retired_teachems4

Last Minute Signing

With just hours to go before the transfer window closed we managed to secure the signature of full back Scott McLaughlin from Livingston for £20,000 to replace Stewart Greacen.
http://img85.imageshack.us/my.php?im...aughlin7ld.jpg

Overall, it was a very good month for us as I won manager of the month, Kieran McGuire got player of the month and Adam Strachan received the yound player of the month award.

Morton vs Ayr Utd

As this was a league cup first round tie I decided to play a second string side. However, this doesn't mean I don't care if we get beat, I just believe that the team including debutants Willie Gibson, Scott McLaughlin, Clark Kay, Billy Sharp and Ryan Jordan, is good enough to beat Ayr after what I saw of them last season. Morton took the lead in the 20th minute thanks to a great header from Chris Scotland from a Willie Gibson corner. Billy Sharp added a 2nd in the 25th minute with a tap in from 5 yards out to give us a 2-0 lead at the break. Chris Millar played a great ball through to Kevin McKinley to make it 3 before Scotland scored his 2nd from a Jim McAllister corner. Robbie Arthur did score a consolation goal late on but the main disappointment was that new signing Scott McLaughlin was stretchered off just days after fully recovering from a broken leg. We await to see the extent of the damage.
Final Score : Morton 4-1 Ayr Utd
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Fortunately, the McLaughlin injury isn't as serious as was first feared and he will be out for a week with a damaged neck.

retired_teachems4

Morton vs Ross County

I expected us to win this game because of our great start to the season although I knew it would be a difficult game. Not the best of starts when Gary McSwegan gave Morton the lead and it stayed that way in a poor first half. In the 61st minute Steve McGlinchie had a free-kick saved but Captain Stuart McCluskey tapped in the rebound. McGlinchie, McPake and Strachan all came close and just when it looked as if it would finish as a draw, in the 89th minute, a pass by John Maisano found McGlinchie who finished brilliantly past William Bald from inside the area to make it 2-1 and put us 5 points clear at the top of the league.
Final Score : Morton 2-1 Ross County
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Hamilton vs Morton

This was expected to be a difficult game but Hamilton did have midweek cup tie against Kilmarnock whereas we did not play so at least we should be fresher. Another poor start for Morton as Pat Keogh scored from close range inside the first 2 minutes. Mark McLaughlin doubled the lead 12 minutes later with a good finish past Craig Coyle. Soon after this, James McPake missed an absolute sitter, hitting the bar from about 3 yards out. Scott Bannerman also had a great chance which was saved by David McEwan before Stevie Convery chipped the ball over Coyle to make it 3 with just 5 minutes to go. Very disappointing result and performance which we will need to look at in training.
Hamilton 3-0 Morton
http://img169.imageshack.us/my.php?i...0morton3ez.jpg

retired_teachems4

Morton vs St.Mirren

I have been looking forward to this game all season as it is against our big rivals. There is added spice in it being 1st vs 2nd. Due to a broken collarbone for Paul Walker, Scott McLaughlin is preferred to Jim McAllister on the right of midfield and Chris Scotland replaces the injured Derek Collins. This week it was a good start for us as James McPake received a flick off from McGlinchie, beat a defender and fired past Lee Robinson after just 5 minutes. St.Mirren equalised a truly brilliant 30 yarder from Simon Lappin on 42 minutes. In first half injury time, Lappin was fouled by Chris Scotland in the area and referee Andrew Hunter awarded a penalty which Brian McGinty converted. McPake got his second of the afternoon after Dean Keenan's header rebounded off the crossbar and McPake reacted quickest to equalise. After 69 minutes, Kieran McGuire had a 20 yard shot come back of the crossbar and excellent control from Steve McGlinchie saw him round the keeper and give Morton the lead. Finally, with just 1 minute remaining of the 90, McPake fooled everyone by lining up a free-kick on the edge of the box but instead of shooting, he played a beautifully weighted pass to Adam Strachan who fired through the keepers legs to seal the game.
Morton 4-2 St.Mirren
http://img184.imageshack.us/my.php?i...tmirren7pg.jpg

Hooray! After the impressive performances of on-loan midfielder Kieran McGuire we have agreed a fee of £40,000 (a bargain) with Dunfermline and a contract with Kieran to sign him permanently at the end of the season which I am absolutely thrilled about and I think he can play for Scotland one day.
http://img198.imageshack.us/my.php?i...mcguire4me.jpg


Morton vs Kilmarnock

We couldn't have got a much harder draw in the Scottish League Cup 2nd Round because Celtic and Rangers are not in at this stage. Plus, we were without our two central defenders, Derek Collins and Stuart McCluskey which meant we had to play young players Chris Scotland and Ryan Jordan. We started brilliantly once more as Adam Strachan crossed for James McPake who scored a great goal on the turn to give Morton the lead. There were few chances until Eric Joly scored an unbelievable goal direct from a corner to make the scores level at 1 a piece with 20 minutes remaining. Kilmarnock looked most likely to score but didn't and Jim McAllister hit the post with just 5 minutes remaining which would have won it for Morton but the game went to extra time. In the 99th minute of the game, Steve McGlinchie ran onto a through ball from Kieran McGuire and struck the ball past Alan Combe to make it 2-1. Kilmarnock hadn't given up and Danny Invincible missed a couple of good chances to equalise but Morton held on for a famous victory.
Morton 2-1 Kilmarnock (aet)
http://img198.imageshack.us/my.php?i...marnock2wo.jpg

retired_teachems4

St. Johnstone vs Morton

A cold, dry October day saw top of the table Morton travel to McDiarmid park to face in-form St.Johnstone. I expect this to be a tough game and we will do well to get anything from the game. Yet another great start saw us take the lead after 2 minutes after Kieran McGuire (recently called up to the scottish u19s) steered home from 10 yards. McPake added a second after 10 minutes by heading in a Strachan corner. St Johnstone pulled one back through Peter Newby after 36 minutes to make it 1-2 at the interval. Kevin Fotheringham scored from the penalty spot after Chris Hay had been hauled down by Scott McLaughlin and it looked as if it was going to remain that way until in the 89th minute, McLaughlin did some great work down the right before playing a great ball through to Steve McGlinchie who beat Patrick Deery before firing into the top corner for his 10th of the season and to give Morton a great victory and to keep them sitting comfortably at the top of the first division.
Final Score : St. Johnstone 2-3 Morton
http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?i...3morton6al.jpg

retired_teachems4

Queen of the South vs Morton

Our second game of the season against QOS as we had beaten them 3-2 in our last meeting. This game was made a lot tougher as 2 of our star players Kieran McGuire and Steve McGlinchie were away on international duty with Scotland U19s and Derek Collins was injured also. QOS dominated the early proceedings but failed to take their chances and the score was 0-0 at the break. QOS finally took the lead in the 71st minute after Chris Armstrong saw his shot saved by Craig Coyle before Emilio Jaconelli buried the rebound. Chances were few and far between for Morton and they clearly missed playmaker Kieran McGuire. The QOS fans were left singing at the end of the game 'Premier League, You're 'avin a laugh'. A very disappointing display from Greenock Morton.
Final Score : Queen of the South 1-0 Morton
http://img366.imageshack.us/my.php?i...0morton4kc.jpg


Morton vs Brechin

An amazing statistic is that Morton have never beaten Brechin since I have been in charge. We have played them 4 times and lost on every occasion, 1-0 on the last 3 games. Hopefully, we could put this right today. We took the lead on 42 minutes after a superb cross-field pass from Willie Gibson set-up Steve McGlinchie who fired Morton into the lead at the break. We had chances to extend the lead but Chris Templeman tapped in an equaliser after 62 minutes. We had plenty of chances to win the game there-on in but kept missing with James McPake being the main culprit as the game finished a draw. However, we moved 5 points clear of St Mirren as they lost leaving an amazingly open lead with 2nd to 9th separated by just 6 points after 10 games.
Final Score : Morton 1-1 Brechin
http://img197.imageshack.us/my.php?i...brechin2uz.jpg

Please post replies if you have read the thread!

retired_teachems4

Morton vs Livingston

Second game of the season against Livingston after previously beating them 3-2 and we are hopeful of something similar. Still without Paul Walker and Derek Collins. A Great start for Morton as Kieran McGuire headed past Colin Meldrum from the edge of the area after just 3 minutes. We were 2 up after 10 minutes after Steve McGlinchie played a great ball through to James McPake who saw him shot well saved before McGlinchie buried the winner. But once again our nievity showed as we gave away the lead. Firstly, on 18 minutes, James Fowler attempted to cross a free-kick into the box and saw it fly straight into the net. And then mid-way through the second half Marc Libbra made it 2-2 after he went round the keeper. The final 20 minutes passed without much event and the game finished level. I am disappointed with this result because yet again, we failed to hold on to our lead and this is something we really need to address.
Final Score : Morton 2-2 Livingston
http://img127.imageshack.us/my.php?i...stonjpg6uq.jpg

Falkirk vs Morton

It was a cold, wet November day and none of the players were looking forward to playing in these conditions against a struggling Falkirk who were 9th in the table. Paul Tosh gave Falkirk the lead after 14 minutes when he chipped it over Morton keeper Craig Coyle. Tosh added his 2nd just 7 minutes later when he rounded the keeper after a superb pass from Darryl Duffy. Tosh completed Morton's misery and got himself a hat-trick when a magnificent ball from Scott Marshall set up Tosh who shot Falkirk into a 3-0 lead. A very disappointing Morton performance and and equally disappointing result.
Final Score : Falkirk 3-0 Morton
http://img92.imageshack.us/my.php?im...0morton3gy.jpg