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Away Day Guide – Partick (11th November) Photo - StadiumGuide.co.uk Tickets – Admission prices are as follows - Adults £20, Concessions (Over 65s, students, disabled and carer) £15, Under 16s £5. Supporters can purchase tickets here. Disabled Supporters Info – The disabled section at Firhill, for both home and away fans, can be accessed via the large red disabled access gate at the North West corner of the stadium, where the John Lambie Stand and the Colin Weir Stand meet. Disabled toilets are situated as follows; Colin Weir Stand – adjacent to the wheelchair section John Lambie Stand – in the concourse at the rear of the stand. Tickets for the wheelchair section, situated in the Colin Weir Stand, will be available to purchase (cash only) on the day from the red disabled access gate. Supporters Buses – The Gourock Morton Supporters bus will depart from The Old Wherry Tavern at 1pm. The price will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Mark on 07847847357 to book a space. The Port Glasgow Morton Travel Club bus will leave The Caledonian Bar at 2pm. The cost will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Mark on 07903065204 to book a space. By Train – There are two services an hour to Glasgow Central on the low line, departing Gourock :08 and :38 every hour, as well as one train an hour on the high line, departing Wemyss Bay at :57 every hour. Trains back to Inverclyde after the match are less frequent, shown in the image below. Please double check the final destination of all these services before boarding. From Glasgow Central, a taxi is the quickest and easiest way through to Maryhill, or alternatively, take the Subway over to St George’s Cross station, which is around a twenty-minute walk to Firhill. All information taken from the ScotRail website. By Car – Use the postcode G20 7AL for the stadium. Without traffic, the estimated journey time from Cappielow to Firhill is 29 minutes via the M8. There is free on-street parking on Garscube Road and adjacent streets on route to the stadium. Firhill Road usually closes between 2.30pm and 5pm. Pre-Match – Photo - GlasgowGuide.co.uk If you’re looking to break up the journey from Greenock to Maryhill, the Toby Jug is a thirty second walk from Glasgow Central on Hope Street (97 Hope St, Glasgow G2 6LL). Upon arrival in Maryhill, Munns (610 Maryhill Rd, Glasgow G20 7ED) is the closest pub to the stadium and is around a five-minute walk from the away turnstiles. Munns opens at 11am and is a traditional football pub which welcomes home fans and away fans. They sell 35ml spirits, have a pool table and dart board and a separate lounge area. Photo - GlasgowGuide

Dean, Alan and Stu discuss Friday night's defeat, the confidence of the squad and Saturday's trip to Firhill.

Morton v Dunfermline Athletic – Match Preview by Russell Gordon The second leg of Morton’s Fife double header at Cappielow Park supported by Dalrada Technology sees Dunfermline Athletic and the BBC Scotland cameras visit for the first time this season. After Tuesday’s disappointing result against big-spending Raith Rovers, the need for a positive result against their cousins from across the Kingdom cannot be emphasised enough. Tickets are available from Fanbase at the link below: Fanbase | Dashboard (fanbaseclub.com) Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News There’s unlikely to be too many knocks after Tuesday’s exertions, but Dougie Imrie could well shuffle his limited pack with Morton going into their third game in six days, while Dunfermline enjoyed the luxury of a midweek with their feet up. Long term casualties Jai Quitongo and Darragh O’Connor will of course miss out, but there should be a clean bill of health otherwise. Following his booking on Tuesday, Robbie Muirhead joins Kirk Broadfoot on five league yellows and walking a suspension tightrope, with a sixth leading to a one match ban. Current Connections There are no former Morton players in the Dunfermline squad, although Pars’ gaffer James McPake “enjoyed” a brief loan spell at Cappielow from Livingston in 2006, scoring twice in ten appearances. In the home dressing room, Iain Wilson spent a season and a half at East End Park before moving to Cappielow for his first spell at Morton, scoring a 25 yard “screamer” on his return to Fife in a televised 1-1 draw. Another player who made the move from Dunfermline to Greenock is Robbie Muirhead, vilified by sections of the Pars’ support for his contribution in his time there, only to move to Morton and enjoy a more fruitful spell in Inverclyde. It would be rude to discuss connections between the clubs without mentioning the swap deal which brought Ross Forbes to Cappielow with Andrew Barrowman heading in the opposite direction in January 2015. Yes, I know it’s not a “current” connection, but please just indulge me. Tale of the Tape The less said about Morton’s visit to East End Park in September the better. Perhaps one of our worst performances of the season saw us fall 1-3 to tonight’s visitors on their patch, with goals from Craig Wighton and Lewis McCann in the first half hour giving Morton a mountain to climb. While Robbie Crawford reduced the deficit late on, a late Michael O’Halloran sucker punch ensured the points stayed in Fife. Added to that, injuries to Tyler French, which turned out not to be as serious as first thought, and particularly the still-sidelined Darragh O’Connor, made for an afternoon those of a Morton persuasion would rather forget. On a more positive note however, Morton have an decent record against Dunfermline over the last few years, particularly at Cappielow. The ‘Ton remain unbeaten in Greenock against Dunfermline in their last ten visits, stretching back to a 0-1 defeat which cost Jim Duffy’s side the landmark of going a full calendar year unbeaten in March 2017. Since then, Morton have won four, and drawn six against Dunfermline at home, although one of those draws saw us advance in the Scottish Cup after a penalty shoot-out in the dark old days of COVID in 2021. Undoubtably the most memorable of those visits from our friends from the Kingdom was on the occasion of Dougie Imrie’s home debut in the hot seat, when a scintillating Morton performance saw them obliterate John Hughes’ Fifers 5-0, thanks to goals from Gary Oliver (as usual), Cammy Blues, Gavin Reilly, a Coll Donaldson own goal and Robbie Muirhead. More of the same this evening would be lovely, please and thank you. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis Things went from bad to worse for Dunfermline after that last visit to Cappielow, eventually dropping to League One at the end of the season. However, having made light work of winning the League One title at the expense of their wee pals Falkirk, Dunfermline have enjoyed an up-and-down campaign thus far, enjoying and opening day victory over fellow promoted side, Airdrie and a win at Hampden as well as that last victory over Morton. However, since defeating the ‘Ton in September, the Pars have lost three on the bounce, against Partick, Ayr and most recently local rivals Raith at the weekend. With Dundee United approaching in next Friday’s TV game, they’ll be hoping to arrest that run of results at Cappielow, as a reverse could see them enduring an extended run of defeats. However, sitting three points ahead of Morton with a game in hand, a victory on the road would provide a welcome cushion for James McPake’s side from the bottom of the table. Morton simply cannot allow that to happen. What’s Happening Elsewhere? With our game taking place the night before the other four Championship fixtures, it would be nice to sit back knowing we’ve done our bit and hope for the best. Arbroath welcome Partick to Gayfield, hoping for a repeat of their 3-0 mauling of the Jags a few weeks ago, although from a Morton perspective, swallowing a bit of pride and looking for a favour from Tarquin and Sebastian’s favourites might be the best approach. Ayr host Queen’s Park at Somerset Park, looking to improve on a home record that’s even worse than ours, whilst the Spiders haven’t exactly been setting the heather alight themselves. Draw please. In the other fixtures we’ll be looking for home wins as title-chasing Dundee United and Raith Rovers host Inverness and Airdrie respectively. In the Scottish Cup Second Round, East of Scotland Premier Division Luncarty host Lowland League Bo’ness United in their re-arranged tie from last weekend, with the prize of a trip to Cappielow at the end of the month awaiting the winners. Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 3rd November 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. The bookies can’t separate the sides, with both priced at 6/4 and the draw at 23/10. Robbie Muirhead is comes in at 7/1 to score the first goal, and for the optimistic, a repeat of that 5-0 mauling on Dunfermline’s last visit is 90/1. I didn’t advise you to put that on, though! Match Officials Referee- Graham Grainger AR 1- Steven Traynor AR 2- Calum Doyle Fourth Official- Iain Snedden

Craig & Chris discuss Morton's win over Ayr and defeat to Raith.

Craig & Chris discuss Morton's win over Ayr and defeat to Raith.

Morton v Raith Rovers – Match Preview by Russell Gordon Championship action returns to Cappielow Park supported by Dalrada Technology after a month with the visit of big-spending Raith Rovers to Inverclyde. With both clubs enjoying late victories at the weekend, spirits will be high in Ian Murray and Dougie Imrie’s respective dressing rooms as Morton prepare for part one of a Fife double header at home this week. Tickets are available from Fanbase at the link below: Fanbase | Dashboard (fanbaseclub.com) Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Whisper it, but Morton’s horrific luck with injuries this season may be improving. We’re still without Jai Quitongo and Darragh O’Connor, who are unlikely to return until nearer Christmas. However, with experienced campaigners such as Oakley, Broadfoot and Gillespie now back in the fold, things are beginning to look up on the availability front. Imrie selected an unfamiliar 5-3-2 formation at Somerset Park on Saturday, with Iain Wilson operating in the right wing-back position allowing Morton slightly more width than earlier in the season, whilst the introduction of Lewis McGrattan late on provided an extra impetus to go on and take three valuable points from the weekend’s trip to the seaside. Current Connections There are no former Morton players in the Kirkcaldy side’s ranks, but Morton custodian Jamie MacDonald spent three seasons in the Kingdom from 2020 to last summer before making the move to Greenock. Grant Gillespie also spent a season with Raith in 2019-20, before moving onto Derry City, and subsequently Ayr United and Queen’s Park before winding up at Cappielow. Raith’s Ross Millen is the son of Morton Assistant Manager Andy, who can of course count the Fife outfit as one of his many previous employers. Tale of the Tape Morton had the better of the meetings last season, with a couple of home wins, a defeat early in the season at Stark’s Park and two draws in the Kingdom, although one of those finished with an SPFL Trust Trophy exit on penalties. However, this season’s first meeting saw Raith claim the spoils in controversial circumstances, as Morton were on the end of an appalling refereeing performance for the ages. After Jack Hamilton prodded Raith into an early lead, Lewis Vaughan decided to inexplicably go down in the box in the vicinity of Darragh O’Connor, fooling hapless referee David Munro into awarding the home side a penalty. We all know that Vaughan has a reputation for returning from injuries, but after being so brutally poleaxed, he managed to dust himself down to convert his 14th minute spot kick and revel in his cheating in front of a furious visiting support. Morton however, rallied and reduced the arrears three minutes later as Robbie Muirhead rose majestically to power home Lewis McGrattan’s wonderful cross from the right. From that point, Morton dominated as they searched for an equaliser, although Munro insisted on making himself centre stage, booking eight Morton players over the course of the game in spite of only thirteen fouls being committed by the visitors, booking five Raith players. Although how it took to as late as the 27th minute to book Jack Hamilton should have been a mystery to anyone in attendance. The official also failed to dismiss Ross Millen for a flying elbow before Robbie Crawford finally found space in the box to stab home an equaliser with 19 minutes remaining. Parity however was only restored for five minutes, as Callum Smith robbed Kirk Broadfoot on the halfway line and ran on to net Raith’s winner. MacDonald saved an injury-time Josh Mullin penalty but it was no consolation for Dougie Imrie, who was offered an apology from referee’s chief Crawford Allan- although it was strange that such a high authority’s view that Vaughan had cheated didn’t at least result in an SFA charge for the Raith striker, and no ban was to follow. Scottish football, eh? Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis Raith are enjoying a fantastic season, of that there is no doubt. Currently sitting second in the table behind only Dundee United, their only defeats this season were in a League Cup group stage penalty shoot-out to Fife cousins Dunfermline, an extra time last sixteen visit to Hibernian and against Airdrie at New Broomfield in September. At this rate, they’re due one defeat a month, so October’s would be better late than never. Currently sitting a point behind United with a game in hand, they still have an interest in the SPFL Trust Trophy, and with the semi-finals pre-drawn, could welcome Morton for a place in the final. Of course, their success owes a lot to the investment that came in from the former owners of Kelty Hearts, who jumped ship over the summer, perhaps seeing Raith as having more potential than a club from what is effectively a village with a more limited potential support base. The signings of the likes of Hibs goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski, as well as Euan Murray Keith Watson, and Mullin, Hamilton and Smith have supplemented a squad which already had solid Championship performers in Vaughan, Millen, Dylan Easton, Liam Dick and Sam Stanton. Even at this early stage, a play-off place looks like the worst-case scenario for Raith. What’s Happening Elsewhere? This is one of two regular midweek slots in the Championship this season, although only three games will take place. Arbroath and Queen’s Park moved their Gayfield encounter to the afternoon of our cup game at Ibrox, with both idle having exited the Viaplay Cup at the group stages. A second half Ruari Paton goal gave the Spiders the spoils. Similarly, Dunfermline and Inverness have re-arranged for the 18th of November with both sides out the SPFL Trust Trophy. Very fortunate for them that Dunfermline get a rest before their Friday night visit to Cappielow, like Inverness could cry off their visit to Morton a week and a half ago, yet Morton were forced to go to Hampden with players stuck in Greenock with no way for getting to the game. League leaders United go to Airdrie looking to build on a fine run of results, having demolished Partick 5-0 (stop laughing at the back, there) and Arbroath 6-0. The Diamonds have made New Broomfield a bit of a fortress this season, but since winning at Cappielow have fell away somewhat, and we’ll be hoping for an away win as we look to reel in the Lanarkshire side. Partick host Ayr at Firhill looking to get back on track having drawn their weekend derby at Hampden, and whilst Ayr are a more immediate target for Morton, the Glasgow side aren’t as far in the distance as you would think before studying the table. Having destroyed Ayr in front of the cameras earlier in the season and in the play-offs though, Ayr won’t be looking forward to visiting a club that very much have their number. Photo = GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 31st October 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Unsurprisingly, the visitors are the favourites, heading into the match at 29/20, whilst a home win is priced at 7/4, and the draw at 9/4. With two 1-0 victories in last season’s Cappielow meetings and Morton beginning to close the back door in recent weeks, you can get 7/1 for a repeat. The draw at half time and a Morton win at the death is priced at 21/4. Match Officials Referee- David Dickinson AR 1- Paul O’Neill AR 2- Brian Christie

Ayr United vs Morton – Match Preview by Dean McKinnon Morton head down the coast tomorrow to face a rejuvenated Ayr United side, hoping for an away win that could spark Dougie Imrie’s men into a turnaround of their own. The Ton besting their Ayrshire counterparts in the Championship curtain raiser is their only win to date this term, sitting at the foot of the table with only five points to their name. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad Update The Ton will be hoping that last week’s questionable call off will have allowed injuries to heal, with the gaffer still contending with a lengthy injury list. Loanee Tyler French will be welcomed back to the fold after being cup tied for the home win against Kelty Hearts in the SPFL Trust Trophy. Rangers loanee Jack Harkness has went under the knife in the last couple of weeks and has had his loan terminated by Rangers without making a first team appearance. Current Connections All together now – assistant manager Andy Millen turned out as a player for tomorrow’s opponents. Millen spent an incredibly brief spell in Ayrshire, making three appearances whilst on loan from Hibs. There is plenty of familiarity between both dressing rooms, however not as much in previous years as the sides rid themselves of the ‘legacy’ left at both clubs by David Hopkin. Jack Baird sandwiched a two-year stint at Somerset Park in-between both his spells in Greenock. Club captain Grant Gillespie spent a brief spell during the COVID-impacted 2019/20 season in Ayrshire, joining Ayr following his release from Derry City. Robbie Crawford graduated into the Ayr first team from their academy in 2012. The hardworking midfielder would make 217 appearances for the Honest Men, scoring 16 goals in the process, before joining Livingston ahead of the 2019/20 campaign. Andy Murdoch joined the Ayrshire side after being released by Ray McKinnon in what is quite possibly the most objectionable decision made in his short time in the Cappielow dugout. Murdoch will play no part on Saturday, having torn his ACL attempting to stick one on Jai Quitongo on the opening day. Familiar foe Sean McGinty will no doubt be looking to get one over on his former employers, with the fractious relationship between the centre back and the visiting support well documented in our match previews. Tale of the Tape Morton had the best possible start to the league season against tomorrow’s opponents, showing grit and determination to come from a goal down to win the encounter 3-1. The score remained at 0-0 after a breathless first half, however the Honest Men broke the deadlock six minutes into the second period as Oli Pendlebury smashed past Jamie MacDonald. The Ton rallied after conceding, with goalscoring midfielder Robbie Crawford curling a stunning effort into the far corner of Charlie Albinson’s goal to level the affair. Robbie Muirhead put his side ahead on the 75th minute, netting a penalty after pantomime villan Sean McGinty was adjudged to have fouled Robbie Crawford. Steven Boyd sealed the victory, sweeping home in style after some excellent attacking play down The Ton’s right hand side resulted in an inch perfect delivery from Jack Bearne. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis The Ayrshire side have had an inconsistent start to the season as Lee Bullen looks to life after Dipo Akinyemi, however it has been the other end of the pitch where the Honest Men have struggled so far this term. Tomorrow’s hosts have conceded seventeen goals so far this term, one more than their visitors. Three away wins in succession, 5-2 against Queens Park, 2-1 against Airdrieonians and 1-0 against Dunfermline, have lifted United off the foot of the table into a more comfortable mid-table spot in recent weeks. Ahead of the match, I spoke to Ayr fan Marc Dunlop (@marco_ayr) who spoke of low spirits in the home dressing room - “The Honest Men welcome a Morton side to Somerset on Saturday, low on confidence after an indifferent start to the season. Ayr themselves come into this game on the back of two away victories on the spin, however, their home form, as yet, has failed to impress, with their last home victory being recorded in only the 2nd match of the league campaign. That was a narrow 1-0 victory over Inverness CT, however, boss Lee Bullen will be quietly confident that they’ve turned a corner after registering two impressive victories on the road either side of the International Break. He’ll also find himself with some what of a selection headache, as Ben Dempsey returned to full training earlier in the week. A nice problem to have, however, most of the Ayr support would welcome an unchanged side with the impressive duo of Senga-Ngoyi & Syla striking up a formidable partnership in central midfield in the absence of him & former Morton favourite, Andy Murdoch. The loan arrivals of Logan Chalmers & Anton Dowds have also given United another dimension going forward, & with the experienced Jamie Murphy on the opposite flank, they look a real threat in the final third. The growing enthusiasm, matched against a Morton side low confidence will hopefully see Ayr claim their 2nd home win of the league campaign & 3rd win on the bounce. However, as we all know, nothing in football is guaranteed & the Greenock faithful will be hoping this is the week their side can turn around their season & start climbing the table. Whatever happens, a mouth watering fixture awaits what always is a decent crowd when these two sides take to the pitch. Cmon Ayr!!” Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All match odds are provided by McBookie. Odds are correct as of 7am on 27th October and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. The hosts head into tomorrow’s encounter as favourites, listed at Evs to claim a second home win of the season. A stalemate between the sides is priced at 12/5, with 23/10 your reward if you back Dougie Imrie’s men to gain their first away win of the season. Robbie Crawford is an eye-catching 3/1 to net anytime against his former employers, with Jack Baird listed at 9/1 to haunt his former side. Match Officials Referee - David Dickinson AR1 - John McCrossan AR2 - Brian Christie

Away Day Guide - Ayr United (28th October) Photo – Scottish Football Partnership Tickets Tickets for Saturday’s game MUST be purchased using Ayr’s online ticketing system. Click here to purchase tickets. Prices are as follows - Adults: £22, Concessions: £15 (Over 65s and Students), Juveniles: £15 (13 - 17-year-olds), Child: £6 (12 and under). Disabled Supporters Information Disabled fans will be housed in the disabled area directly under the Family Stand. Fans will enter through Exit Gate G, which has flat, smooth access for wheelchair users. Parking bays are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, but spaces are kept at the front of the main car park for blue badge holders. Drop off and pick up is also available opposite Exit Gate G. The price of entry is £13, with carers going free. Carer tickets should be bought through the club shop, with concession tickets being available both via the club shop and online. The club’s Disability Access Officer is Jim Scullion, who can be contacted via stadium@ayrunitedfc.co.uk. Supporters Buses The Gourock Morton Supporters bus will depart from The Old Wherry Tavern at 1pm. The price will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Shaun on 07983 600945 to book a space. The Port Glasgow Morton Travel Club bus will leave The Caledonian Bar at 1pm. The cost will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Mark on 07903065204 to book a space. By Train There are two services an hour to Glasgow Central on the low line, departing Gourock :08 and :38 every hour, as well as one train an hour on the high line, departing Wemyss Bay at :57 every hour. Travel to Paisley Gilmour Street, alight and transfer to Platform 1 for services to Ayr. Please note that, due to ongoing repair works after the fire at Ayr station, replacement buses are in operation between Prestwick Town and Ayr. All information taken from the ScotRail website. By Car From the A77 take the A719 (Whitletts Road) into Ayr. After passing the racecourse on your left, turn right at the next set of traffic lights for the ground, or turn left to take you down to an unofficial car park. Turning right will take you into Burnett Terrace, then left into Hawkhill Avenue and then right into Somerset Road. The ground is down on the left. There is a small car park at the ground adjacent to the Main Stand but this is for pass holders only. There is plenty of street parking to be found in the area around the stadium. Pre-Match Photo - The Ayr Advertiser If alighting the replacement bus at Newton-on-Ayr, The Wallace Bar (6 Tam's Brig, Ayr KA8 8JQ) is a two minute walk from the station en-route to the stadium. If alighting at Ayr then Smiths (13 Dalblair Rd, Ayr KA7 1UF) is a ten minute walk from the station. Ayr United have recently opened The Somerset Hub, located where the old club stop was outside the stadium, providing all the usual pre-match hospitality. Photo - Ayr United

Morton v Inverness Caledonian Thistle – Match Preview by Russell Gordon Morton have the opportunity to improve upon what has been a horrendous home league record thus far with the visit of fellow strugglers Inverness Caledonian Thistle to Cappielow Park supported by Dalrada Technology this weekend. With only goal difference separating the two sides at the foot of the table, this is the perfect opportunity for Dougie Imrie’s charges to show that they have no intention of being involved in a relegation dogfight as the season progresses. Tickets are available from Fanbase at the link below: Fanbase | Dashboard (fanbaseclub.com) Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Imrie is still contending with an extensive injury list, but will see the return of Tyler French to his backline after the defender was cup-tied for last weekend’s SPFL Trust Trophy victory over League One Kelty Hearts. Rangers loanee Jack Harkness however, will sit out after undergoing an operation in the week and will be joined on the sidelines by long term casualties Jai Quitongo and Darragh O’Connor. Kirk Broadfoot returned to the squad in the absence of French last weekend, and many Morton fans will be looking be watching with interest to see how Imrie’s defence lines up, with Iain Wilson putting in a credible performance at right back, whilst French was comfortable in the centre of the ‘Ton defence against Queen’s Park. Broadfoot has of course been a favourite of the Morton boss this season, but with one goal conceded in the two games he sat out, there’s a direct correlation between the veteran’s absence and Morton’s improved defensive record. Jamie MacDonald will likely return between the sticks after Ryan Mullen deputised for the cup tie, and Imrie may consider his midfield options, as the Just One Cornetto panellists discussed this week, with Gillespie and Alan Power often struggling when fielded together, and the role of last weekend’s hat trick hero Robbie Muirhead when playing in the same side as George Oakley also proving a contentious issue. Current Connections There are no former Morton players in the Inverness squad, although Wallace Duffy did briefly join up on loan from St. Johnstone under David Hopkin; his contract ripped up to allow him to sign a permanent deal at Inverness, before making an appearance for Morton. In the Cappielow squad, there are a trio of former Inverness players in the form of Steven Boyd, Kirk Broadfoot and George Oakley. Broadfoot enjoyed a season in the Highlands, reaching the play-off final before missing out on promotion to St. Johnstone in that final and signing for Lowland League circus act Open Goal Broomhill, before returning to the Championship this summer. Boyd and Oakley both signed up at the Caledonian Stadium last summer, Oakley joining up at Cappielow in January after an unhappy time up north under Billy Dodds, whilst Boyd signed up at Cappielow for this season. Morton boss Dougie Imrie had a two-year spell at the Caledonian Stadium between 2008 and 2010, before moving to St. Mirren and subsequently Morton and Hamilton. Tale of the Tape Morton had the better of last season’s encounters, bagging their first away win of the campaign thanks to a late Grant Gillespie penalty in Inverness before an injury hit Thistle side visited Cappielow last October for a Friday night TV game in which they were blown away by a ruthless Morton team thanks to first half goals from Muirhead and Gillespie, and a David Carson own goal. A wonderful Cammy Blues strike put a bit of gloss on a fine performance in the second period and a Billy Dodds meltdown put the cherry on the cake. We did however have to settle for a point on our second visit to the Highlands, leading twice through Calvin Miller and Robbie Muirhead and relinquishing those leads on both occasions. Inverness notched up three points themselves in the final meeting of the season at Cappielow, having taken the lead early in the second half through a fine Scott Allardice strike. Gillespie equalised from the spot and a late Robbie Muirhead free kick crashed off the bar before David Carson made this particular visit to Cappielow a personally more memorable one by notching a last-minute winner for the visitors. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis Given their often unrealistic expectations for their club, there won’t be many Inverness fans who would argue that they haven’t endured a torrid start to the season. Having been given the golden ticket back into last season’s Scottish Cup after getting knocked out by Queen’s Park, they took full advantage, getting all the way to the final before being swatted aside by Celtic, but at least arrested some of the massive losses that have beset their club in recent years. However, there wasn’t enough credit in the bank for manager Billy Dodds, who was relieved of his duties having failed to get through their Viaplay Cup Group and taken a solitary point from their first five league games. After a subsequent late defeat to Dundee United, the Highlanders made a high-profile appointment in former Everton, Newcastle and Scotland striker, and former Forest Green Rovers boss, Duncan Ferguson. Since taking up his place in the Caledonian Stadium hot seat, they’ve seen an upturn in form that has had the unfortunate consequence of seeing Morton drop to the foot of the table. A 3-2 victory over Arbroath at Gayfield was followed up by a 0-0 home draw with Partick, and he’s made his first move in the transfer market this weekend, bringing in Canadian international, and former St. Johnstone midfielder David Wotherspoon, a free agent since his close season departure from the Perth side. What’s Happening Elsewhere? The BBC cameras make a Friday night visit to Airdrie for the visit of Queen’s Park, a game that we’d probably be happy to see anything other than an away win. On Saturday, Arbroath host big-spending Raith Rovers, while Raith’s Fife cousins Dunfermline take on another struggling side in Ayr United. In the division’s match of the day, league leaders Dundee United travel to Firhill to take on Partick, who will hope to get within a point of the Terrors. Hopefully they don’t. Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 19th October 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Morton go into the match as favourites to collect full points at 23/20, with Thistle priced at 2/1 and the draw a 12/5. Being optimistic, Morton to win without conceding is 14/5 and Geroge Oakley to net the first goal against his former side is 15/2. Match Officials Referee- Lloyd Wilson AR 1- David Roome AR 2- Craig Macrae

Craig, Alan and Darren discuss Morton's 4-1 win over Kelty.

Craig, Alan and Darren discuss Morton's 4-1 win over Kelty.

Morton vs Kelty Hearts – Match Preview by Dean McKinnon Morton welcome League One Kelty Hearts to Cappielow Park supported by Dalrada Technology tomorrow, looking to progress to the latter stages of the SPFL Trust Trophy. One thing that has been more constant than the name or format of Scotland's fourth cup competition has been Morton's failure to make any meaningful attempts to bring this trophy to the Tail o' the Bank. Dougie Imrie will hope that another win against Kelty this season will bring his side one step closer to lifting the cup for the first time. Tickets are priced as follows: Adults - £15, 12-21 year olds and concessions - £12 and U12s go free. Click here to purchase tickets via FanBase. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Jai Quitongo's lengthy spell on the sidelines continues, with the explosive winger proving a huge miss on Morton's right-hand side. Loanees Jack Harness and Tyler French are both cup tied for this, having represented their side’s ‘colt teams’ in the tournament already. Jack Bearne, Matthew Davidson and Cameron Keay should regain their place within the matchday squad following travel mishaps in last week's washout. Dougie Imrie also revealed that veteran defender Kirk Broadfoot has been sidelined with personal issues. Current Connections While no Morton players or staff have plied their trade with the Fife side, the home dressing room will sport many a familiar face for visiting supporters. Former Morton goalkeeper Davie McGurn is currently a member of the backroom staff at Kelty. The shot stopper joined John McCormack’s Morton from Hillwood Boys Club in 2003, where he spent his first season deputising for Craig Coyle without making a single appearance. The capable and popular goalkeeper would stay at Morton for another four seasons, however he would struggle to establish himself as the first-choice keeper at any point during his tenure. Ahead of the 2008/09 season, McGurn would opt to leave the club to sign for Raith Rovers. He would serve Raith with distinction over an eight-year period before moving to Cowdenbeath. Manager Michael Tidser joined The Ton as a fresh faced nineteen-year-old in 2010, having been released from Celtic’s youth system and spending a brief time at Ostersunds in Sweden. The midfielder quickly impressed as his technical abilities were evident for all to see. He would go on to become a key part of Allan Moore’s side in 2012/13, a season which saw him shortlisted for the First Division Player of the Year award. In June 2013, an offer of £50,000 was accepted by the club and the midfielder headed south to join Rotherham. Both sides would meet in a pre-arranged friendly a week later with Tidser receiving a warm reception from the home support. The second chapter of Tidser’s Morton career began with an act of sheer incompetence. With Jim Duffy’s men struggling to separate themselves from Stranraer and Forfar in the title race, The Ton looked to revered former stars Michael Tidser and Peter MacDonald to help clinch a return to the second tier. It was then unearthed that, as Tidser had already appeared for two clubs in that season, he would be unable to play any part in the League One campaign. In the seasons that followed, Tidser was a rather unspectacular part of Jim Duffy’s side, with it being suggested that the player’s style did not match the style of the manager. Then came the news that no Morton fan wanted to hear. Tidser remained a popular face among the Cowshed faithful and, in the midst of the turbulent 2018/19 season, it was announced that he had signed a pre-contract agreement with Falkirk. It’s safe to say that the relationship between the Morton support and Tidser has never been the same since. On the subject of soured relations, former Morton defender Thomas O’Ware is another well kent face for the Morton faithful. Signing for Morton in the summer of 2011, the former Rangers and Kilmarnock youth player made his debut against Deveronvale in November 2011. Although a natural centre back, he would be used in a variety of positions during his seven-season stay at the Tail o’ the Bank, including in midfield and up front. O’Ware announced that he would be leaving the club in May 2018, breaking the news ahead of the final league game of the season, which he was subsequently dropped for. He would also state he would have ‘absolutely no issue’ crossing the Renfrewshire divide to join St Mirren. Despite holding out for a Premiership club, O’Ware would wash up at Partick, where he suffered a serious knee injury after only three appearances in the 2018/19 season. He joined Kelty in 2021 following Partick’s promotion back to the Championship. Journeyman midfielder Stefan McCluskey is another former Morton player now representing Kelty. McCluskey followed manager Jim Duffy from Broadwood to Cappielow in the summer of 2014 as Duffy was tasked with returning The Ton to the second tier of Scottish football at the first time of asking. McCluskey scored a few notable goals during his two-year stay in Greenock - an injury time winner as The Ton completed a stunning last gasp comeback to beat Stenhousemuir 3-2; a fine strike in an imperious 4-0 win at East End Park and an equaliser at Ibrox which secured a 2-2 draw and sparked euphoria in the away end. McCluskey would leave the club in the summer of 2016, believing an offer would arrive from higher up the food chain. The winger would go on to sign for Peterhead, Alloa, Pollok, Dumbarton and Forfar before joining Kelty ahead of this season. Reece Lyon is the most recent link between both clubs. The former St Mirren youth player joined his hometown club in 2013. Making his competitive debut five years later against Dumbarton in the Challenge Cup, Lyon would struggle to establish himself at the club despite several managerial changes. Current manager Dougie Imrie sent Lyon on loan to League Two side Annan Athletic last season, where he would make twenty-three appearances in a successful loan move. His Morton contract, which had another year to run, was mutually terminated this summer as the midfielder agreed to sign for his former teammate Michael Tidser. Photo - GBR Photographs. Tale of the Tape The meeting in this season's League Cup was the only time the teams have squared off. Tiwi Daramola gave the hosts the lead in the closing stages of the first half, before Steven Boyd's first goal for the club drew the sides level. The Ton struggled to get going at times on a rather sticky surface, but goalscoring midfielder Robbie Crawford's second half strike put The Ton in front, with the win being rounded off by a last gasp finish from Kirk Broadfoot, netting a rebounded attempt from a Robbie Crawford corner. Opposition Analysis With a quarter of the season been played, Kelty are sitting pretty in 4th place, with a playoff place a realistic aim for the season ahead. They appear to have the most clinical strike force in the league, sitting in fourth for goals scored despite taking the least amount of shots in the division, as well as registering the lowest number of shots on target. Defensive frailties could be the Achilles heel of the Fifers this term, having conceded fourteen goals this term and only recording one clean sheet. Michael Tidser’s men arrive at Cappielow in fair fettle, recording two wins on the bounce heading into this cup tie, seeing off struggling sides Queen of the South and Edinburgh City 3-1 and 4-1 respectively in the past fortnight. What's Happening Elsewhere? East Fife fans are the envy of us all this weekend, travelling to Wales to take on the last remaining foreign team in the tournament, The New Saints, with former Morton player Declan McManus leading the line for the Welshmen. Arbroath travel to the borders to face Queen of the South, Dundee United head to the opposite side of the country to take on Peterhead, Raith Rovers host Montrose, Rangers 'B' face Airdrieonians, East Kilbride welcome their Lanarkshire counterparts Hamilton, and Queens Park will attempt to spark their campaign into life against League One Falkirk in Grangemouth. Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All match odds are provided by McBookie. Odds are correct as of 7am on 13th October 2023 and are subject to change. Please only gamble within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. The Ton’s recent woes are underlined by the fact they are priced higher than evens to win at home to side from the league below, pegged at 5/4 to win. The draw is 13/5, with the Fifers 17/10 to progress to the final four of the tournament. There is precious little value in the goals market, the only available market other than match outcome. Both teams not to score seems to be the only reasonably worthwhile investment at 7/5. Match Officials Referee - Steven Kirkland AR1 - Craig Ferguson AR2 - Scott Anderson

After Saturday's washout Chris saves the day, stepping into hosting duties as him and Alan discuss Saturday's soggy stalemate and preview the Kelty game.

Queen’s Park v Morton - Match Preview by Russell Gordon You know things are looking grim when we’re discussing relegation six-pointers before the clocks have gone back, but such is Morton’s alarming run of form in the opening weeks of the season, we head to Scotland’s National Stadium fearing that the hoodoo of a season ending in a four isn’t going to rear its ugly head yet again. Hosts Queen’s Park’s season has stalled somewhat after an excellent start, which was aided by a double header against an Arbroath side who hadn’t clicked into gear until their inevitable Cappielow romp and they will see the visit of the league’s bottom side as a perfect opportunity to get back on track. Photo- GBR Photos Squad News I said last week that it was getting to the stage that you’re waiting to see which Morton player will get injured on any given matchday, and sure enough, last week’s victim was new signing Jack Harkness, who pulled up in the warm-up, although he was still able to take his place on the bench. Kirk Broadfoot’s absence last weekend was unexplained, although Tyler French’s inclusion was a welcome one, with many of us fearing that he may have been forced to suffer an extended stay on the sidelines. Unfortunately though, Darragh O’Connor and Jai Quitongo won’t be back any time soon, with Dougie Imrie commenting last week that O’Connor would be out for around 4-6 weeks (from then) and that Quitongo would be unavailable for the foreseeable future. I suspect that most who watched last Saturday’s match against Airdrie would agree that we’re missing Quitongo’s dynamism on the right-hand side pretty desperately. On a positive note, George Oakley’s return to the team was a boost, and the big striker has a terrific record against the Spiders, bagging four goals across three games against them for Morton last season and supplying Robbie Crawford for his fantastic winner on last season’s penultimate day. Photo- GBR Photos Current Connections There’s nobody in the Queen’s Park squad that have previously represented Morton, but Jai Quitongo and Grant Gillespie both spent a couple of seasons on Glasgow’s southside (or wherever they were squatting those years) from 2020-22, netting a Third Division title and promotion to the Championship via the play-offs before moving on to Cappielow. Ryan Mullen had a brief loan spell at Queen’s Park from Celtic, whilst Morton Assistant Manager Andy Millen can (of course) count Queen’s Park amongst his many former clubs, finishing his playing career at Hampden at the ripe old age of 45, back in 2011. Photo- GBR Photos Tale of the Tape History is very much in Morton’s favour, with the Spiders failing to defeat Morton last season, suffering three defeats and holding their more illustrious opponents to a 2-2 draw in Larbert in March. We’ll be hoping that history repeats itself on Saturday, as just over a year ago, Morton set off on a ten-match unbeaten league run with an away win against the Spiders, Jaze Kabia and Robbie Muirhead strikes contributing to a 2-1 ‘Ton victory. Whilst the Christmas fixture at Cappielow fell foul of the weather, when it was eventually played in February, those in attendance were treated to an absolute thriller, with Morton coming from behind to record a 3-2 win thanks to a George Oakley double and a strike from Jack Baird, before Oakley’s double three weeks later clawed back a point for Morton having fallen 0-2 down before half time in that aforementioned Ochilview draw. Morton were again the victors in that fantastic final meeting of the sides, thanks to a Grant Gillespie penalty and Robbie Crowford’s wonderful winner, as the sought to maintain their play-off challenge at the expense of Queen’s Park’s title charge. Queen’s Park’s last league victory over Morton was in April 1962. There won’t be too many Morton fans complaining if that record is extended further. Photo- GBR Photos Opposition Analysis Life is never quiet with Queen’s Park, and with manager Owen Coyle moving on following last season’s failure to win promotion to be replaced by former Ajax and Anderlecht youth coach Robin Veldman. We also received a bit of clarity over the summer over the Spiders’ plans for where they plan playing their home games going forward, and to the surprise of very few, they’ve reached an agreement with the SFA to play their home games at Scotland’s National Stadium, in spite of bagging £5 million from the sale of said facility to renovate a more modest venue at Lesser Hampden which could have easily suited their needs. However, having built a ground which is far too small to host Championship football, let alone matches in the top flight that they aspired to so recently, one wonders if they actually had any intention of ever using Lesser Hampden, and felt that by building a smaller venue, they’d be able to cash in on having Hampden on their doorstep. I suppose it helps to have friends in high places. On the park, things haven’t gone well of late. A blistering start to the league season came to an abrupt halt, with our hosts leaking goals at an alarming rate. Last Saturday’s 1-4 defeat at the hands of title favourites Dundee United was perhaps not unexpected, but a 2-5 home caning at the hands of a struggling Ayr United side was not what the doctor ordered. Queen’s Park have lost five league games in a row and conceded seventeen goals in the process. The irresistible force against the immoveable object, this is not. Veldman’s highest profile signings this season have been Queen of the South hitman Ruari Paton, who has already found the net eight times this season, four of those coming in a Viaplay Cup victory over Elgin City, and former Motherwell winger Stuart McKinstry, who arrived from English Championship side Leeds United earlier this week and could debut for our hosts this weekend. Ahead of the match I spoke to Enzo from Spiders Talk Podcast (@SpidersTalkPod), who spoke of the importance of this weekend's match - "It's been a mixed start to the season for Queen's Park, with 3 wins to kick things off followed by a disappointing run of 5 defeats. At this early stage this weekend's game is already massive for the manager if he ever wants to restore the fans' faith in him. The summer transfer window was an interesting one, with many of our more experienced players shown the door, only to be replaced by youth. As it stands we currently have the youngest squad in the division by a couple of years, and although there's talent there, there's also naivety and a lack of discipline. Most Queen's Park fans will look at a fixture against Morton with trepidation given our record against them last season, but their poor start is something we need to capitalise on. The last time we lost 6 games in a row was in 2013, when we ended up finishing bottom of League Two. Ruari Paton has been one of our most important signings so far and is currently second top scorer in the division, which shouldn't be a surprise given his goal scoring record last season. Louis Longridge has also found a new role at right back and has been one of our most consistent players, along with our oldest squad member. Keep an eye out for Jack Spong in the middle of the park too, alongside Bayern Munich loaner Barry Hepburn. This could be a pivotal game in the course of our season, but it's difficult at this stage to be anything other than concerned given the opposition and our defensive woes of late." Photo- GBR Photos What’s Happening Elsewhere? There’s top-of-the-table clash at Stark’s Park, where league leaders Dundee United are the visitors to big-spending Raith Rovers. More pertinent to Morton’s current concerns however are the visits of fellow strugglers Ayr United to last weekend’s conquerors, Airdrie. Whisper it, but we may find ourselves wishing Partick well on their trip to the Highlands, in the hope that they can arrest Inverness’s new manager bounce that helped them record their first victory at Arbroath last weekend. The Red Lichties visit Dunfermline in the weekend’s other game. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7am on 6th October 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Queen’s Park are favourites to collect all three points at 23/20, with Morton priced at 19/10 to collect their first away league win of the season. The draw is priced at 5/2. Morton are 5/1 to win whilst recording a so-far-elusive clean sheet, and George Oakley is priced at 8/1 to continue his fine goalscoring run against the Spiders with the opening goal. Match Officials Referee- Craig Napier AR 1- Colin Drummond AR 2- Ross Anderson

It's Alan v Dean in the final of the quiz tournament.

It's Alan v Dean in the final of the quiz tournament.

Away Day Guide - Queens Park (7th October) Photo – Gabriel Antoniazzi Ticketing Click here to purchase tickets via the Queens Park website. Tickets are priced as follows; Adults - £20, Concessions (OAPs and Students) - £13, U16s - £8. Disabled Supporters Information The South Stand has a wheelchair section where supporters and carers are welcome. Disabled parking and accessibility arrangements can be made by contacting Queens Park via tickets@queensparkfc.co.uk or call 0141 632 1275. Supporters Buses The Gourock Morton Supporters bus will depart from The Old Wherry Tavern at 12.15pm. The price will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Shaun on 07983 600945 to book a space. The Port Glasgow Morton Travel Club bus will leave The Caledonian Bar at 1.45pm. The cost will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Mark on 07903065204 to book a space. By Train There are two services an hour to Glasgow Central on the low line, departing Gourock :08 and :38 every hour, as well as one train an hour on the high line, departing Wemyss Bay at :57 every hour. Alight at Glasgow Central and transfer to services to Mount Florida. The train to the national stadium takes ten minutes and is less than five minutes from the turnstiles. All information taken from the ScotRail website. By Car Use the postcode G42 9BA for the stadium. The estimated journey time from Cappielow via the M8/M74 is 32 minutes (24.1 miles). The stadium car park will be open from 1.30pm. Pre-Match There are several hostelries in the vicinity of the national stadium, the most notable being Clockwork, Florida Park, Beechwood and Montfords. Image taken from Google Maps.

Dean and Craig discuss the loss to Airdrieonians, the importance of the next three league fixtures, and preview the trip to Hampden on Saturday.

Morton v Airdrieonians – Match Preview by Russell Gordon After a weekend in which everything could go wrong did at Dunfermline, Morton welcome the other promoted side, Airdrie, to Cappielow Park supported by Dalrada Technology. Whilst the Diamonds’ start to the season has been inconsistent, Dougie Imrie’s side will be looking to register their first league victory since the season’s opening day defeat of Ayr, as they hope to keep those in the pack above them within striking distance after a difficult start to the campaign. Tickets for the match are available at the link below: Fanbase | Dashboard (fanbaseclub.com) Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News There’s no hiding from it, Imrie doesn’t have his problems to seek with an already thin squad being stretched to its limits as the injuries continue to pile up for the Morton boss. Whilst Grant Gillespie is working his way back to full fitness after a couple of recent substitute appearances, Jai Quitongo could again sit out, and if he makes the squad will be unlikely to be fully fit for the match. Long-term casualty George Oakley will certainly miss out. But just as the club’s defensive woes appeared to be sorting themselves out, the double injury blows to Dundee loanee Tyler French in only his second Morton appearance and his replacement Darragh O’Connor, who suffered a suspected dislocated knee at East End Park, can only be described as hammer blows for Morton. If that wasn’t bad enough, another of those capable of covering at right back, Iain Wilson could also be struggling with a thigh injury. It's getting to the stage that you worry who this week’s casualty will be. Current Connections There aren’t too many connections between the two clubs, and most of them are concentrated in the visitors’ camp. Airdrie reserve keeper David Hutton had a brief time at Cappielow, serving as Derek Gaston’s deputy in 2012/13. Charlie Telfer also had a season-long spell on the Tail o’ the Bank, leaving under comical circumstances as the erstwhile Cappielow board tried to prevent boss Jonatan Johansson from selecting him for the final game of the season in order to prevent an automatic extension of his contract. Whilst Telfer did eventually appear from the bench, he moved onto League One minnows Falkirk, having played no small part in relegating them to the purgatory of the third tier with the vital second goal two weeks previous, which all but cemented Morton’s Championship status for that season. Young Lewis McGregor made the move from Morton to Monklands last season, and after being used sparingly as the Diamonds made their promotion charge, has been a far more regular fixture in their line up this term. If we’re looking for tenuous links, Hibernian loanee Josh O’Connor’s dad, Garry has a quite disastrous spell at Cappielow in the latter half of the ignominious 2013-14 season. Nobody in the Morton squad has ever played for Airdrie, but Jai Quitongo’s brother, Rico had a very unhappy spell there, and the Morton ace has made no secret that there is no love lost between he and the weekend’s visitors. Photo - GBR Photographs. Tale of the Tape Games between the sides have been few and far between in recent years, but Airdrie’s most recent visit to Greenock will live long in the memory of those fortunate enough to be part of the COVID-restricted 600 crowd gathered inside Cappielow. As the sides squared up in the Championship play-off final in May 2021, with the Diamonds looking to snatch Morton’s Championship status and send them spinning into the abyss of League One, Morton stood up to the challenge in style. An injury time winner at New Broomfield from Robbie Muirhead gave Morton a vital, but narrow advantage heading into the second leg showdown at Cappielow, and Muirhead was again the hero of the second leg, scoring a goal for the ages to extend Morton’s advantage, which was added to by Gary Oliver before Muirhead added the coup de gras late in the game to secure Morton’s Championship place with a 4-0 aggregate win. The last time the sides met on regular league business was in Morton’s 2014-15 League One winning campaign, with both teams winning home and away, and Morton knocking Airdrie out of the Scottish Cup after a New Broomfield replay for good measure. Opposition Analysis It’s been quite a time to be an Airdrie fan of late. After years of stagnation in League One, they finally made it back into the fairly big time after a number of narrow misses in recent years, finishing third behind runaway champions Dunfermline and semi-final opponents Falkirk, blitzing the Bairns 6-2 in the first leg of their not-at-all funny tie, and finishing them off 1-0 in Grangemouth. Hamilton Accies were a much tougher nut to crack than John McGlynn’s men though. Having won 1-0 in the home leg, they had to rely on an injury time Gabby McGill goal to reduce the second leg arrears to 1-2 and force extra time, before Josh Rae stopped Daniel O’Reilly’s tame sudden death spot kick to take Airdrie up 6-5 on penalties at the expense of their Lanarkshire neighbours. They took up where they left off in the League Cup, advancing from their group with a 100% record before narrowly losing to Ross County. League form has been inconsistent, with Airdrie winning all three home games and losing all three on the road, which will hopefully be a good omen for this weekend. Whilst we know as well as anyone about Arbroath’s upturn in form, to go from losing 0-4 at Gayfield to beating big-spending Raith 1-0 the following week is quite a turnaround in fortunes. Manager Rhys McCabe was a surprise appointment at the start of last season, especially given his relative youth, but has balanced the responsibility well whilst continuing to act as their talisman on the park, and adding to an already decent squad with the aforementioned O’Connor, and Morton’s old foe, Nikolay Todorov to supplement the already prolific Callum Gallagher at the top end of the pitch. Photo - GBR Photographs. What’s Happening Elsewhere? There’s no escaping the biggest story in the Championship this weekend, with Morton’s fellow strugglers Inverness Caledonian Thistle appointing former Everton, Newcastle and Scotland striker Duncan Ferguson as Billy Dodds’ replacement. Ferguson’s first assignment will be to arrest the Red Lichties’ impressive winning run at Gayfield in a fixture that those of a Morton persuasion will be hoping for a home win. Down the road at Tannadice, another home win would be nice with league leaders Dundee United hosting a Queen’s Park side who took a 2-5 battering from Ayr last Friday. The Honest Men host a Raith side who suffered their first league reverse of the season last weekend at Airdrie while two of Morton’s recent conquerors, Partick and Dunfermline face off at Firhill, with the Pars looking to build on a decent run and Partick hoping to bounce back from last weekend’s 0-3 mauling by Arbroath. Betting Guide All odds are supplied by McBookie. All odds correct as of 7pm on 28th September 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Morton head into the match as favourites at 23/20, whilst an Airdrie win comes in at 21/10 and the draw at 9/4. Robbie Muirhead is priced at 15/2 to repeat the feat of that play-off final second leg by bagging a double, and Morton are 3/1 to win whilst recording their first clean sheet of the league campaign. Match Officials Referee- Euan Anderson AR 1- Drew Kirkland AR 2- Colin McAlpine

Dean and Craig discuss the loss to Dunfermline, the visit of Airdrie at the weekend and all the news from the MCT AGM that was held on Monday night.

Dunfermline vs Morton – Match Preview by Dean McKinnon Morton are in Fife on Saturday to face newly promoted Dunfermline at East End Park. Both sides will come into this clash in buoyant spirits, with The Ton claiming a hard-earned point at Tannadice last week, and Dunfermline toppling Queens Park at the national stadium. James McPake’s men have adjusted well to life back in the second tier and will provide another stern test for The Ton, who will seek their first win on the road this term, having gained their first away point of the campaign at Tannadice last week. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Tyler French appeared to settle into the squad well last week, delivering an assured performance following some understandable nerves in the opening few minutes. Young midfielder Alex King will now be unavailable after being loaned out to League Two side Clyde. The Sinclair Street men were boosted as Robbie Crawford and club captain Grant Gillespie returned to the fold at Tannadice following their injury layoffs. Dougie Imrie’s attacking options are still not as fruitful as they could be, with Jai Quitongo and George Oakley still on the sidelines. Current Connections Nobody in the current Dunfermline squad has ever represented our favourites, although manager James McPake spent a very brief loan spell on Sinclair Street in 2006, scoring twice in ten league appearances. Loanee Iain Wilson spent eighteen months with The Pars in the COVID-hit period between 2020 and 2022. Following two years on loan at Queen of the South from Kilmarnock, he was released before joining Stevie Crawford’s side. He was released by mutual consent by the Fifers on 30th January 2022 before joining Morton the following day. Robbie Muirhead also spent a brief time with The Pars. Following his departure from MK Dons, the striker signed for Dunfermline, making fourteen league appearances without finding the net. He would then go on to join David Hopkin’s Morton ahead of the 2019/20 season. Tale of the Tape Both teams shared a division in 2021/22 season before Dunfermline’s eventual relegation. The Ton had an unbeaten season against their Fife counterparts, with one win and one draw at both venues over the four league encounters. Morton’s last win at East End Park came on the second meeting of the sides in 2021/22, with a goal from Gozie Ugwu and a double from Gary Oliver giving Gus MacPherson a rare win in the Morton hotseat. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis Dunfermline have not looked out of place upon their return to the second tier. They have continued their impressive defensive record from last season into this term, conceding only four goals in their five matches so far, second only to Dundee United. Dundee United are the only team to have scored more than once in a match against James McPake’s men in all competitions this season, having ran out comfortable 3-0 winners in the SPFL Trust Trophy. The Pars bounced back from this setback with a 2-0 win against Queens Park at Hampden last week. Ahead of the game, I spoke to Robbie McIntosh from the PTG + H-Pars Supporters Group, who spoke of the change from the Dunfermline sides The Ton have faced previously - “A lot has changed for Dunfermline Athletic since this fixture was last played out. March 2022, a 1-1 draw at East End Park under Yogi Hughes. A bitterly disappointing relegation and a promotion winning season later we are back in the Championship with an almost new identity under the management of James McPake. Experienced at this level after guiding Dundee out of the play offs and into the Premiership, picking up the SPFL Championship manager of the year along the way. Trust in McPake for this machine he is creating is ever growing. Having last week avenged ourselves against Queens Park at Hampden for last season's relegation playoff. May I add with a depleted squad due to injuries, it is hopefully a good sign how this season will fare. The Pars only have 3 players remaining of the starting 11 from the previous Morton fixture. With the likes of standouts Ewan Otoo coming in from Celtic B and Kane Ritchie-Hostler formerly of Man City academy then Rangers B respectively on 2-year deals, this is seen amongst fans as a statement from the club, aiming for stability and investing in talented youth to progress. However optimistic we maybe we right now we are well aware of the challenges this league brings. Morton being a tough team for the Pars over recent years with Dunfermline not picking up a win in our last 5 meetings! In our last 27 league games we have lost only once, coming from rivals Raith Rovers at EEP in our last home game, so Dunfermline will be hopefully looking to put things right. The Dunfermline lineup will most likely look the same as last weeks with Injuries still to star man Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Matty Todd and first choice goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet to name a few. This does however leave new signing Alex Jakubiak, loan signings Ben Summers (Celtic), Owen Moffat (Blackpool), Harrison Sharp (Dundee) and squad players with a chance to make an impression.” Photo - GBR Photographs. Betting Guide All match odds are provided by McBookie. Odds are correct as of 8pm on 21st September 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. The hosts enter this clash as favourites, chalked at Evs to take all three points. The draw is priced at 5/2, with Dougie Imrie’s men 11/5 to return to Inverclyde with maximum points. If you fancy Robbie Muirhead to continue his impressive goalscoring return this term, you can back him at 2/1 to score anytime, you can also back the striker at 7/1 to grab the first goal or to score the last goal at the same price. If you are looking for slightly more generous odds, a double of Cammy Blues to score anytime and Morton to win comes in at 10/1. Match Officials Referee - Grant Irvine AR1 - Dougie Potter AR2 - Kevin Buchanan

Away Day Guide – Dunfermline (23rd September) Photo - Dunfermline FC Ticketing Click here to purchase tickets. Ticket prices are as follows: Adult - £21, Concession - £15, U12s - £7. Disabled Supporters Information There is no limit to the number of tickets available to disabled supporters, although East End Park is only able to accommodate 19 home wheelchair users and 12 away wheelchair users, and therefore tickets for this group of supporters are subject to availability. Where a disabled supporter requires a carer or Personal Assistant, that person will be admitted free of charge. The Club has 6 dedicated parking spaces for disabled away fans behind the East Stand, spaces can be booked in advance by emailing matthew@dafc.co.uk up to 24 hours before the match. Any remaing spaces will be available on a first come first served basis on matchday. Please enter the Main Carpark via Leys Park Road and follow the stewards` directions. These spaces are available free of charge.
 Supporters Buses The Gourock Morton Supporters bus will depart from The Old Wherry Tavern at 12.15pm. The price will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Shaun on 07983 600945 to book a space. The Port Glasgow Morton Travel Club bus will leave The Caledonian Bar at 12.30pm. The cost will be decided on the day. Message their page on Facebook or contact Mark on 07903065204 to book a space. By Train There are two services an hour to Glasgow Central on the low line, departing Gourock :08 and :38 every hour, as well as one train an hour on the high line, departing Wemyss Bay at :57 every hour. Alight at Glasgow Central and transfer to Glasgow Queen Street, then alight at Haymarket. Please note that replacement bus services are in operation between Haymarket and Dunfermline on Saturday. All information taken from the ScotRail website. By Car Use the postcode KY12 7RB for the stadium. The estimated journey time from Cappielow, via the M8, M876 and A985 is 1 hour and 19 minutes (61.2 miles). Street parking around the stadium is limited, please also note that parking in the retail park next to the stadium may incur a private parking fine. Pre-Match The East Port (7 East Port, Dunfermline, KY12 7JG) is the best bet for pre-match refreshments, offering the usual amenities. You may struggle around the stadium, with the Elizabethan not welcoming football fans, and the stadium bars typically not admitting away fans. Photo - WhatPub

Dean and Louise discuss the arrival of French, the departure of King, Saturday's draw and the trip to Dunfermline.

Dundee United vs Morton – Match Preview by Dean McKinnon Morton travel north tomorrow seeking their first away points of the season as they take on league leaders Dundee United. Dougie Imrie will hope that last week’s 2-1 win over a dogged Elgin City side can lift his side ahead of their sternest test of the season so far. With reinforcements being added in defence for the visitors, the Cowshed faithful will hope this can spur The Ton onto improve their defensive record this term. Photo - GBR Photographs. Squad News Morton were boosted midweek, announcing the signing of Tyler French on loan from our host’s rivals, Dundee. The English defender, who is capable of playing both centre back and right back, joined on a season long loan from The Dees. Whilst this will boost The Ton’s rearguard, attacking options are still thin on the ground, with question marks remaining over midfielder Robbie Crawford and winger Jai Quitongo. George Oakley and club captain Grant Gillespie’s lengthy spells on the sideline look set to continue. Current Connections Robbie Muirhead headed to the City of Discovery on 2nd February 2015 for a fee of £150,000 from Kilmarnock. He would go on to make fifteen league appearances, scoring twice, before a brief loan spell at Partick Thistle. After his release from Dundee United he would go on to sign for Hearts before moving south of the border to join MK Dons. Grant Gillespie spent a very brief spell in Tayside. He signed a short-term deal in January 2018, making four league appearances before moving on at the end of the 2018/19 campaign. Former Morton goalkeeper turned goalkeeper coach Paul Mathers and kitman Andy Bryan are now both part of the Tannadice backroom staff. The most notable link between both clubs is Liam Grimshaw. The versatile Englishman arrived on Sinclair Street in September 2022, quickly establishing himself as a key player in Dougie Imrie’s side. Featuring mostly at right back, and occasionally being utilised in central midfield, he was revered by the Cowshed faithful before joining Jim Goodwin’s men in the summer. Tape of the Tape The last time Dundee United visited the second tier was the COVID-hit season in which teams played three rounds of fixtures. Dundee United claimed a 6-0 win at home followed up with a 2-1 victory at Cappielow, with The Ton claiming their first point against the Arabs on their second trip to Dundee that season in a 1-1 draw. Morton’s last win came on the final day of the 2018/19 season, with Falkirk bound Michael Tidser separating the teams. Events in Grangemouth on that day ensured that the dead-rubber at Cappielow was not at the forefront The Ton faithful’s minds, as they enjoyed the news of Ray McKinnon’s Falkirk being relegated to League One, never to return. Morton’s last win at Tannadice was a thumping 3-0 win in January 2018, with goals from Thomas O’Ware, Scott Tiffoney and Jack Iredale sealing the win against Csaba Laszlo’s side. Photo - GBR Photographs. Opposition Analysis There’s no way of dressing it up – Dundee United are favourites to win the Championship this season. The wheels fell off their survival bid last term, losing their last five games on the spin as they slid to the foot of the Premiership table. Jim Goodwin has remained at the helm and appears to have build a formidable second tier side, boasting talents such as Louis Moult, Tony Watt and Craig Sibbald in the forward areas. Ahead of the game, I spoke to Dundee United fan Gary Manson, a member of the Shed 57 Supporters Club (@Shed__57), who contextualised the Arab’s unceremonious return to the second tier: “Season 22/3 was one to forget for the Tannadice faithful. A slide from European football in August to ignominious relegation in May compounded by the fact that they swapped league berths with their Dark Blue city rivals. There were three separate occupants of the managerial hot seat as poor results cost Jack Ross and Liam Fox their jobs with Jim Goodwin taking over in February. The new managerial “bounce” gave Arabs a glimmer of hope in staying in the league but five straight post-split defeats confirmed United’s third relegation in the Premier League era. There were the predictable departures- Jamie McGrath moved up the east coast to Aberdeen and Dylan Levitt went in the opposite direction to Easter Road. Steven Fletcher joined the celebrities at Wrexham and Aussie Aziz Behich, one of the few players with pass marks opted to “Return to Oz”. Recruitment was top of Goodwins list and Liam Grimshaw moved from Cappielow along with Patrick’s Kevin Holt and Ross Docherty. Arabs despaired about numerous goal keeping calamities last term and Luton Town loanee Jack Walton has taken over the gloves and installed some much needed confidence between the sticks. There were dissenting voices when Goodwin was given a permanent appointment in the summer and those grew louder after a disappointing Viaplay Cup campaign. A grim 1-0 opening defeat away to Spartans was reminiscent of Goodwin’s Aberdeen side’s Scottish Cup humiliation at Darvel last January. A second defeat- this time at home to Partick meant United were all but out before the traditional trades fortnight had finished. Things have looked up since the league got underway though. Arbroath were ripped apart on the opening Friday night with United scoring four unanswered goals in a blistering first half performance. Victories at Ayr and over Airdrie at Tannadice as well as a 1 each draw with Dunfermline mean that United are joint top, undefeated with ten points from four games. Goodwin has created a steely defence with the addition of Declan Gallagher to partner Kevin Holt in the centre and former Morton favourite Grimshaw slotting in on the right. Scott McMann makes up the quartet and in their opening 4 games- United have only lost one goal. Up front, ex-Motherwell striker Louis Moult partners another former Steelman, Tony Watt and with 10 league goals this season the Ton will have to defend well on Saturday. There are positives for Morton however, injury to midfielder Craig Sibbald and Ross Docherty being doubtful leaves the Tangerines a bit lightweight in the middle of the park however they’ve been bolstered with the recent arrival of Jordan Tilson on loan from Ross County. Overall United must rank as favourites for the title, even at this early stage but 4 seasons in the championship last time round means that no one in Tangerine will be taking anything for granted.” Photo - GBR Photographs. What’s Happening Elsewhere? Ayr United host Partick Thistle on Friday night as the Honest Men look to lift themselves out of the relegation zone in front of the BBC Scotland cameras. The Championship’s two part-time sides clash at Gayfield on Saturday as Arbroath take on Airdrieonians. Queens Park will be looking to resurrect their form against Dunfermline, with the Spiders losing both their previous matches. Inverness travel to Kirkcaldy to face unbeaten Raith Rovers. Betting Guide All match odds and provided by McBookie. Odds are correct as of 7am on 14th September 2023 and are subject to change. Please only bet within your means and visit BeGambleAware if you are struggling. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Saturday’s hosts head into this encounter as the bookies’ favourites at 13/20 to claim all three points. A point a piece is priced at 14/5, with 7/2 your reward if you successfully back Morton to be the first side this term to leave Tannadice with maximum points. If you fancy another Robbie Muirhead screamer on Sandeman Street, you can back him to score anytime at 9/4. With Cammy Blues looking set to be back in midfield, you can back him to score anytime at 6/1. Match Officials Referee - David Munro AR1 - Ross Macleod AR2 - Scott Bunting