morton keeper David Wylie was ordered off and replaced in goal by centre back John Anderson, on an evening still remembered fondly in Montrose, and less so in Greenock. 
    Against a far better Montrose side this weekend, that evening’s events should serve as a timely warning against complacency, and it should be noted that in the only other Scottish Cup meeting between the clubs, Montrose prevailed with a 3-1 win at Cappielow in 1976. 

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    Opposition Analysis  
    Montrose are one of the great, unheralded success stories of the introduction of the pyramid to Scottish football. A club whose dire league performances in the noughties and beyond were only overshadowed by hapless East Stirlingshire, they became the first to face the dreaded pyramid play-off in 2015, relying on two late goals from Marvin Andrews and Gary Wood to overcome Brora Rangers and retain their SPFL status. 
    Since then though, they’ve got their act together, winning the League Two title in 2018 and remaining in the third tier ever since, threatening promotion in 2021 and 2022 when that semi-final defeat to Morton prevented them advancing to the 2021final and a remarkable 5-6 aggregate defeat to Airdrie denied them the following year. As it stands, they’re sitting in a good place to make another assault on the play-offs this season. 
    Pivotal in Montrose’s upturn in fortunes has been manager Stewart Petrie, who has been in situ since 2016, despite seeing his name mentioned several times since for higher profile jobs due to his continued success at Links Park. 
    While they are sitting comfortably in the division, recent form has been poor, with Saturday’s 0-1 home defeat by Stirling Albion following up consecutive draws against Alloa, Cove and Annan. A run of one win in seven doesn’t bode well heading into an away tie at a team a division higher. 
    I spoke to Montrose fan Blair Ruxton (@BlairRuxton), who gave me his thoughts heading into the tie: 
    “When the draw for the fourth round was made, Montrose fans of a certain vintage were quick to point out to me that we were unbeaten against Morton in this competition, with the last tie in 1995-96 being won by Montrose after a replay at Links Park, so there was a sense of optimism. 
    However, my head went straight to the moment I watched a Craig McGuffie cross find its way into Alan Fleming’s goal to end Montrose’s promotion hopes in the 2020-21 season on an iPad in the living room with my parents. I certainly know which of these events I’d rather see repeated this weekend. 
    Since Stewart Petrie’s arrival at Montrose in 2016, the one thing many Mo fans have craved, in what has otherwise been our most successful period since the nineties, is a good cup run. We are yet to go beyond the fourth round of the cup under Petrie, but nevertheless, the Mo’ faithful will be travelling to Cappielow full of hope. 
    Despite not having won a match since the middle of December, performances have been better than the results have suggested, having produced a fantastic comeback to draw against Alloa just before Christmas and held onto a point away to Annan early in the new year despite having been reduced to ten men. 
    Although we still find ourselves in the play-off places, the opinion of many has been that we’ve not been at our best this season. Injuries haven’t helped, with Brazilian winger, Matheus Machado, and midfield stalwart, Terry Masson both missing most of the season as well as the recent injury to former Morton defender Kerr Waddell, who looks set to miss the rest of the season. 
    Last weekend’s defeat to Stirling Albion wasn’t the ideal preparation, but due to suspensions it did give a chance for 17-year-old Ben Hermiston to start his first game of the season. The young Australian signed his first professional contract with the club prior to the game, having been with the Academy and made an impact from the bench, notching his first goal in that draw with Alloa. 
    This week however, should see the return of Kane Hester and another former Morton man, Michael Gardyne, from suspension. Hester has been among the goals since his arrival in the summer from Elgin for a club record fee, and after a brace in the last round, will be determined to add to his tally for the season. Gardyne has, in my opinion, been the standout player this season. Playing deeper and more centrally, his technical ability is second to none. 
    With those two coming back into the fold, barring any further injuries, Montrose will feel they couldn’t be better equipped to try and claim their first victory of 2024 and progress to the fifth round of the cup for the first time in Stewart Petrie’s reign. Hopefully the Mo’ faithful will leave Greenock with their head held high having competed well with a team from a higher division. 
    And for my prediction? Well, a repeat of 95-96 can’t happen due to the lack of replays, nowadays, so I’ll have to go with the Morton fans receiving a piece of their own medicine courtesy of a 119th minute winner from a Michael Gardyne cross that sneaks into Ryan Mullen’s net!” 

    Photo - GBR Photographs.
    What’s Happening Elsewhere? 
    Weather permitting, one of the best weekends of any season, as the Premiership clubs join the competition, kicks off on Friday night as League Two bottom dogs Clyde host Aberdeen at their latest temporary lodging in front of the BBC Scotland cameras, with the Dons well aware of the pitfalls of not being on their game for a cup tie after last season’s Darvel debacle. 
    The TV fayre continues with, remarkably, an Edinburgh derby that Hibs will be confident of avoiding defeat in, as Spartans host Hearts at Ainslie Park. Elsewhere, Airdrie host 2021 winners St’ Johnstone while Ayr United (who have never won the trophy) host Kelty. League One minnows Falkirk make the short journey to Bonnyrigg Rose, and there’s a nostalgic trip for the Cove fans to face their former Highland League foes, Brora Rangers. 
    While Hibs will be delighted not to be losing the Edinburgh derby, they’ll also be pleased the draw handed them a straightforward tie with Raymond McKinnon’s struggling Forfar. Another team who love an easy draw is Inverness, who, after taking care of Cowdenbeath in the last round were handed another home tie against Lowland League opposition in the form of Broomhill, or whatever they’re called this season. 
    The only all-Premiership tie takes place at Rugby Park as Dundee look to avoid exceeding Hibs’ run which ended after 114 years without winning the trophy, while struggling Livingston host a Raith Rovers team aiming to spend their way towards replacing them in next season’s Premiership. 
    There are a further three ties between Premiership and lower league opposition as Motherwell host Alloa, Partick make the journey to the scene of their hilarious play-off final defeat in Dingwall and St. Mirren host Queen of the South. 
    In a shock move, Viaplay have chosen the Old Firm’s ties to broadcast, and they should be titanic battles as Dumbarton host Rangers in the Saturday evening fixture, while Buckie Thistle make the trip to Celtic Park on Sunday for a tie that could change the finances of their club for generations to come. 
    In the Championship, Dunfermline and Queen’s Park, both ousted in their derbies in the last round, meet in a fixture re-arranged from the 2nd of December, a match that may well prove daunting for the injury-hit Pars, given the Spiders’ recent resurgence. 
    Betting Guide  
    All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7pm on 18th January 2024 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling.  
    As the higher division club, Morton head into the match as clear favourites at 8/15, with the visitors priced at 3/1 and the draw at 4/1. 
    Robbie Muirhead to score at least two goals is 4/1, while Morton to win at half time and full time is 29/20. 
    Match Officials  
    Referee- Matthew McDermid takes charge of his second Morton game of the season, having been in the middle of the first of our many victories over Ayr United on the opening day of the league season. 
    AR 1- John McCrossan 
    AR 2- Brian Christie 
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