Checkmate the aim

Roger Graham • Published 19 Feb 2010 14:00 0 Comments

MORTON boss James Grady has described meetings with Ross County as like 'games of chess', and he is determined that it is his side who will provide the conclusive checkmate tomorrow at Cappielow.

When it was put to him that several of his players had described County as the best football playing team in the league, Grady replied: "I'd go along with that. It's a bit like a game of chess with them. Derek Adams [the County manager] often changes formations within a game, so you have to plan for different scenarios. They [Ross County] do it very well.

"We have to paint a different picture for the players in case these [changes] happen, so that everyone knows what they're doing and we can adapt quickly.

"But first we have to look at ourselves and what we do. Our workrate has to be at the same level as in our last three games. Against Celtic [in the cup] it was excellent, and we just lacked that wee bit of self-belief to go and win the game.

"Against Raith Rovers it was a battle and we won through. Our workrate against Queen of the South was phenomenal. We've been saying that to the players all season. Every time you put that effort in, you have a great opportunity to get the three points. Inconsistency has been our problem.

"We have to do it every week. We have had this wee dawn before, then we tend to get a bit gallus and fall flat.

"If we are to turn the corner we have to keep working as hard every week. We are not good enough to drop that workrate and win games."

As for who will come in for suspended Kevin Finlayson, Grady would not be drawn. There will also have to be a change on the bench as the other Kevin, McKinlay, is suspended for two games.

With Erik Paartalu doubtful, having trained for the first time for a while yesterday after an ankle injury, it may be that the experience of Neil MacFarlane will be preferred over the youth of Michael Tidser, though it was the latter who got a place on the bench last week to MacFarlane's exclusion.

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This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 19 Feb 10

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