Greenock Telegraph | Sport | A decent start, but Ton deserved more

Friday, 9th January, 2009

Published: Monday, 4th August, 2008 12:00

A decent start, but Ton deserved more

By Roger Graham

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CLYDE 1 MORTON 1

Image related to story, see caption or article text

GOING OFF: Brian Wake is sent off for a second bookable offence.

Pic by: David Bell

IT is always significant when the opposition manager admits that his side have been lucky.

Clyde boss John Brown held his hands up after this hard-fought encounter at Broadwood on Saturday, the game being more about commitment and grit than the finer aspects of play.

There may not have been a great deal between the two teams on the afternoon, but the visitors had seldom looked in any trouble against a Bully Wee team which opened quite brightly but quickly lost its way against a solid Ton.

Morton were the side who could take most out of the game, and their goal when it came was a result of the best piece of football in the match.

They then had opportunities to make sure of the points, but even so it was a desperately disappointing blow when Clyde summoned up an equaliser going into the fifth minute of added-on time. That was no justice for Irons’ men, missing four players due to injury.

Surprisingly, and ambitiously, Morton took the field with an adventurous 3-4-3 formation, throwing Iain Russell, Brian Wake and Jon Newby up front.

A rejigged back three of Peter Weatherson, Stewart Greacen and Alex Walker locked the door at the back, while Ryan McGuffie and Erik Paartalu provided plenty of grit, commitment and sheer power in the engine room of the midfield. Passes may have gone astray, but there was no lack of endeavour and it was in this area that Clyde gaffer John Brown felt his team had learnt a lesson or two.

Yet the hosts opened positively when Trouten nicked in in the inside right channel only to have his drive blocked by Colin Stewart. In nine minutes an angled shot from Willie McLaren was well held by Stewart, but Morton gradually began to make their own impression.

In 11 minutes Ian Russell, unmarked, sent a header from Kevin Finlayson’s well delivered cross straight to Hutton, the same player then forcing the home keeper to save his angled drive.

The first two bookings were merited, Alex Walker downing McLaren in a position of threat on the left of the box, then Clyde’s McGregor scything Jim McAlister with a potentially dangerous late challenge.

As the half progressed, Morton looked more and more comfortable, Stewart Greacen marshalling a back three which gave little away.

In 39 minutes, Jon Newby had a shot blocked by Hutton, the rebound falling to Paartalu on the left side of the box, near the byeline, but his cut-back found a white, rather than a yellow, shirt.

Two minutes later, however, Morton took the lead with a beautifully worked goal. Newby made a clever diagonal run, Iain Russell slipped him a perfect through ball and the striker’s first effort was blocked by Hutton. He pounced on the rebound, however, slotting home an accurate low drive from an acute angle on the right.

Wake was booked for a tackle on McGregor, a caution that was to prove significant in the second half.

Upon the resumption, Clyde reappeared with Clarke on the for Gemmill up front, but it was Jim McAlister who offered the first threat when, following good play on the left, his drive hit the side-netting.

McSwegan soon replaced McKay to further change the home front partnership, and the yellow cards began to flow from Mr Boyle’s pocket.

A spell of Clyde territorial advantage, in which they won three successive corners, came to nothing before the visitors had an excellent chance to increase their lead. Newby put Russell through on the left, but the striker’s shot, instead of being directed across the goalkeeper, found the side-netting.

Peter Weatherson, who had done a good job on the right side of the back three, then struck a vicious 35-yard free kick which Hutton was glad to palm for a corner.

Reid replaced Newby as Morton sought to close play down, but Iain Russell was most unlucky when his drive struck the junction of the right post and crossbar.

Then came the sending-off of Wake after a challenge which, frankly, did not seem to merit a foul, let alone a second booking.

Worse was to follow as the game entered the fifth minute of added-on time, Stewart failing to cut out a McLaren corner and Brown profiting at the back post among a proliferation of bodies to get the headed touch.

CLYDE (4-4-2): Hutton; Gibson, Brown, Higgins, Ohnesorge (Ruari MacLennan 74); Trouten, Kettlewell, McGregor, McLaren; McKay (McSwegan 60), Gemmill (Clarke 46).

Subs not used: Robert. MacLennan, Cherrie.

Bookings: McGregor 31, Higgins 59.

MORTON (3-4-3): Stewart 7; Weatherson 7, Greacen 8, Walker 7; Finlayson 7, McGuffie 7, Paartalu 7, McAlister 7; Russell 7, Wake 8, Newby (Reid 73 6) 7.

Subs not used: Harding, Masterton, McAnespie, Cuthbert.

Bookings: Walker 27, Paartalu 58, McAlister 88, McGuffie 89.

Red cards: Wake, two bookings 43 and 86.

Referee: Chris Boyle.

Attendance: 1,638.

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