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Morton friday night tv game


tm4tj

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We're on the Telly again

 

One of the last traditional grounds this Friday night as we visit Greenock to take on Morton in the cinch Championship. This game kicks off at 7:45pm. If you are unable to attend the match, don't worry, BBC Scotland have got your back and have chosen it as your preferred Friday night viewing. Maybe the Beeb have a sort of sadistic tendency and look forward to more pain being inflicted upon us as we struggle to get eleven fit players on the park. The olde magic sponge has lost it's magic and Robbie Deas is beyond that having suffered a broken shin bone against Raith Rovers to become the latest victim of the Caley Jags Crippling Curse. We wish him well in his recovery.

MATCH/TICKET/BUS/INFO

SUPPORTERS BUS 07462218717 2:30PM

Venue Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / -
Home 20 12 4 4 46 18 +28
Away 17 10 3 4 35 19 +16
Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 37 22 7 8 81 37 +44

We have the edge over Morton, but honours are even over the last six meetings. The worrying trend recently has been losing home games. That 6-1 thrashing we dished out at Cappielow feels like a long time ago now. However, with injuries dominating our headlines just now, we will do well to get out of this with anything. It could be a long night on Friday. 

Last 10 Competitive Meetings
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0 - 1
(H)
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1 - 0
(A)
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0 - 1
(H)
win.png
6 - 1
(A)
draw.png
1 - 1
(A)
draw.png
1 - 1
(H)
win.png
2 - 0
(H)
win.png
4 - 1
(A)
loss.png
0 - 1
(H)
draw.png
2 - 2
(A)

Earlier this season we went down 0 - 1 to Morton at the Caledonian Stadium, a Grant Gillespie penalty in the 85th minute doing the damage. That was Austin Samuels' last game for us after going off injured in the 24th minute.

More rubbish than the streets of Edinburgh:  The fans turned up looking for a reaction after the feeble attempt at Firhill last Friday. They would leave disappointed after 95 minutes with lots of questions unanswered as they slumped to a second defeat in a row to a bang average Morton side who had previously only ever won three games at the Caledonian Stadium in nineteen encounters. Goalless at the break, Grant Gillespie slotted home a penalty with five minutes remaining after Duffy handled in the box. Woeful stuff from Billy Dodds and his hapless team. Simply another inept performance from the Caley Jags who are now six points behind early leaders Ayr United.

Ayr United beat Partick Thistle 4-2 on Tuesday night and that leaves the table looking like this, It's all very tight at the top end of the table.

Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts
 
1. Ayr United 12 6 3 3 26 17 21
2. Inverness CT 12 6 3 3 15 11 21
3. Partick Thistle 12 6 2 4 25 21 20
4. Queens Park 12 6 2 4 19 19 20
5. Dundee 12 5 3 4 19 16 18
6. Morton 12 5 3 4 15 13 18
7. Raith Rovers 12 5 1 6 13 13 16
8. Cove Rangers 12 3 3 6 16 20 12
9. Arbroath 12 2 4 6 8 15 10
10. Hamilton Ac. 12 2 4 6 9 20 10

FRIDAY 28TH OCTOBER

    Morton v Inverness

Queen's v Dundee

SATURDAY 29TH OCTOBER

Arbroath v Ayr Utd

  Hamilton v Cove R  

    Rovers v Partick

Last Time Out

Injury ravaged Inverness were held to a draw by Raith Rovers who must have thought they would break their hoodoo. Over twenty years since they have beaten us over ninety minutes. Robbie Deas was magnificent leading the back four by example and scored a wonderful headed goal off Zak Delaney's inviting dipping cross. Unfortunateley he was injured late in the game and we have now been told the extent of that. He has broken his right leg. That took the shine off a great defensive effort with Mark Ridgers also denying Raith with four vital saves. 

Morton earned a good away point at Dens Park as the Dark Blues ended the game with ten men. Dundee's Josh Mulligan was red carded with ten minutes remaining after two late bookings in a four minute spell. Morton are unbeaten in their last four games since being hammered 5-1 by Partick Thistle with three wins prior to the draw at Dundee. They also dished out a five goal thrashing of their own over Accies who beat us recently.

Latest Team News

Well, what can we say that's not already been said. Multiple injuries that will see us struggle to be competitive for the forseeable future. Most serious are Deas (broken right leg), Sutherland (ACL), Walsh (ACL), Roddy MacGregor (ankle), Devine (knee), Dan Mackay (knee, extent not known). Add Allardice, Duffy and Samuels who are hopefully getting close. Max Ram and Sean Welsh are just back after injury and game time is all part of their rehab. Let's see what Billy Dodds has to say about any players likely to be ready for Friday night.

 

Eck's Morton menu:

Morton have announced the signing of former Celtic, Hibs, Livingstone and St Johnston defender Efe Ambrose today (Wednesday) ahead of the clash with Inverness. 34 year old Ambrose has been capped 51 times for Nigeria in a glittering career. Imrie is building a solid squad at Cappielow and they have one of the best left backs in the Championship in Lewis Strapp. Up front Robbie Muirhead and Jai Quitongo will cause probems and on loan Irishman Jaze Kabia will be out to prove he's ready for a start.

 

Here's Dougie talking after the Dundee game.

May be an image of text that says "SCOTTISH CUP THIRD ROUND DRAW WILL PLAY inverness Inverness ledonian RLING ALBION S RTA በ 8 15 INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE P 1 STIRLING ALBION SCOTTISH CUP ORIGINAL MOMENTS. UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES. 1873"One for the diary.

We have been drawn to face Stirling Albion at home in the 3rd Round of the 2022/23 ScottishCup.

3rd round ties to take place on weekend of Saturday 26th November.

We have played Stirling Albion twice previously in the Scottish Cup. The first encounter was a 6-1 win at Forthbank in 2007. The second game required a replay in 2016 when we won 2-0 in Inverness after a no scoring draw in Stirling.

 

 

 

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Imrie seems to know how to play us. His task made easier by our depleted squad. I fear the worst in this one - hope not of course. Chance of a point if we (can) park the bus. 

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1 hour ago, Gringo said:

Imrie seems to know how to play us. His task made easier by our depleted squad. I fear the worst in this one - hope not of course. Chance of a point if we (can) park the bus. 

Regarding the bit I've put in bold, that is not the way to approach this game and will likely backfire imho. I am of the opinion that playing for a draw is a no go as we can't get away with defending for 90+mins without being punished, my philosophy is to attack, attack and attack then try and hold on once we are ahead whilst still playing good attack minded football. 

Fwiw I'm not dissing your opinion though Gringo ;).

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I feel if we have players fit, Welsh and Mackay hopefully, then we must start with our strongest eleven. Even if these players can only give us a half, it's better to try and get a foothold in the game and then defend it, than going behind and take these players off the bench and try to rescue the game.

For me, it's all about tactics and the way the team is set up and desire. Poorer teams have come to Inverness when we have been playing well and beaten us, so there's no reason that we can't beat teams when we are under strength. I remember Inverness Thistle being third bottom of the Highland League and not playing well, being drawn against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup, nobody gave the Jags a chance against Killie, but they produced an outstanding performance and blew Kilmarnock away, nobody saw that coming, and maybe it was that fact that let them play with freedom, but they were well set up and the desire shown through.

If we can take something from the game, and keep chipping away at games with our patched up team until we get some of the players fit again, our full first team could really mount a serious challenge for the title, as no team looks like running away with the league this year.

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tm4tj lists 9 players who are currently out injured and a further 2 who are just returning from injury.  Those players would make a pretty impressive starting 11, so it is all the more impressive that we are as high in the table as we are.  It may not always be pretty but when a team is picked on the basis of who is fit enough to play and you can't play a settled side, then any result is a plus however it is achieved.

Morton will be very hard to beat.  After their 5-1 gubbing at the hands of Partick on the 1st of the month, Morton have taken 10 points from 4 games and only conceded 1 goal.  To get anything out of the game will be a real achievement, but we tend to do well when the cameras are there.  It is an opportunity for those coming into the side to show what they can do and fight for a place in the side when injured players return.  I'm not expecting us to win, but I am expecting to see a team playing with real commitment.

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I wonder if there is a bounce factor amongst the players not injured? They might have thought their chance wasn’t due for a while and here they are manning the ship near the top of the table. In a weird way it feels like the adversity we faced against Arbroath in the playoffs or the season we went up when miles behind Dundee.  Or when Graham Spears said he would eat his hat if we stayed in the SPL. I’d not be surprised if we won tonight, or if we lost. It’s not boring at the moment!!

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I agree that trying to win the game despite the adversity is the way to go. Who dares wins and all that. Morton were a physical team in the last game so first and foremost win the individual jousts. Enjoy the game and hopefully end Morton's run. Get intae them...🏃‍♂️👊 

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Eh, we're away from home so not expected to come out and try to open up the opposition. 

Morton might have nicked it up in inverness last time we played , now the onus is on them, in front of their own fans, to get the points to go top. Perfect opportunity for a surprise result. As long as we start off solidly then there's always a chance...

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Definitely.

Possibly Duffy and Ram at centre half so Delaney can continue at left back.

Good to have Welsh starting so some experience in the middle.

Samuels on the bench is positive as his pace could be handy late on. 

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4 minutes ago, No Shin Guards said:

I say,

No. He made a mistake at Morton goal, but how often has he literally saved us!! 

Eh what? 🧐 

I say I say I say....  😴

Does not matter one iota...  That is his job.  That 1st goal was a feckin howler!

What what what what?

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