Dunfermline 1 Morton 2
Saturday, 12th Dec 2020Scottish Championship: one change as Kevin O’Hara starts in place of Iain Wilson. Jim McAlister (24) 0-1: Declan McManus (74 pen.) 1-1: Craig McGuffie (79) 1-2:
An unfancied Greenock Morton side ended the Pars unbeaten run with a sturdy win and a strong defensive performance.
Second placed Pars, unbeaten in eleven matches this season took on seventh placed Morton who arrived in Fife having failed to win in their last five matches and having lost their manager David Hopkin who resigned on the Thursday prior to this game.
Stevie Crawford brought back Kevin O’Hara into his starting eleven at the expense of Iain Wilson who was on the bench.
‘Ton caretaker manager, Anton McElhone made three changes from the team that lost to Hearts. Out went Markus Fjørtoft, Robin Omar and Ross McIver to make way for Kalvin Orsi, Cameron Salkeld and Reece Lyon.
No spectators, only 14 press, a few scouts and the directors as Morton emerged from the temporary away changing facilities in the East Stand.
Dunfermline kicked off attacking the goal at the Cowdenbeath end but a loose clearance from Paul Watson earned the visitors a fourth minute corner but Reece Lyon took it short and they never got a cross in.
Ryan Dow had two early excursions into the Morton box without troubling keeper Aidan McAdams and Dom Thomas was unlucky when trying to pick out Kyle Turner 18 yards out.
On the quarter hour Josh McPake forced a corner on the right and Sean McGinty crumbled in his attempt to get on the end of the cross. The physio came on but it was no more than a bloody nose. While Morton were down to ten men Aaron Comrie fed Dow the ball on the right side but Thomas couldn’t control the pass to him in front of goal.
Almost immediately Turner turned the ball back for the well placed Declan McManus but he blasted his shot over the crossbar. Owain Fôn Williams was kept involved when Robbie Muirhead drilled a low shot on target from 20 yards.
Morton would go ahead from a 24th minute Lewis Strapp throw in. A long throw from close to the left corner flag targeted Brian McLean at the near post but it was Watson who headed the ball, Kerr McInroy’s attempt then to clear set up Jim McALISTER poised 15 yards out to volley home with the possible help of a deflection. 0-1
McManus earned a 33rd minute corner on the right but when sent over by Thomas, Turner was the target on the far side but his return was stopped by the keeper.
At the other end Cameron Salkeld sent a shot over the bar after a penetrating run by McPake. As the Fifers turned the pressure up on Morton a loose ball from McLean was snatched on by Thomas but his well connected shot from 25 yards was taken by McAdams.
A Thomas cross was intercepted before it could reach Dow but the offside flag was raised. A minute before the break Kyle Jacobs was assisted off the park by the physio but the Pars could not take any advantage and the Greenock side went in at the break with the one goal advantage.
Half time: Dunfermline 0 Morton 1
Robin Omar replaced Kyle Jacobs for the restart and immediately he was involved a a bid defensive action with every opposition player back. A Dow cross from left brought a save out of McAdams to deny McManus and from the resultant corner Euan Murray turned the ball on to the top of the crossbar.
McAlister was shown a yellow card for his 56th minute tackle on Dow and from the free kick 28 yards out McInroy made McAdams pull off another good save.
With Morton packing their box in 62 minutes E Murray was able to be wide left and his cross set up a great chance for McManus but close on he couldn’t get the touch. Then Fôn Williams was tested by the Morton sub Aidan Nesbitt. Fraser Murray had replaced Kevin O’Hara as Dunfermline continued to try and find a way through Morton.
In 70 minutes Morton made loud claims that they had scored a second but neither the referee David Munro or his assistant awarded a goal. A Nesbitt cross deflected by Comrie as he tried to clear was palmed away by Fôn Williams and Orsi drove the ball at the Pars keeper on the line. Play continued despite the persistent appeals.
Four minutes later the ball broke off Nesbitt’s hand in his penalty box to earn the Pars a penalty. McMANUS drove the spot kick down the middle past McAdams, his fifth goal of the season made it 1-1.
Morton regained their lead five minutes later. From halfway McLean launched the ball into the Dunfermline penalty box, Murray headed clear but it was gathered by Strapp and Fôn Williams pulled off a great save from the 21 year old’s fierce left footed shot but sub Craig McGUFFIE, on only three minutes, was well placed to bury the loose ball. 1-2
Fraser Murray was fouled to hand Thomas the chance to chip in a free kick from 30 yards out but with all the big men up no one could get a touch. Morton made it tough for the Fifers to get anywhere near their keeper and it was a long range effort in 88 minutes from Turner and another from F Murray in added time that was the closest the home side came.
The Pars 15 match unbeaten record ended, they retain second place in the Championship but leaders Hearts now have a four point cushion.
DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Ryan Dow, Kyle Turner, Kerr McInroy (Lewis McCann 83) Dom Thomas: Kevin O’Hara (Fraser Murray 62), Declan McManusSUBS NOT USED: Iain Wilson, Lewis Mayo, Matty Bowman, Miller Fenton, Cammy Gill (GK)
SCORERS: McManus (74 pen)
MORTON: Aidan McAdams: Kyle Jacobs (Robin Omar HT), Brian McLean, Sean McGinty, Lewis Strapp: Jim McAlister (c), Reece Lyon, Josh McPake (Aidan Nesbitt 60), Robbie Muirhead (Craig McGuffie 76): Kalvin Orsi, Cameron Salkeld.
SUBS NOT USED: Ross McIver, Markus Fjørtoft, Gary Oliver, Chris Millar.
SCORERS: McAlister (24), McGuffie (79)
YELLOW CARD: McAlister (56)
REFEREE: David Munro
WEATHER: Damp 7°c
ATTENDANCE
NEXT MATCH: Betfred Cup Quarter Final (home) v St Johnstone, Tuesday 15th January 2020, kick off 7.4m at East End Park behind closed doors
50/50 Draw Number 100011192 won £605
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Preview Morton
Saturday, 12th Dec 2020Scottish Championship (home) Saturday 12th December 2020, 3.00pm kick off at East End Park behind closed doors.
Next up for Stevie Crawford’s team is a home match against Morton. Second placed Pars against a side whose manager resigned this week and who sit in seventh place. Dunfermline are seeking their sixth successive home win to keep them in contention at the top of the Championship table.
Milestones v Morton (Home)
Last League Victory: 07/12/19 | 3-1 | Championship
Last League Defeat: 27/04/19 | 0-1 | Championship
Best League Victory: 29/01/66 | 6-0 | Division One*
Worst League Defeat: 28/03/15 | 0-4 | League One
Last Goalless Draw: 17/03/18 | 0-0 | Championship
First League Meeting: 25/12/26: | 1-1 | Division One*
*Pre league reconstruction
This is the 105th league meeting between these teams and Dunfermline hold the better record 47 wins to Morton’s 31. 26 have been drawn.
The last dozen meetings have resulted in three Pars wins, four defeats and five draws but the record is improving with only one defeat to Morton in the last eight meetings.
Last Twelve Matches v Morton
11-01-20 (A) W 3-2 Championship
07-12-19 (H) W 3-1 Championship
05-10-19: (A) D 1-1 Championship
05-04-19: (H) L 0-1 Championship
26-01-19: (A) D 0-0 Championship
01-12-18: (H) W 3-0 Championship
22-09-18: (A) D 1-1 Championship
17-03-18: (H) D 0-0 Championship
03-02-18: (A) L 1-2 Championship
20-01-18: (H) L 1-2 Scottish Cup
21-11-17: (H) D 1-1 Championship
09-09-17: (A) L 2-3 Championship
Dunfermline 3-1 Morton
Sat, 7th Dec 2019
Last time at East End Park
Dunfermline 3 Morton 1
Ladbrokes Championship, Saturday 7th December 2019
The Pars went ahead from a penalty after Chris Millar handled the ball in the box. Kevin Nisbet stepped up he sent the ball to the keeper’s left. Rogers saved but the linesman medicated a retake. The Morton keeper was yellow carded for dissent and next time NISBET chose the other side and the Fifers had a 21st minute lead. 1-0
Greg KILTIE doubled the lead seven minutes into the second half when a blocked shot rebounded for the on loan Kilmarnock player to score against his old club. 2-0
Morton sub Reece LYON pegged a goal back ten minutes later. Chris Millar had just been withdrawn when the sub smashed a shot past Cammy Gill from 20 yards out. 2-1
Gill pushed away a devilish dipping shot from Nesbitt in 83 minutes and then from a quickly taken Morton corner Dow broke, evading Nesbitt’s attempt to clip him and set up NISBET to find the far side of the net for a third Pars goal. The Player of the Month’s eighteenth of the season. 3-1.
Three goals, three points, three wins in a week and up into third place.
DUNFERMLINE: Cammy Gill: Aaron Comrie, Danny Devine, Lewis Martin (c), Josh Edwards: Ryan Dow, Harry Cochrane, Tom Beadling (Stuart Morrison 85), Kyle Turner (Joe Thomson 72), Greg Kiltie, Kevin Nisbet.
SUBS NOT USED: Gabby McGill, Lewis McCann, Anthony McDonald, Miller Fenton, Ryan Scully (GK)
MORTON: Danny Rogers: Stephen Welsh (Cameron Salkeld 67), Peter Grant, Kyle Jacobs, Jim McAlister(c), Chris Millar (Reece Lyon 62), Adam Livingstone, Jack Baird, Robbie Muirhead, Bob McHugh, Nicky Cadden (Aidan Nesbitt 55).
SUBS NOT USED: John Sutton, Cameron Blues, Luca Colville, Sam Ramsbottom (GK).
Recent Form
Dunfermline are undefeated in their eleven matches this season are unbeaten at home since 25th February. Morton have not recorded a win and scored only one goal in their last five matches.
DUNFERMLINE
Raith Rovers (A) D 2-2
Arbroath (A) W 3-1
Hearts (H) W 2-1
Clyde (H) W 3-2
Ayr United (A) D 0-0
Queen of the South (H) W 3-2
MORTON
Hearts (H) L 0-2
Arbroath (A) D 0-0
Partick Thistle (A) D 0-0
St Mirren (A) D 1-1
Raith Rovers (A) L 0-5
Ayr United (H) W 3-2
Current League Stats
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 2nd
League Points: 14
Goal Difference: +7
League Record: P6 W4 D2 L0 GF14 GA7
Last Six Match Form: WDWWWD
MORTON
League Position: 7th
League Points: 7
Goal Difference: -6
League Record: P6 W2 D1 L3 GF8 GA10
Last Six Match Form: WLDDDL
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Raith Rovers): Owain Fôn Williams: Lewis Mayo (Aaron Comrie 57), Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Ian Wilson (Fraser Murray 58): Ryan Dow, Kerr McInroy (Kevin O’Hara 69), Dom Thomas: Kyle Turner: Declan McManus
SUBS NOT USED: Matty Bowman, Lewis McCann, Miller Fenton, Cammy Gill (GK)
MORTON ( v Hearts): Aidan McAdams: Markus Fjørtoft, Brian McLean (Cameron Salkeld 60), Sean McGinty, Josh McPake, Kyle Jacobs, Jim McAlister, Robin Omar, Lewis Strapp, Robbie Muirhead (Aidan Nesbitt 78), Ross McIver (Gary Oliver 75).
SUBS NOT USED: Chris Millar, Kalvin Orsi, Reece Lyon, Luca Colville.
Referee will be David Munro.
Other Championship Fixtures
Ayr United v Raith Rovers (Friday)
Arbroath v Alloa Athletic
Hearts v Queen of the South
Inverness Caley Thistle v Dundee
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