Morton at home Feb4th

[tm4tj]

Mid Table Ton of Trouble

 

It's the struggle for mid table supremacy once more as Morton head North where they will fancy their chances against a team they have already beaten home and away this season. Saturday at 3:00pm is the scheduled start for this one with George Oakley likely to be in the Morton line-up having scored on his debut last week. We are gradually getting players back but it's not an instant fix with Allardice and Harper getting back up to speed.

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Match/Ticket Info

Scottish Cup Update

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With Queens Park being dumped out of the Scottish Cup, we now face Livingston away next Saturday 11th February 

Venue H2H v Morton

Pld

Won

Drn

Lst

For

Agst

+ / -

Home	20	12	4	4	46	18	+28
Away	18	10	3	5	35	23	+12
Neutral	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	38	22	7	9	81	41	+40

One to forget: 0 - 4 Morton Madness:  An injury hit Inverness side went to Cappielow with expectations low and they didn't disappoint. Muirhead opened the scoring against the run of play in the fifth minute after Ridgers allowed a shot to go through him. A second soon followed after a soft penalty award when Ambrose went to ground in the box. Gillespie scored from the rebounded penalty. Worse was to follow when David Carson inexplicably headed a corner behind Ridgers under no pressure. Blues added a fourth with twenty minutes left despite Inverness dominating the ball. Defeat by a weakened team against the form team on a run is bearable, what is more difficult to grasp is the substitution of your keeper at half-time and the silence that followed it. More to come over the next week or two methinks. 

Last 10 Competitive Meetings

0 - 4 (A)

0 - 1 (H)

1 - 0 (A)

0 - 1 (H)

6 - 1 (A)

1 - 1 (A)

1 - 1 (H)

2 - 0 (H)

4 - 1 (A)

0 - 1 (H)

Until fairly recently, we had only ever lost once at home to Morton. How times change, and not for the better. The 4-0 thrashing at Cappielow was one of the low points of this season so far and a sign that all was not right behind closed doors. Add that to the 1-0 loss at the Caledonian Stadium and it's easy to believe that the downward spiral is incoming. Thankfully, we have perked up a bit since 2023 arrived but we are far from the finished article yet.

Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts   1. Queens Park 22 12 4 6 44 30 40 2. Ayr United 22 11 6 5 46 29 39 3. Dundee 21 11 5 5 36 25 38 4. Partick Thistle 22 10 3 9 42 37 33 5. Inverness CT 22 8 7 7 32 30 31 6. Morton 21 8 6 7 29 24 30 7. Raith Rovers 23 8 6 9 30 31 30 8. Cove Rangers 22 5 7 10 30 47 22 9. Arbroath 23 4 9 10 22 37 21 10. Hamilton Ac. 22 4 5 13 18 39 17

 

FRIDAY 3RD FEBRUARY

Queens Pk v Ayr United

SATURDAY 4TH FEBRUARY

Accies v Dundee

Arbroath v Raith Rvrs

Caley Jags v Morton      

Partick Thistle v Cove Rangers  

Last Time Out

Inverness were sort of knocked out of the Scottish Cup by an eager Queens Park on Tuesday night. However they may have been too eager and fielded an ineligible player in the shape of Euan Henderson. If the SFA are consistent, then Inverness will progress to face Livingston in a couple of weeks. That aside, we were poor against Queens who deservedly won the game on the park 2-0 with second half strikes from Thomas and Williamson. Our last League game was a 2-2 draw with a similarly resurgent Raith Rovers. We came from behind twice to earn our point through Jay Henderson and Billy Mckay. Vaughan and Connolly had given Raith the lead twice. We are unbeaten in the league since the turn of the year with two wins and two draws.

Morton have slipped below Inverness in the table thanks to two draws and three defeats on the bounce (four if you include the Cup), the last one coming last Saturday at home to Arbroath but they have a game in hand. George Oakley took only four minutes to open his Morton account but the Smokies hit back with second half goals from Hamilton and long range effort from McKenna to deservedly take the points against a disappointing Greenock side.

Morton have won both League matches against the Caley Jags this season. A 0 - 1 win in the Highlands was followed by an embarrassing 0 - 4 thrashing at Cappielow where the Ridgers Rift started as he was subbed at the interval with Inverness 3-0 down to a rampant Morton. Morton's current winless run goes back seven games to November 26th when they beat Queen of the South 4-1 in the Scottish Cup.

Latest Team News

Scott Allardice and Cammy Harper did get some game time over the last couple of weeks but it's fair to say that both are still feeling their way back to match sharpness. 

 

 

Eric's Morton catch-up.

1st. February 2023 a statement from Greenock Morton FC states that Central defender Alan Lithgow has left the club by mutual consent. Since signing at the start of season 2021/22 the 34-year-old has made a total of 49 appearances for the club. He has since joined East Kilbride. Also having left the club are defender Darren Hynes transferred to Clyde FC and joining Airdrieonians was midfield player Lewis Macgregor. Kyle Jacobs, midfielder (Edinburgh, loan to permanent).

Loan ended: Jaze Kabia, midfielder (Livingston).

Joining Morton is one time product of the Celtic FC youth programme, midfielder Calvin Miller who had been without a club since leaving Chesterfield FC back in October 2022.

On loan from Glentoran is Ally Roy a centre forward. Another centre forward and familiar name in Inverness is George Oakley who transferred on a free during the January transfer window and has already opened his Morton account after 4 minutes in the job.

[tm4tj]

David Carson gives his thoughts ahead of tomorrow's game against Morton

https://t.co/0DGHX0S11k pic.twitter.com/O6uaGxSdNa

— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) February 3, 2023

[Robert]

Time to put Morton in their place and win the three points.

It may not be pretty, it is unlikely to be easy, but we need the win. A great performance would be a nice bonus too.

 

[CaleyHedgehog]

I agree. Hopefully the cup decision has given the team a boost. Get out there boys and gie it laldy!

[Jaggernaut]

I really hope that the training this week has involved keeping the ball, more than a couple of passes and  passing it to a team mate, having more shots on goal wouldn't go amiss either. Most teams that we have played this season seem to have a better passing game than us, and when we do manage to string a few passes together, it usually ends up in a chance of a goal, or even on the rare occasion a goal. So let's hope for a better performance from the team, and three very precious points. 

[Robert]

Anyone been near the ground today? It’s very windy where I am this morning so if it is the same at the ground it could make the conditions challenging. 

[Satan]

13 minutes ago, Robert said:

Anyone been near the ground today? It’s very windy where I am this morning so if it is the same at the ground it could make the conditions challenging. 

Having grass and white lines on it can sometimes prove challenging enough.

[Robert]

10 minutes ago, Satan said:

Having grass and white lines on it can sometimes prove challenging enough.

I will be happy if we keep the ball on the grass for once rather than resorting to hoofball. 

[jed5697]

Gorgeous George will be champin at the bit today hopefully he remains toothless it may not have escaped anybody's notice but 3 points are required. Perchance these are provided by 5pm. If not I will have to stop counting my chickens.  A wee cuffing of Morton is surely overdue. 

[tm4tj]

[tm4tj]

 

First Half

Morton were looking for their third win over Inverness this season but were on a run of seven games without a win. Inverness had started the new year in fine form but were looking for three points to create a gap between the two sides in mid table. Sean Welsh was missing for Inverness but Scott Allardice and Cammy Harper started. New signings Calvin Miller and Calum Waters started for Morton, but there was no sign of George Oakley. The curse of the Caley Jags was having an effect.

On Loan Calvin Miller picked up a loose pass in the fifth minute to drive forward and drill the ball into the bottom corner from just outside the box for the opening goal. Great start for the visitors. Aaron Doran was at it again when one on one with the keeper, and like last week he got his feet in a tangle and the chance was lost. Calum Waters volleyed just wide of the post after twenty minutes as the visitors dominated the opening quarter of the game. Mark Ridgers saved from Miller as he cut in from the left with Inverness struggling to make any impact on proceedings until the half hour when Billy Mckay shot and then Zak Delaney failed to hit the target after Jay Henderson recycled the ball. Henderson fired a free kick into the keepers arms as the play became more even but it was Morton that led at the interval.

Half Time: 0-1

[jed5697]

Duffy sold the jerseys

[jed5697]

Cairns bought them back lol  

[Yngwie]

The kind of game we need to be winning if we want to be in the playoffs. But also big sighs of relief after coming from behind twice against a team that normally beats us, and delighted for Cairns getting his first goal.

[tm4tj]

Second Half

Nathan Shaw replaced Aaron Doran and Lewis Hyde replaced Zak Delaney at the interval as Inverness were looking for a way to turn the game around. Both keepers were called into action in the opening minutes of the half through Cameron Blues and Dan Mackay and Scott Allardice shot over. A brighter start for the hosts and they were soon level just after Henderson had shot over the bar. Billy Mckay knocked in a rebound after a long range shot from Allardice fell to him inside the box. Good pressure from the hosts and leading up to the goal but Morton were far from finished with O'Connor and Blues having efforts saved by Ridgers. Dan Mackay turned and volleyed over with twenty minutes left. Blues and Miller had more efforts with the keeper denying Miller as the game entered the final ten minutes. In a frantic finale, Robbie Muirhead restored Morton's lead but substitute Ethan Cairns slotted in another equaliser three minutes later with his first touch of the ball a minute after coming on. Still time for Muirhead and Blues to go close but it ended all square and a point apiece. And breathe....

Full Time: 2-2

 

[STFU]

Dodds told press that anything other than a win wouldn't be good enough, so I look forward to him totally ignoring that fact and spouting the same old in his post match drivel.

[Robert]

A game of two halves. First half we continued with the way we played against Queens Park in the cup and looked toothless and clueless. Delaney gifted Morton the early lead with a wayward pass across the back and was very lucky not to concede a penalty a few minutes later: all that within the opening 10 minutes. Doran had our best chance but repeated what happened on Tuesday and could not control the ball when clean through on the ‘keeper.

The attitude and approach was totally different in the second half. Harper moved to left back with Hyde alongside Allardice in the middle, Delaney being hooked. Shaw replaced Doran with Mackay moving into the number 10 role.

We were positive, moved the ball fast, took on defenders and looked dangerous. Mckay tapped in after sustained pressure.

At that point we should have kicked on and won comfortably but Duffy got caught out at a long ball and gifted Morton the lead.

That’s four goals we have gifted in five days!

Late sub Cairns then got a poacher’s goal to tie things up after good pressure.

A draw was a probably fair result but we’d have won it but for our slackness: that needs sorted. However Morton created more chances than us and Ridgers was called into action more than their ‘keeper.

After the woeful first half I didn’t see us even getting a point but we should have got three.

Ridgers, Devine, Duffy and Delaney have all contributed to the goals we conceded in the last two games. We need to cut out basic errors.

On a positive, after a first half when it looked like the players were not playing for each other and the team, the second half attitude and endeavour was good to see.

We are still in the play off hunt but need to start winning soon, and we’ve a double header with Hamilton and need to aim for six points.

Edited February 4, 2023 by Robert

[STFU]

I genuinely admire your positivity, Robert...but no way was that a fair result.

We stole a point today!

[tm4tj]

I think your record is broken.

[STFU]

1 minute ago, tm4tj said:

I think your record is broken.

Not as broken as my football club

[Satan]

Should've taken the game away from them in the second half. Played much better with the changes made at halftime. Apart from the shaky first 20 minutes morton looked pretty toothless and only escaped with a point thanks to the generosity shown by our defenders. As the shine truly has come off Imrie I'm sure he'll be happier with the point than Dodds.

Stolen point? 

[+jagster]

2 points lost or 1 point gained. I’m of a different opinion to Robert. First half we were insipid uninspiring and way off the pace Morton should have had a couple but thankfully only went in at 1 down. Second half started off with us driving at them with pace and positivity which resulted in Billy’s goal. We then slowed it down again and Morton created  a few chances Duffy then made a mistake which led to them scoring. Ethan Cairns take a bow first touch and an equaliser. Maybe an inspired substitute? We only seemed to come to life when losing. If we have ambitions for promotion we should be beating teams like Morton at home  I will also be listening to what Dodds has to say after claiming these games are must wins  

 

[Douglas Mackenzie]

That first half was without doubt one of our poorest.The weather was bleak and so was the play on the park.Deleany gave the ball away for first goal similar to the goal we gave away on Tuesday and then I thought he was trying to give Morton another assist with a penalty,  but managed to stop himself in time.I thought the team lacked fight and drive and were second best to a poor Morton team in the first half.Deleany and Doran hooked at half time and second half showing better.I think Doran has lost his confidence.Two games running, through one on one with keeper and he fluffs it or falls over.That must be the quickest goal Cairns will ever score.Well done loon.A point gained when all said and done.We need to cutout these basic mistakes and just sharpen up all over.Show desire and roll up the sleeves and fight.

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Douglas Mackenzie

[bdu98196]

59 minutes ago, Robert said:

A game of two halves.

Agreed. First half we were really *****, second half was a big improvement to just being the standard level ***** we are used to.

[IBM]

43 minutes ago, jagster said:

2 points lost or 1 point gained. I’m of a different opinion to Robert. First half we were insipid uninspiring and way off the pace Morton should have had a couple but thankfully only went in at 1 down. Second half started off with us driving at them with pace and positivity which resulted in Billy’s goal. We then slowed it down again and Morton created  a few chances Duffy then made a mistake which led to them scoring. Ethan Cairns take a bow first touch and an equaliser. Maybe an inspired substitute? We only seemed to come to life when losing. If we have ambitions for promotion we should be beating teams like Morton at home  I will also be listening to what Dodds has to say after claiming these games are must wins  

 

Just what we were saying during the game, I have just warmed up now!