Scottish Cup Round 3
Saturday 10th January 04
Cappielow Park

(Rowson 35, Grady 52, 89 both pens).

MORTON received a salutary lesson at rain-soaked Cappielow on Saturday where bottom club in the Premier League, Partick Thistle, produced a thoroughly professional performance to bundle them out of the Scottish Cup.

Although the hosts produced three excellent scoring opportunities in the match, the stark fact is that there was a gulf in class between the two protagonists. On Friday I had written that Thistle were used to competing in a division in which the room for error is marginalised and the quality of the opposition vastly superior.

On the day that, unfortunately for Morton, was all too perfectly illustrated. The Jags began clearly intent on establishing their credentials from the first whistle and Morton suddenly found themselves bypassed in a tie played at a pace to which they were not accustomed.

In terms of physique they also gave a literally lightweight display and they can have no complaints about the result. It was disappointing for the home fans, but if there is a silver lining to the cloud it was that it provided a very useful measure of the task ahead of everyone at the club.

This season the prime objective is promotion, and Morton remain the best team in the Second Division. Their target is still well within their grasp and their capabilities. What Saturday’s match did was show very clearly the gap that requires to be closed if the aim is to compete with ambition in the top half of the First Division. It is no bad thing to have that spelt out in capital letters.

Cappielow manager John McCormack summed up perfectly in his after match comments when he said: “The team that went through were sharper. It’s a good lesson. When you look at it we were playing a team that might be the bottom of the Premier League but it lets the players know the standards they have to get to. I believe that was apparent out there today. We are by no means the finished article. We’re in the Second Division and it’s up to us to take the positives, as much as we can, on board.

“In the second half we did a wee bit more and we got some balls wide and in the box, but when we were two down you could see it was easier for Thistle with the second goal and the cushion.

“Disappointing, then. Before the game I thought we had a good chance and if we had started well and taken our chances sometimes that can lift you up, but it didn’t happen.”

Partick co-boss Gerry Britton was, in contrast, delighted with his players. “They played exactly the way we asked them with a proper tempo right from the start. We knew Morton would give us a tough game, especially down here, but we felt if we matched their commitment and enthusiasm then the ability our guys have got would tell, and I think it did.

“We scored three, but I think there were another three or four we could have put away.”

In Rowson and Grady Thistle had star performers, but it was as a team they impressed most, allowing the hosts no time at all on the ball.

After a delayed start to allow in the large support, Partick suffered an early set-back when Arthur had to race out of of his box to head clear after Weatherson’s volleyed pass had threatened to put Williams in with a shot. He had to go off with a hamstring injury as a result, young Steven Pinkowski replacing him a couple of minutes later and going on to do a competent job.

In seven minutes Morton should have taken the lead when John Maisano’s free kick found the unmarked Gaughan on the six-yard box, but he somehow turned the ball over the crossbar.

At the other end the tireless James Grady squandered a good opportunity for the visitors when his header flew a yard wide of the left post after Gaughan had been drawn out of position.

Morton were being hustled out of the game, yet they might have scored in 32 minutes when Williams stabbed a lay-off to Weatherson inside the box to the left of the goal. The striker tried to steer the ball to Pinkowski’s left but the goalkeeper blocked.

Andy Thomson blazed a shot over for Thistle, but it was merely a precursor to the first goal. With 10 minutes remaining to the interval, Morton lost possession in midfield and Grady quickly took out Rowson’s marker, John Maisano, with a diagonal ball. Rowson ran through on the blind side before directing a perfect shot into the right corner of the net.

In 52 minutes Morton sustained a real body blow when McBride’s ball through the middle was pounced on by Thomson. His shot was blocked and then David McGregor brought Mitchell down in the penalty area.

Grady blasted the ball high to Coyle’s right to provide the defining moment of the game. Thistle’s drookit fans at the Wee Dublin End, who had had to weather a monsoon in the first half, found their voices and their team began to exude confidence.

There were desperate home appeals for a penalty when Murray was forced to stoop low to head clear at the Partick end, while for Morton, Coyle, their best performer on the day, did well to block Mitchell’s drive with his legs.

Grady hooked wide as Thistle sought to punish Morton further and, with time beginning to run out, John McCormack flung on Bannerman and Cannie for Marco Maisano and Gaughan.

At last the home side began to show glimpses of the form which has taken them to the top of the Second Division. Millar found Walker on the right and his cross was met by Weatherson’s downward header, Pinkowski saving low down at his back post. In 73 minutes a better chance came to Williams in front of goal but his header from the edge of the six-yard box lacked pace.

Morton at least were fighting back and , in 78 minutes, they put on Uotinen for Williams. Cannie managed to get wide on the right on a couple of occasions but each time there was no team-mate making a near post run.

This brief revival was finally squashed with a minute to go when Scott Bannerman stretched to try and tackle Grady, only succeeding in pulling his legs from under him. That resulted in his ordering-off and Grady’s second successful penalty kick, slotting the ball neatly, low to Coyle’s left.

By that time the Cowshed was fast emptying a despairing home support. If there is an upside it is surely that Morton, and particularly their younger players, can only benefit from the experience, difficult as it was.
TEAMLINES — Morton (4-3-3): Coyle; Gaughan (Cannie 69), Collins, McGregor; Millar, J. Maisano, M. Maisano (Bannerman 69), Bottiglieri; Walker, Williams (Uotinen 78), Weatherson. Subs not used — Henderson, McGurk. Bookings: Williams 44. Sent off: Bannerman 90.

Partick (4-4-2): Arthur (Pinkowski 7); Lilley (Forrest 46), Murray, Madaschi, Ross; Mitchell, Rowson, McBride, Milne; Thomson (Bonness 79), Grady. Subs not used — Panther and Gemmell. Bookings: Milne 6, Mitchell 40, Ross 60.

Referee: J. Rowbotham.

Attendance: 6,613.

This story appeared in the Greenock Telegraph on Mon, 12 Jan, 2004