Published: Wednesday, 6th May, 2009 12:30pm

Kirk sinks Ton hopes late on

Dunfermline 2 Morton 1

UNDER PRESSURE: Ton defender Stewart Greacen puts his head in where it hurts to keep the Pars at bay.
Pic by: David Bell

MORTON succumbed to yet another late goal as their hopes of finishing third in the First Division were all but shattered at East End Park.

Andy Kirk"s strike three minutes from time saw the Pars leapfrog Ton and leave boss Davie Irons perplexed.

He said: 'I thought we had got rid of that habit and got it out of our system. It is the first time we have lost a late goal for a while.

'There was a period where we did lose late goals and it was something we worked on, with the players learning to concentrate more and having a game plan to cope with the last ten minutes.

'We didn"t deal with that last night, but overall the season has been a big improvement and with three games to go we still had the chance to go up.

'We stayed up by one goal last year, but to finish the season with a defeat would spoil the good work the players have put in, so hopefully we can finish on a high on Saturday against Ross County.'

Last night"s kick-off was delayed for 15 minutes due to a calf injury to a linesman in the warm-up.

When a replacement was found, Morton were almost caught cold and could have found themselves a goal down in two minutes.

Skipper Stewart Greacen slipped at the vital moment, allowing Graham Bayne to hook the ball on target from 18 yards, but keeper Kevin Cuthbert brilliantly touched the shot wide.

Ton had only won twice on their travels in their last 10 matches since their 1-0 win at East End Park back in November. But a combination of a Kevin Finlayson cross from the right and a flashing near-post header by Ryan McGuffie tried to improve on that.

McGuffie had an even better chance soon after when he got on the end of a knock on from Peter Weatherson, but the midfielder drove over from 12 yards.

It would have been hard to believe Jim McIntyre"s side boasted the worst home league record in the First Division and without a league victory in front of their fans this year before last night, when David Graham burst 50 yards down field in 16 minutes to set up Bayne, but Cuthbert raced from goal to save bravely at his feet.

Morton"s league record over the years at the Fife ground has been horrendous with just eight wins in 36 attempts previous attempts.

Despite Ton"s dominance for the most part of the first period, the Pars might have edged in front during a terrific spell of sustained pressure approaching the break.

In 35 minutes sub Rory Loy, who had replaced the injured Australia-bound Scott Wilson, drilled a right foot shot in from the left which Cuthbert superbly turned past. Two minutes later, Nicky Phinn fired a ferocious low 20 yard shot just wide.

Phinn was again off target in 38 minutes when he got on the end of a driven cross from the right by Kirk, but clipped the ball past from eight yards.

Two minutes from the break Phinn"s snap shot from 18 yards looked net bound until Greacen somehow deflected the ball over.

Morton started well after the interval. In 55 minutes Greacen threw himself full length between a static Pars defence to get on the end of a floated free-kick from Masterton, but his header went just over.

The deadlock was finally broken 60 seconds later, at the other end, when Cuthbert failed to grab Graham"s driven cross from the right and Loy reacted first to roll the rebound into the net off a post from 10 yards.

Morton levelled in spectacular fashion in 62 minutes when McGuffie"s 20 yard shot was blocked for livewire Carlo Monti.

He raced on and cracked a thunderous right foot shot high into the net for the ex-Celts first goal for the club.

Five minutes from time, Iain Russell"s head flick from McGuffie"s cross from the left went inches wide before Cuthbert made a fingertip save from Bayne"s header seconds later at the other end as both sides pressed for the winner.

The Pars got the all important strike three minutes from time when the unmarked Kirk rifled the ball high into the net from 10 yards, with Cuthbert left hopelessly exposed.

Irons added: 'If we had won it would have guaranteed us at least fourth place and the cup seedings for next season are at stake. 'We now have to win on Saturday to make sure we are fourth, but I"d rather be in that position than the one we were in this time last season when we needed three goals to stay up.'

Dunfermline Athletic: Gallacher, Ross, Wilson (Loy 25), Phinn, Muirhead, McCann, D. Graham, Glass, Bayne, Kirk, Burke. Subs not used: Willis, McBride, L. Graham, Paterson (Gk).

Morton: Cuthbert, McManus, Walker, McGuffie (Paartalu 90), Greacen, Masterton, Finlayson, Monti, Weatherson (Wake 79), Russell, McAlister. Subs not used: Grady, Smith, McWilliams (Gk).

Attendance: 1,348

Referee - Brian Winter.