Managers Post Morton

31/07/21: link to audio of both managers post match comments

Peter Grant was asked if a 2-2 draw felt like two points dropped.

“When you go 2-1 in front, yes for sure but we just didn’t seem ourselves today. I don’t know the reason why because we have been playing really well. We have played with a purpose but I thought in the first half everything had no intensity. The second half was a bit better but the boys know themselves- they are disappointed with the performance - and losing after going 2-1 in front.”

Referring to Reece Lyon’s 81st minute goal, Peter said:-

“If the boy tried it a hundred times it wouldn’t go in the back of the net. We got ourselves in front and we should have seen it out with the players that we have, the quality that we have but on the day we just didn’t do enough to win the game and a draw probably ends up being a fair result. As I say I think we were poor for a big part of the first half.

Sub Reece Cole failed to take a late chance for a winner and Peter continued:-

”We had a great chance but I am more disappointed with the goals that they scored. They came from an error that led to a penalty kick and then the second goal, it was too easy. I have said that, the game is about both sides of the game - you have to be difficult to play against.

“I don’t want to be a nice football team with good football players because there are a lot of times when you have to dig in and roll your sleeves up. You have to start with a purpose and I think they felt the first half was like a sunny day. It was as if ‘let’s go out and get a sun tan’.

“Everything was too slow and we have not played like that in any of the games in pre-season. It was the one thing that I was delighted with the players - the intensity that they try and play it at.

“We hope that it is a one off but this is always a difficult place to come and Gus (Macpherson) has them very well organised with guys that give them everything that they have got. They make it so difficult for you but I know the players we have and we are very disappointed with our performance. That is a big disappointment.

“The goals that we lose are criminal and as I said last week we have not lost a good goal yet. That comes from the front because we allow easy balls forward out of nothing. There was absolutely no pressure on and you concede a goal from the ball being in the opposition’s half. That just can’t happen.

“We are disappointed at that but I know that we have quality in the group and I know that I have the quality in the players that can turn that into victories. It is a difficult place to come and hopefully come the end of the season that one point will end up being a good point instead of the way I’m feeling now that we have lost two.

“In the first half there was nothing in the game. We have made a wrong choice and I just thought everything was slow. I can’t understand that because that’s not even the way that they have trained.

“They have been excellent to a man, great credit to them but I am just disappointed with that because it is the first time that I have seen it.

“People always say that you have to wait until the curtain goes back to see how people perform. I was disappointed in our players today because if you want to play in the biggest arenas, the only way you get to the biggest arenas is performing. We did not perform up to our capabilities against the ball today.

“Our passing was sloppy and all the things that we have prided ourselves with so far - we gave cheap passes away in very very good areas. That becomes our downfall because one long ball into our box that you do not deal with and all of a sudden you have a penalty kick against you.

“Morton then had something to hold on to. I was hoping that it might give us a shot in the arm in the first half but it didn’t seem like that. At half time we told the boys that they have to be much more intense. Certain parts of it were good but a lot of it wasn’t good enough.

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