Morton 2 Dunfermline 1

Saturday, 28th Feb 2009

IRN BRU First Division: in came Scott Thomson, Stephen Glass and Andy Kirk. 1-0 Weatherson (28), 2-0 Greachen (48). 2-1 Kirk (84 pen)

Dunfermline travelled to Greenock for the second time this season requiring to keep their strong away form going. Manager Jim McIntyre made three changes; in came Scott Thomson, Stephen Glass and Andy Kirk, Rory Loy and Calum Woods dropped to the bench and there was no place for Greg Ross.

Morton were without Dominic Shimmin and Steven Masterton. Brian Wake and Chris Smith were relegated to the bench. Davie Irons brought in Eric Paartalu, Allan Jenkins, Allan McManus and James Grady. The home side kicked off attacking the goal in front of the empty west terracing and when keeper Kevin Cuthbert`s kick reached Jenkins there was a third minute let off for the visitors. The big no.6`s shot from 15 yards out on the right side was struck well and low but Greg Shields extended foot deflected the ball away for a corner on the left but the Greenock men wasted that.

Cuthbert`s first save was to clutch a free kick swung over from the left by Glass. Then a Shields free kick from the other side was deflected on to Scott Wilson but the captain`s header failed to find a yellow shirt.

At the other end a tenth minute McGuffiie header slipped wide left. Nine minutes later a quickly taken throw in on the left was latched on to by Wake and he turned the ball back for McAllister to shoot on target but Gallacher saved without much difficulty.

Morton continued to have the bulk of the play and McAllister induced a good save out of Gallacher after a Steven Bell back pass to Thomson was short and intercepted by Jenkins. His pass was left by Grady, taking out Shields and leaving McAllister the 24th minute chance.

The goal that was coming duly arrived four minutes later. McGuffie put McAllister into space at the left corner flag and his cross was centred for Peter WEATHERSON to head in at the far post.

The Greenock side continued to press and McAlister blasted a shot wide right and then Jenkins lobbed a shot from distance over the crossbar.

After 35 minutes Graeme Holmes incurred an injury and he was stretchered off.  Rory Loy replaced him taking up a role on the right wing with Bell moving inside him.  These two combined within a minute to give Cuthbert a rare view of the ball but still the Morton keeper had not been given a direct shot on his goal.

Phinn prevented Morton hitting on the break then McGuffie struck a shot that Gallacher held. There were appeals for a penalty in 44 minutes when Grady put Jenkins through on the left side of the box. The Morton player went down as Wilson and Shields closed him out but Mike Tumilty waved play on.

With three and a half minutes of added time, Morton continued to cause the Pars defence difficulties and they were slightly lucky to survive as the ball continued to be played or thrown into their penalty box by Paartulu. It had been a poor first half for the Pars and at half time it was the home support who had the greatest expectations for the following 45 minutes.

Half Time: Morton 1 Dunfermline 0

Dunfermline kicked off but were quickly under renewed pressure. A 47th minute corner on the right looked set to be converted but somehow Graham Bayne squeeezed the ball out for a corner on the other side. Kevin Finlayson pumped that one over to the far post and Stewart GREACHEN fended off the challenge of Rory Loy to put away number two.

Greachen had two more near things from a Jenkins cross and then another Finlayson corner. Dunfermline were simply not in it and Jenkins worryingly got another shot in with only eight second half minutes played.

A Bayne header was easily held by Cuthbert in 55 and two minutes later the Pars had their best chance of the game thus far after Glass, Loy and Bayne were involved just outside the Morton box.  Phinn squared the ball back for Bayne to fire a low shot unluckily wide of the right post.

Jamie Mole was introduced for Thomson after 58 minutes as Jim McIntyre tried to redeem something from the match. The Pars defence was reduced to three and Mole joined Kirk and Bayne upfront. The sub fed Loy a chance to shoot at goal in 64 but the ball travelled well over the crossbar.

As the game entered its final quarter Calum Woods replaced Stephen Glass with the Liverpudlian pushed up wide left. Mole pulled a chance wide of the left post but nothing was coming off for Dunfermline. Bayne struck a pass to Shields out of the park and Shields hit a free kick straight through the Morton box.

In 76th minute a Phinn shot from a Shields cut back yielded the first taxing save for Cuthbert but he tipped the shot from 18 yards over his crossbar. Then an individual run from Kirk put him in for a shot from 20 yards but the ball was deflected off a defender and Bell`s follow up on the right side of the box was off target.

Finlayson`s 82nd minute cross was headed into the sidenetting by Weatherson.  Woods forced a corner on the left and that was cleared back out of the crowded box only as far as Woods.  His pass picked out Bell inside the right corner of the box and his challenge from behind by McAlister caused Mike Tumilty to point to the penalty spot. Morton Manager Davie Irons was furious with the soft decision and even more unhappy as Andy KIRK hit the ball into the right side of the net with the keeper being sent the wrong way.

In added time Bell and Loy set up Mole with a chance but as he fought for the ball his shot was not enough to test Cuthbert. Defeat in the end and further ground lost to the league leaders.

MORTON: Kevin Cuthbert; Alex Walker, Allan McManus, Stewart Greachen, Kevin Finlayson, Eric Paartulu (Chris Smith 71), Ryan McGuffie, Allan Jenkins, Jim McAlister; Peter Weatherson (Iain Russell 90+2), James Grady (Brian Wake 82).
SUBS NOT USED: Darren McGeough, Kieran Cannon
SCORERS: Weatherson (28), Greachen (48)

DUNFERMLINE: Paul Gallacher, Scott Thomson (Jamie Mole 58), Greg Shields, Scott Wilson (c), Austin McCann; Steven Bell, Graeme Holmes (Rory Loy 38), Stephen Glass (Calum Woods 68), Nick Phinn; Andy Kirk, Graham Bayne.
SUBS NOT USED: Alex Burke, Callum Reidford (GK)
SCORERS: Kirk (84 pen)

REFEREE: Mike Tumilty
WEATHER: Fine 11°C
ATTENDANCE 2092

NEXT MATCH: (away) First Division v Ross County
Tuesday 3rd March 2009, kick off 7.45pm

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Preview Morton

Wednesday, 25th Feb 2009

Jim McIntyre`s team have taken only eight points out of the last 21 available and badly need a winning run.

Dunfermline travel to Greenock on Saturday to face a Morton team desperately seeking their first win of 2009. The Fifers will be hoping that their away form that has brought them 20 of their total 35 points, holds up to allow them to maintain hopes of promotion. 

Pars v Morton: The Full League Record
	P	W	D	L	F	A
At East End	36	20	8	8	70	36
At Cappielow	35	13	12	10	42	39
Division One (up to 1975)	20	10	5	5	38	22
Division Two (up to 1975)	16	7	5	4	27	22
Premier League (since 1975)	4	3	1	0	10	3
First Division (since 1975)	29	10	9	8	35	27
TOTALS	71	33	20	18	112	75

Morton have won less of their home meetings with the Pars than they have lost but history doesn`t always matter.

Milestones v Morton (Away)
Last League Victory	26/12/07	1-0	SFL
Last League Defeat	19/04/08	0-3	First Div
Best League Victory	11/12/99 23/08/88 25/11/67	3-0 3-0 3-0	Div 1 Prem League Div1*
Worst League Defeat	14/08/26 19/04/08	0-3 0-3	Div 1* First Div
*Pre league reconstruction

Dunfermline have won only three of the last twelve meetings with Morton. There have been four draws and five Morton wins. The first meeting at Cappielow ended 1-1 thanks to a late strike from on loan Ross Campbell.

Last Twelve Matches v Morton
22-11-08	H	L	0-1	Scottish Division One
27-09-08	A	D	1-1	Scottish Division One
19-04-08	A	L	0-3	Scottish Division One
26-01-08	H	W	2-0	Scottish Division One
26-12-07	A	W	1-0	Scottish Division One
11-08-07	H	L	0-1	Scottish Division One
06-05-00	A	L	0-2	Scottish Division One
12-02-00	H	D	1-1	Scottish Division One
11-12-99	A	L	3-0	Scottish Division One
21-08-99	H	W	2-1	Scottish Division One
10-08-99	H	D	2-2	Scottish League Challenge Cup
19-03-96	A	D	1-1	Scottish Division One

Morton are only six points behind Dunfermline and will be wanting to stretch their advantage over ninth placed Clyde and foot of the table Airdrie United. Airdrie now have 26 points. Jim McIntyre`s team have taken only eight points out of the last 21 available and badly need a winning run.

Morton	DDunfermlinene
Current League Position
8	4
Last Six League Results
WDDDDL	WLDLWL
League Points
29	35
Goal Difference
-3	+6
Home/Away Record
P12, W5, D6, L1	P10, W6, D2, L2

Davie Irons` side have drawn four and lost one since they last won against Partick in their final home game of 2008.

Recent Form this season - home / away
Morton (home)				Dunfermline (away)
St Johnstone	D	0-0		Partick Thistle	W	3-2
Livingston	D	2-2		Dundee	W	2-1
Queen of the South	D	2-2		Queen of the South	W	3-2
Livingston	W	2-1		Livingston	W	3-1
Partick Thistle	W	2-0		Airdrie United	W	2-0
Ross County	W	2-1		Clyde	D	1-1

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Ross County): Paul Gallacher, Calum Woods (Jamie Mole 74), Greg Shields, Scott Wilson (c), Austin McCann; Greg Ross (Andy Kirk 60); Steven Bell, Graeme Holmes, Nick Phinn; Rory Loy (David Graham 53), Graham Bayne.
SUBS NOT USED: Stephen Glass, Callum Reidford.

MORTON (v Partick Thistle): Kevin Cuthbert; Alex Walker, Dominic Shimmin, Stewart Greachen, Chris Smith (James Grady 62), Kevin Finlayson, Steven Masterton, Ryan McGuffie (Eric Paartulu 69), Jim McAlister, Peter Weatherson, Brian Wake (Iain Russell 77)
SUBS NOT USED: Allan McManus, Kieran Cannon

Referee for the match will be Mike Tumilty, his first time in charge of a Pars match this season.  In 21 matches he has shown 63 yellow cards but only one red - Morton`s Allan McManus at Dingwall in October.

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