Greenock Telegraph | Sport | Test of character for Irons men

Friday, 9th January, 2009

Published: Friday, 5th September, 2008 12:30

Test of character for Irons men

By Roger Graham

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SHORT STAY: Jon Newby has gone on loan to Burton Albion after a brief stay at Cappielow.

MORTON make the trip down to Dumfries on Sunday for the next round of the Alba Challenge Cup facing a test of character, if nothing else, following Saturday’s mauling by Airdrie.

The season may still be in its relative infancy, but the situation is beginning to cause some concern. The team are at the bottom of the First Division, two points behind the nearest club. They have yet to win a league match in five attempts while the nature of that five-goal loss at the Excelsior Stadium cast real doubts in concerned minds.

Throw in the departure after a few short weeks of striker Jon Newby, on loan to Burton Albion until January, and the hoped-for progress following relegation survival last season has not yet materialised.

A meeting was held between management and players last Sunday to clear the air and some of the proof of its effectiveness will be found on the playing field at Palmerston on Sunday.

Striker Brian Wake spoke yesterday of the need for the players not to dwell on last Saturday and to respond positively, and that will be what the fans want to see. On the back page, manager Davie Irons believes his players have worked tirelessly this week to achieve everything asked of them.

The evidence so far is that this season will be the most competitive yet in a league in which the margins for error are traditionally wafer slim.

Minus Newby, Morton’s squad further lacks balance, only Brian Wake and Iain Russell left up front, though Peter Weatherson will now revert to a forward role.

On the subject of Weatherson, he has been criticised in some quarters after appearing to gesture to Morton fans upon being taken off with five minutes remaining of the first half last Saturday. Some of those fans had cheered ironically after he was withdrawn, and it was no doubt a frustrated response.

In four league games this season Weatherson has played in defence, twice at right-back — against St Johnstone and Dundee — on the right side of a back three against Clyde, and on the left side of a back three last Saturday. Pace has never been the player’s forté and in three of these outings he has been exposed. After playing successfully at right back for much of the promotion-winning Second Division season, it became gradually clear last season that defending in the First Division was a step up too far for the converted forward.

The player, however, is only playing where he has been selected, and his defensive colleagues last Saturday did not exactly cover themselves in glory. Any one of the three could have been taken off as it turned out.

On the subject of pace, there was a general lack of it throughout the team last Saturday. With the possible exception of Iain Russell, only Jim McAlister could be said to have genuine speed over the ground. It is a big asset in football and it was noticeably absent against Airdrie.

Playing a narrow system, Morton were badly exposed down the flanks by Airdrie, whose first three goals came from crosses from players who had got round the flanks.

It is as a collective unit that the Cappielow men must get their act together sooner rather than later. Momentum is a massive factor in team sport, whether in an upward or downward direction.

The balance of the squad may not be ideal, but there are players of proven ability in the current group.

The immediate task is for them to be gelled into an effective and consistent unit.

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