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Jonathan Mitchell • Published 23 Aug 2010 11:00
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IT was third time lucky for Morton as they kick-started their season with a 2-0 victory over Partick Thistle on Saturday.
Stewart Kean and Michael Tidser netted either side of half-time to hand Allan Moore his first three points as Ton manager after his side failed to win either of their opening two fixtures.
Moore’s side showed an early intent to make up for last week’s defeat at Dunfermline with an inventive free-kick in the third minute.
Tidser ran over the ball, continued down the right-hand side of the wall and accepted a disguised pass from Graeme Holmes before firing a low cross into the box, cleared by Conrad Balatoni.
Five minutes later, Marc Smyth picked out Peter Weatherson and the big striker sent a shot flashing across the face of goal.
Morton were putting Thistle under relentless pressure in their pursuit of the opening goal, something Allan Moore had identified as crucial in the match-day programme - and they got it in the 18th minute
Carlo Monti whipped over an out-swinging corner which appeared to flick off Weatherson’s head before landing at the feet of Kean, who showed a deadly touch to react quickest and hook the ball into the net from close range.
And those same instincts were on display again on 32 minutes when Stuart McCaffrey swung the ball towards Weatherson, who dummied for Kean.
The former St Mirren man controlled the ball on his chest before unleashing an acrobatic overhead kick which flew past Bryn Halliwell’s right-hand post.
Thistle were having little success in their attempts to penetrate the home defence and failed to create a chance of note in a woeful first half for Ian McCall’s men.
Morton, on the other hand, looked threatening every time they advanced over the halfway line and came close to extending their lead in the 38th minute when Kean raced on to Holmes’ long diagonal pass and flicked the ball over the advancing Halliwell.
The ex-Ton goalkeeper’s momentum sent him crashing into Kean just inside the box, but referee Brian Winter waved away the penalty claims, suggesting the goalkeeper got a touch on the ball.
Seconds before the half-time whistle, Weatherson fired a shot wide after deceiving Balatoni and Ian Maxwell with a lovely dragback, and Morton went in at the interval with a precious lead.
McCall made wholesale changes at the break, altering his formation from 5-3-2 to 4-4-2 and replacing Balatoni and Martin Grehan with Chris Erskine and Simon Donnelly - and this seemed to stun the Cappielow men as Thistle flew out of the traps in search of a quick equaliser.
Liam Buchanan should have scored in the 55th minute when he got on the end of Patrick Boyle’s searching cross, but his weak header was easily caught by Colin Stewart.
He then passed up an even better chance six minutes later when he dragged a shot wide of the post after David Rowson put him through on goal.
But Thistle ran out of steam after their start to the half and Morton scored a fortunate second two minutes from time when Tidser’s free-kick deflected off the wall and wrong-footed Halliwell.
The keeper’s desperate attempt to claw the ball off the line proved to be in vain as stand-side assistant referee Stuart MacAulay awarded a goal, ensuring victory for Moore’s men.
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 23 Aug 10
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