Grady says team lack fight

Roger Graham • Published 8 Mar 2010 14:00 0 Comments

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ON THE BALL: Morton striker Donovan Simmonds, who was absolved from blame by his manager.

AYR UNITED 2 MORTON 0

MORTON manager James Grady summed up his afternoon's frustration when he said: "I think when the second goal has gone in it tells me a lot about the team that I've got.

"I just think there were too many whose body language [showed] they gave up the ghost a wee bit."

The boss has spoken often in recent times of the necessity for mental strength among his players, and it was the lack of that which affected him most.

He continued: "It was very, very hard to take, especially from a team I'm managing, because there was one thing you always got from myself - everything. And when that doesn't happen you've got problems.

"But, as I said to them, 'you're the only guys who can get us out of this.' We're all in it together. We've created enough chances to win a game today, but we've not taken them.

"That's not me having a go at the strikers, because I thought Donovan Simmonds came in today and did really well. I thought young Tidser came in and did really well.

"I'm looking at the guys who've been over the course and should be able to help these kids out, rather than looking to these kids to go and get them out the position we're in."

Morton's cause wasn't helped by the loss of skipper Stewart Greacen for a second booking, albeit late in the game, and Grady commented: "He's on a yellow card. He has been for a long part of the game.

"The guy [who was fouled] is 55 yards away from goal and facing away. Is there any need to put a challenge in?

"Big Greac has let himself down today, because he'll be out for a good number of games now.

"He's our skipper. He's the guy we look to to lead and galvanise everybody. To me it's a silly booking.

"Even when the second goal went in, I was still confident we could have got something out the game if we had kept on playing the way we did in the first half.

"But too many, with their body language, just thought the game was dead and buried. When that happens you're in a no-win situation.

"It's something I've learned very quickly in management. You can do as much as you can for the side, but you need your guys to be up for the fight basically.

"When we went down two-nil too many did not have that fight in them.

"It's a worrying time, but we can't affect what happened out there today. We can work towards next week and rectify what happened out there today.

"We're in the mire with Ayr and Airdrie. Raith, you could say, are still in it, but we need to get a run of games where we're not giving points up cheaply.

"As I said, we're the only ones who can get us out of it and we need to start taking more of the chances we are creating.

"That's not having a go at the strikers, but we need to take a bigger percentage of the chances that we do create or we will be punished, and we're being punished."

Ayr boss Brian Reid was, naturally, delighted with the result which takes his side to within two points of Morton with a game in hand. He said: "This was a big win for us. The clubs above us will be looking over their shoulders now."

Ayr goalscorer Mark Roberts, who had to leave the field after taking a heavy tackle on his hip from Dominic Shimmin, said: "Tam [McManus] flicked it round the corner, I took a touch and hit it in the top corner.

"We needed something because we didn't play well in the first half.

"They were actually the better side and created a few chances.

"We've played a lot better in most games, so we're delighted with that today."

Asked about the foul by Shimmin which led to his eventual withdrawal, Roberts grinned: "To be fair, I think he said to one of the boys 'I had to give him a crack'. I don't mind that. I wish our centre-halves would do that all the time.

"That's what centre-halves should do. They should always make it as hard as posible for you.

"It was a bad challenge, but these things happen."

This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 08 Mar 10

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