Published: Friday, 2nd May, 2008 12:00
Not first salvage job for new Ton hero
By Steven McArthur
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Brian Wake.
Goal hero Brian Wake is no stranger to a relegation battle such as the one he faced this season at Morton.
Wake, 25, scored four goals in the nail-biting league run-in, which helped steer Davie Irons’ men clear of the relegation play-off place.
It is a predicament in which Wake has been before, when he was slugging it out for league status with Carlisle at the bottom of England’s Third Division.
On that occasion, five years ago today, Wake was once more the hero, scoring a hat-trick within 14 minutes in a 3-2 victory away to Shrewsbury — a result that saw his own side safe and the home team condemned to Conference football.
Wake recalled the occasion vividly, and said: “I remember it well, it was my first season as a professional. We were in a similar situation — whoever lost the game went down.
“I felt sorry for the Shrews, but you have to just do it for your own team. I scored a couple of hat-tricks that season. Hopefully, I can do that next year with Morton.”
Wake, who revealed at the weekend he will be rewarded with a league winners’ medal for his time with Hamilton, admits that it is difficult to put a price on two very different feelings. He said: “I can’t choose which is better. I was delighted for the lads at Hamilton, but I’ve moved on from that now.
“I want to start making a name for myself at Morton. I’m delighted to help keep the team up, but it wasn’t just me, it was the full squad of players.”
Over 2,000 Morton fans had made the trip to Firhill, and Wake noted the importance of having the north stand transformed into a sea of blue and white.
He said: “The fans were different class, coming to support us like that. I’d like to thank them all no end; every tackle, every header they were behind us.
“All the players were talking about it afterwards, that the fans were like an extra man. Even in the warm-up they were singing and chanting and you just wanted to repay them. And we did that.”
Now Wake insists that Morton can take heart from consolidating their position in the division in what was a tough first year, and come back stronger after the summer break.
He said: “I want to go and enjoy my summer, and kick on from this next season.
“The last four or five results showed we can compete in this league better than we have done this season and get up the table.”
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McGuffie goal rounds off long week
