Ton receive a Kirk in the teeth

Jonathan Mitchell • Published 16 Aug 2010 11:00 0 Comments

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Morton were victims of a Pars smash-and-grab on Saturday as Andy Kirk scored two late goals to snatch the points for Dunfermline.

Allan Moore’s side controlled the first 75 minutes of the match at East End Park but failed to press home their dominance and were made to pay the price when Kirk netted a quick-fire brace to give his side an unmerited 2-0 victory.

There were two changes to the Morton side which lost to Ross County on Tuesday.

Colin Stewart returned in place of Kevin Cuthbert, while Carlo Monti replaced the injured Fouad Bachirou as Moore reverted to a flat four in midfield with Allan Jenkins on the right, Monti on the left and Graeme Holmes and Michael Tidser in the centre.

The Ton took the game to their hosts from the first whistle and Peter Weatherson was agonisingly close to connecting with Michael Tidser’s flashing drive just three minutes in.

Kevin Kelbie tried to curl a shot into Chris Smith’s top right hand corner in the ninth minute, but he failed to get the necessary elevation on his effort and the Pars number one made an easy catch.

It was one-way traffic as Grant Evans headed a Holmes corner just past the upright before Allan Jenkins cut in off the right wing and dragged a left-foot shot wide from 30-yards.

In the 31st minute, Nick Phinn hobbled off the field to be replaced by Willie Gibson, who would go on to make a telling contribution later in the game.

The Dunfermline goal survived a scare in the 39th minute when Weatherson made a darting near-post run to get on the end of a Monti cross, but his glancing header was scrambled off the line by Smith and the sides went in level at the break.

Jim McIntyre’s men emerged for the second half with a new-found sense of purpose.

Gibson signalled their intentions with a stinging 40-yard drive, but Stewart made a simple catch to deny the in-demand winger.

Two minutes later, Kirk switched the ball to Gibson and peeled off into the centre in a desperate attempt to get on the end of the resultant cross.

But Marc Smyth was alert to the danger and managed to get his head to the ball and flick it to safety, thwarting fellow Ulsterman Kirk.

But Morton soon reassumed control of proceedings and created an excellent chance to take the lead in the 66th minute.

Tidser slipped the ball to Holmes, who fed the unmarked Kelbie, but he fired his shot into the side-netting with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Less than a minute later, Kelbie was withdrawn and replaced by Stewart Kean and the substitute almost made an instant impact.

He collected a Jenkins flick-on and demonstrated impressive improvisation skills by hooking the ball over his shoulder towards Smith’s top corner but his ambitious effort drifted wide.

Yet for all Morton’s pressure, it was the home side who opened the scoring with just 14 minutes remaining.

Kirk smashed the ball into an empty net after a communication breakdown in defence saw Kevin McKinlay sclaff a clearance straight to the Pars front man.

And Kirk made sure of the three points in the 82nd minute when he ghosted in to meet Gibson’s free-kick with a bullet header which left Stewart rooted to the spot.

This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 16 Aug 10

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