Scottish 2nd Division
Tues 2nd December 03
New Douglas Park, Hamilton

They say it is a sign of a championship winning team when despite not playing well you still come away with all three points. That was exactly the case here where Alex Williams’s injury time winner ensured a, perhaps undeserved, victory for the Greenock men.

After a week off due to Morton having a bye in the Scottish Cup the fans were looking forward to getting back to business. A spanner was to be thrown in the works though as their wait would be prolonged due to the weather on Saturday at Hamilton ensuring the game would have to wait until Tuesday. As well as making sure they receive their fix of Morton, the fans were looking at getting back to winning ways also after two draws in their previous two fixtures against Forfar and East Fife.

Morton started without the injured Derek Collins which meant a place in the starting eleven for Robbie Henderson. Phil Cannie, McAllister and Gaughan warmed the bench which meant no place for Warren Hawke or Jani Uotinen.

And so to the game. Despite a promising start by the visitors it was the hosts overall who had the more chances and only a combination of fine saves and terrible finishing kept them out.

Morton took the lead in the 29th minute when Alex Williams was sent clear by a fine through ball by Marco Maisano. With support advancing in the middle the young striker decided they were unneeded and slotted the ball low past the 'keeper. Moments later Morton had a chance to go double their lead when Williams’s low cross across goal from the left was narrowly missed by Weatherson.

Hamilton striker Brian McPhee was then involved in two incidents, one on either side of the break, that could have pulled the game level. Just before half time he was kept at bay by a marvellous double save from Craig Coyle. Immediately after the restart Coyle was unneeded as the striker, with only the 'keeper to beat from 6 yards, somehow took the harder option of placing the ball wide. Morton though were living dangerously and Hamilton continued to push for the goal.

After the fine saves in the first half the Morton 'keeper then turned villain as when there appeared to be no apparent danger he clattered Arbuckle and the ref had no doubt in offering a penalty. Brian Carrigan slotted home from the spot .It was no more than the home team deserved.

From here, Accies were the better team and were creating the chances while Morton meanwhile were unable to muster much in response. Both teams then made substitutions as they pushed for the winner. A quartet of rather ineffective performances in the game ensured that Quitongo and McPhee for the home side and Weatherson and John Maisano for the visitors would take no further part in proceedings with the later two replaced by the energetic pairing of Bannerman and Cannie.

As the game entered the final 10 or so minutes Morton seemed to find a new surge of energy and put the home side under pressure. What happened next sent the visiting masses into hysterics and the home side heading for the exits. A Paul Walker cross was met by Williams who headed past McEwan for the winner in stoppage time.

In honesty it was more than Morton deserved for a rather poor performance but three points are welcome no matter how they are won. Hamilton on the other hand will be wondering how on earth they came away from that game with nothing when even a draw would have been less than they deserved. The plain and simple answer is that the game boiled down to poor finishing by the home side (Brian McPhee in particular) and a fine double save by Craig Coyle. While Williams showed McPhee the correct way to do it at the other end with clinical finishing of chances.

It was said that Hamilton stole a point from Cappielow earlier in the season. Morton displayed a similar act tonight- and some.

Morton manager John McCormack said: “We did not get a great flowing pattern from the off — maybe there were a few cobwebs as we haven’t played for a couple of weeks. We made it difficult for ourselves but the boy Williams took his goals well, especially the second.

“There’s no denying the quality of the finish of the first one, and the second showed great awareness.

“I was disappointed to lose the penalty — I felt it could have been avoided. But, to be fair, young Craig had an outstanding double save earlier on to keep us in the game.

“I felt we didn’t play a lot of football the way we can play. The boys are well aware of that and they’re disappointed. They have set standards. But we won the game! It’s the sign of a good team when you can play badly and still win!

McCormack added: “There’s nothing wrong with players’ attitudes when they come into the dressing room, disappointed after their display and I’ve got to remind them they have won.

Hamilton: McEwan, Walker, Hodge, Steven Thomson, Lumsden, Arbuckle, Carrigan, Aitken, Quitongo, McPhee, Sherry. Subs: Corcoran, Gribben, Convery, Whiteford, Jellema.

Morton: Coyle, Henderson, Bottiglieri, Macgregor, Greacen, Marco Maisano, Millar, John Maisano, Williams, Weatherson, Walker. Subs: Bannerman, Gaughan, Cannie, McAlistair, McGurn.

Referee: T Brown

Attendance: 1905