Published: Monday, 13th April, 2009 9:40am

A lesson in finishing

MORTON 2 DUNDEE 0

AMOST THERE: Morton’s Brian Wake, right, watches as his shot slips just past the post.
Pic by: David Bell

MORTON moved up to fourth spot in the league after this merited win over Dundee at Cappielow.

Given St Johnstone"s 1-1 draw with Partick on the same afternoon, they may still entertain faint hopes of snatching the title at the death.

That is very unlikely, but a season which at various points has seemed perilously uncertain now looks set to end on a much more optimistic note.

Where the Cappielow men had their bad spell in the opening quarter of the season, Dundee and Dunfermline are now experiencing the troughs of this turbulent First Division.

Where Morton are playing like a side rejuvenated, and with a big weight off their shoulders, the aforementioned pair are now in the sort of slump from which it can be so hard to recover.

They can forget any hope at all of a championship. Derek McInnes"s St Johnstone team may still struggle to turn draws into wins, but they are very much in the driving seat now.

Morton"s win on Saturday was the result of total commitment, some good football and a fair measure of self-belief. They now look like a team who genuinely believe they can beat anyone in this league. Their two goals were also excellently taken by man-of-the-match Peter Weatherson which took his total to 10 for the season.

There will no doubt be further twists to come in this precarious campaign, but the picture is now looking a little clearer at both the top and bottom.

Yet it was Dundee who began the sharper of the two teams, after three successive draws had severely damaged their championship aspirations.

They knew victory at Cappielow was virtually a must. But, bright though their start was to each half, they ultimately failed because they could not score at key times. It was, as manager Jocky Scott later admitted, a fault which has typified their season.

In 21 minutes Alex Walker did well to clear off his line from Antoine-Curier, McHale hitting the rebound off the top of the crossbar. It was a move precipitated by an alert, quick throw by goalkeeper Rab Douglas to Gilhaney on the left.

Morton at last began to carry the game to the visitors and both Allan Jenkins and Jim McAlister had shots blocked.

In 25 minutes a Stevie Masterton free kick was parried by Douglas to his right, MacKenzie putting sufficient pressure on Brian Wake to force the striker"s stabbed shot at full stretch to slip past the far post.

Morton were hitting a good spell and it brought the opening goal in 29 minutes. Wake"s sheer peseverance won possession on the left and McAlister wrapped his left foot round the ball to whip in an excellent cross. Peter Weatherson provided the perfect touch to glance the header inside the right post.

Masterton"s fierce drive was parried by Douglas then, in a brief Dundee foray, Cuthbert had to tip a spiralling Cameron effort over the crossbar.

The industrious Wake, breaking free down the right, was brought down by McHale, who was booked for the offence, before Dundee fashioned an opportunity only for McMenamin to get too fine a touch on the header.

After the interval it was the Dark Blues who again looked the more lively in the opening stages, Allan McManus doing well to head a neat McMenamin chip towards Antoine-Curier over his own crossbar.

In 52 minutes Dundee ought to have scored when Shinnie"s clever pass exposed the home rearguard, McMenamin finding himself unmarked in the inside right channel some 12 yards out. He tried to blast it home and the ball flew wide of the left post. It was to prove a costly miss.

Gilhaney then drove over on the turn and Morton had weathered the storm.

An excellent Masterton ball from deep on the right was met by the inrushing McAlister whose acute header flew narrowly over, then a strong Jenkins run released Wake. The striker hesitated, however, and was robbed by Paton as he tried to cut inside.

Play swung to the other end where only a fine Greacen interception denied Antoine-Curier an opportunity.

In 67 minutes Morton should have added second goal. Weatherson beautifully controlled a long Cuthbert punt upfield before slipping the ball inside from wide on the right. Allan Jenkins missed the ball completely but it ran on to the unmarked Brian Wake at the back post. He had plenty of time to set himself up but sent a tame shot straight to Douglas from 10 yards.

A minute later Jenkins was sent tumbling in the box by MacKenzie, but home appeals for a penalty were dismissed.

Iain Russell replaced Wake whose effort was appreciated by the crowd who applauded him from the field.

In 76 minutes a great strike by Weatherson was well saved by Douglas before the Ton striker produced the decisive second goal.

This time Masterton sent in a near post corner from the left at pace and Weatherson got in front of Lauchlan to nod home.

Good work by Russell led to Jenkins sliding a shot narrowly past the right post, having done well to dig it out from under his feet, and the game ended with the points safely secured.

There was a brief substitute appearance by Carlo Monti, a youngster released by Celtic and who will play at Cappielow until the end of the season at least.

MORTON (3-5-2): Cuthbert 7; Greacen 7, McManus 7, Walker 7; Finlayson 7, McGuffie 7 (Monti 88 2), Masterton 7, Jenkins 8, McAlister 7; Weatherson 9 (Grady 88 2), Wake 7 (Russell 72 3).

Subs not used - Paartalu, Cannon.

DUNDEE (4-4-2): Douglas; Paton, MacKenzie, Lauchlan, Malone; Shinnie (Williams 80), Cameron, McHale, Gilhaney; Antoine-Curier, McMenamin.

Subs not used - Benedictus, Pozniak, Deasley and Roy.

Bookings: McHale 37, Paton 89.

Referee: Callum Murray 6.

Attendance: 2,133.