Morton earn draw with second half display

Roger Graham 1551 - 1551 • Published 11 Aug 2008 12:00

MORTON 2 ST JOHNSTONE 2

OVER the piece this was a decent point for hosts Morton against a side who will certainly be challenging for the First Division title.

It was a good test as to where the Greenock team are in their attempts to rebuild and improve upon last season"s showing.

They have some way to go yet before they can honestly claim to be up there with the elite, but they are definitely heading in the right direction.

If St Johnstone were clearly the dominant side in the first half, Morton made much more of an impression in the second, having spells of control and creativity which merited the point.

Minus the suspended Brian Wake, Cappielow boss Davie Irons switched from an attacking 3-4-3 formation to a more orthodox 4-4-2, but in three minutes he was watching his side pick the ball out of the back of the net, a defensive clearance striking Saints striker Stevie Milne and rebounding past Cuthbert in the home goal.

The St Johnstone support were still celebrating two minutes later when Morton stole upfield and Jon Newby"s low cross from the left was struck home by Ryan McGuffie.

Former Morton man Chris Millar, who showed some neat first half touches on the right side of midfield, forced a save from Kevin Cuthbert in reply for the visitors. Perhaps predictably, Millar had to suffer the jeers of a few Morton fans, but it was very much a minority.

St Johnstone were winning the physical battle, with Hardie and Sheerin running centre midfield, and a Swankie drive following a free kick was deflected for a corner. Shortly after the same player struck a shot which new Ton defender Dominic Shimmin kneed off the line, Saints players appealing in vain for hand ball.

Things got worse for Morton in 38 minutes when Martin Hardie and Alex Walker collided going for a 50-50 ball, Walker ending up flat out for the count. By the time his replacement, Allan McManus, had come on, Saints had regained the lead with a beautiful goal.

Hardie struck a defence-splitting pass forward to release Swankie who dinked a perfect chip over Cuthbert into the empty net.

Morton reorganised, Shimmin going to right back, McManus into centre defence and Weatherson to left back.

The last act of the first 45 minutes was the booking of Iain Russell for taking a dive in a challenge by Kevin James. It had definitely been St Johnstone"s half.

Upon the resumption, the first threat was supplied when Newby"s cross was headed wide by Russell, then an inswinging Masterton corner was headed clear off the line by the towering James.

Ryan Harding then replaced Stewart Greacen in 57 minutes, the latter feeling a groin strain.

The combative Hardie was booked as Morton began to impose themselves on the match. Then, in 65 minutes, it was McManus"s turn to go down, this time in a clash of heads with Holmes. He was suitably bandaged and returned to the fray.

In 69 minutes Morton had a great chance to equalise when Russell"s ball released Newby in the inside left channel, but his return ball was just cut out by James. Two minutes later there was another close call. Masterton flung in a free kick from the right, it eventually came to Weatherson who chipped back inside, Ryan Harding meeting it strongly with his head only for McLean to tip over the crossbar.

Morton were now the attacking force in the game, Masterton pulling a corner back to Russell whose downward header just skimmed past the right post.

There was a rash of substitutions as both sides geared up for the finale and, in 82 minutes, Morton got the goal their pressure merited. Harding and Weatherson each had drives blocked before the ball was scrambled out to the Morton right. Masterton"s low, driven ball back into the danger area was neatly diverted by Erik Paartalu past McLean for an equaliser which lit up Cappielow.

There were sighs of relief among the home support when Sheerin swept a dangerous cross in from the left and the match ended with honours even, a result which pleased home boss Davie Irons more than his counterpart Derek McInnes.

Now it is on to a CIS Cup tie against Jim McInally"s East Stirlingshire on Wednesday night.

The former Ton boss told the Telegraph that it is a game his part-time side 'could see far enough.'

Morton have apparently requested that their on-loan striker Brian Graham does not play against them. Jim McInally said: 'These midweek cup ties are no good for part-time teams.

'We"ve got a big game against Annan on Saturday. They"re not playing in midweek and I"ll probably take the chance to play some of the boys who need to get their fitness levels up.'

MORTON (4-4-2): Cuthbert 6; Weatherson 6, Shimmin 7, Greacen 6 (Harding 57) 6, Walker 6 (McManus 42); McGuffie 8, (Finlayson 78) 6, Masterton 6, Paartalu 7, McAlister 6; Russell 7, Newby 7. Subs not used: McGeough, Stewart.

Bookings: Russell 45.

ST JOHNSTONE (4-4-2): McLean; Irvine, Rutkiewicz, James, Trialist;, Millar, Sheerin (MacDonald 87), Hardie, Swankie (Jackson 73); Milne (Weatherston 80), Holmes.

Subs not used: McCaffrey, Main.

Bookings: Hardie 61.

Referee: Colin Brown 6.

Attendance: 2,649.

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This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 11 Aug 08

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