Greenock Telegraph | Sport | Ryan sinks old boss

Thursday, 20th November, 2008

Published: Thursday, 14th August, 2008 12:30

Ryan sinks old boss

By Alex Dowdalls

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East Stirlingshire 0 Morton 3

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ON THE MARK: Ryan McGuffie celebrates a goal last night.

Pic by: David Bell

EAST STIRLINGSHIRE 0 MORTON 3

(Masterton 23, McGuffie 32, 54)

RYAN McGuffie fired a double at Ochilview last night to send Ton into the quarter-finals of the Alba Challenge Cup, and at the same time sent the man who brought him to Cappielow out of the tournament.

McGuffie, who was signed from Gretna for Ton by Jim McInally, now gaffer at East Stirling, made it four goals for the season, when his ferocious shooting power blasted the Third Division side almost into submission.

McInally said afterwards: “That’s some way to repay me, but seriously though he’s an excellent player and is very special.”

McInally was forced to make six changes for the second round clash, through a culmination of injuries, and even had a player stuck on a train because of the flooding which caused chaos in the area just hours before kick-off.

Davie Irons made three changes from the Morton side which drew with St Johnstone at the weekend. Alex Walker and Stewart Greacen were injured while Peter Weatherson dropped to the bench. In came Ryan Harding, Allan McManus and Brian Wake, back from suspension.

The Third Division side almost shocked Ton, two divisions above them, in 11 minutes when Gary Kelly whipped a long ball down the left for veteran striker Colin Cramb to run onto, but his 18-yard lob over goalkeeper Kevin Cuthbert was just wide of the far post.

It was just the wake-up call Davie Irons’ side needed and they took the lead in 23 minutes when midfielder Stevie Masterton got his first goal for the club since his summer move from Clyde, his 25- yard shot flying high past a stunned John Hillcoat in the Shire goal.

Ton almost made it two in 27 minutes when Erik Paartalu floated the ball over the static Shire defence for Iain Russell to control first time, 12 yards from goal, but defender Craig Tully made a marvellous goal-saving tackle.

Morton finally grabbed a second in 32 minutes after a Masterton corner from the right was not properly cleared and Ryan McGuffie blasted a sensational 20-yard volley into the net.

Shire were unfortunate when Cramb’s long range free-kick cracked back off a post in 37 minutes.

Morton should have wrapped the tie up two minutes from the interval when McGuffie rolled the ball to Masterton, given too much time and space 30-yards out, and he needed no invitation to crack another attempt on goal, but the ball flew just over.

The Greenock men made it 3-0 in 54 minutes when Shire again failed to clear properly from a Masterton corner and McGuffie drilled a 20-yard low shot skimming along the plastic pitch and past Hillcoat.

Ten minutes from time John Newby almost made it four for Morton when his close range shot was squeezed wide.

Afterwards Irons said: “Ryan [McGuffie] is back to what he was when I had him at Gretna, a goalscoring midfielder. It is good the goals are being shared about. We had practised on the plastic pitch at Battery Park for a few days before to get used to the surface, so we were well prepared for the conditions.

“That’s us into the last eight and it would be nice to get a home draw. It is a cup we are taking seriously. How often do players get the chance to play in cup finals? We will be going all out to get there.”

McInally added: “I thought we played well and never gave up and can take a lot of positives out of it.

“Morton are a big, strong, physical team and will do well this season, I have no doubt about that.”

East Stirlingshire: Hillcoat, Hay (Moffat 62), Richardson, Anderson, Tully, Forrest, McKenzie, Gibson (Donaldson 46), Cramb (Dunn 84), Kelly, Ure. Sub not used: Mitchell. Booked: Hay 16, Forrest 34.

Morton: Cuthbert, Shimmin (Weatherson 54), Harding, McManus, Paartalu (Jenkins 89), Masterton (Finlayson 77), McGuffie, Russell, Wake, Newby, McAlister. Subs not used: Mitchell, Stewart. Booked: Russell 16, Wake 70, Masterton 76.

Referee: Stevie O’Reilly

Attendance: 753.

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