Match Preview: Dumbarton
MORTON versus Dumbarton
Tuesday 10 April 2018
Cappielow Park, Greenock
Kick-off 7.45pm
Match Preview
Morton host Dumbarton at Cappielow tonight in a rescheduled Ladbrokes Championship fixture that could prove pivotal to the club’s promotion play-off hopes.
Saturday’s 3-2 loss at Livingston left the Ton sat in fifth place two points behind a Dundee United side with two games in hand and five below third-placed Dunfermline Athletic, who have played one match more.
A victory over the Sons could see Jim Duffy’s men leapfrog the Tangerines back into the play-off places should they fail to win their own match at home to league leaders St Mirren.
Picking up three points would, at the very least, keep Ton hot on the heels of Csaba Laszlo’s side and pull them to within two points of the Pars with just three fixtures left to play.
Opponents Dumbarton have their own play-off concerns to contend with, however, and cross the Erskine Bridge desperate for a win that could see them close the gap on Falkirk as they attempt to avoid a ninth-placed finish.
Unlike their head-to-head with Livi, Morton have enjoyed a positive record against Stevie Aitken’s side this term, having won the last two meetings after drawing both preceeding fixtures earlier in the camapign.
The ambition is to maintain that recent record and come out on top in what is bound to be a nailbiting tussle as they bid to breathe new life into their bid to break the top four.
Manager’s Thoughts
Jim Duffy told gmfc.net: “We played Livingston on Saturday and I was bitterly disappointed with the result, particularly the manner we lost the game.
“We lost it from three set-plays – a long throw and two corners – and although we scored from two set-pieces ourselves, we should have done a lot better in defensive situations.
“We had enough presence in our team to deal with that and just didn’t do it well enough. That little bit of extra aggression to win the ball in our box was missing.
“In general play, I felt we played pretty well. We kept the ball, we created some good chances, scored two good goals from set-pieces, and there were some good performances.
“But listen, we have to accept it and pay tribute to Livingston. They do their jobs very well and they are not second in the league because they only score from set-plays.
“So fair play to them, but we need to go again tonight against Dumbarton, who had a fantastic result against Dundee United at the weekend.
“They’ll be up for the challenge, but we have to make sure we clear our heads and take the good points out of the Livingston game and understand what we’ve got to improve upon.
“Saturday’s result added extra importance to tonight’s game. It’s going to be a big game, an important game. There is a lot of talk earlier in the season of games being important – but these games that are coming up now are, of course.
“There’s an extra degree of responsibility and a wee bit more tension, but this is what you play for: the end of the season where matches matter, and tonight’s is pivotal now.”
Team News
Jamie McGowan, Ross Forbes, Jai Quitongo and Lewis Strapp miss this midweek encounter to due ongoing injury problems, while Luca Gasparotto and Gary Oliver are rated doubtful.
Current Connections
Striker Robert Thomson made a direct move between the clubs in the summer, while midfielder Ross Forbes spent time on loan with the Sons as a teenager, helping them lift the 2008/09 Third Division title.
Dumbarton boss Stevie Aitken, meanwhile, enjoyed eight seasons as a player at Cappielow, making 97 starts, 34 substitute appearances and scoring five goals.
Recent Meetings
Sat 5 Aug 2017: Dumbarton 0-0 Morton (Ladbrokes Championship)
Sat 21 Oct 2017: Morton 1-1 Dumbarton (Ladbrokes Championship)
Sat 10 Feb 2018: Morton 3-0 Dumbarton (William Hill Scottish Cup, fifth round)
Tue 20 Feb 2018: Dumbarton 0-1 Morton (Ladbrokes Championship)
Last Time Out
Defender Thomas O’Ware made the difference, heading home a Michael Tidser corner with just 16 minutes remaining to find the net for the 25th time in his Cappielow career.
His landmark goal was enough to separate the sides on the night and helped Ton put some daylight between themselves and their promotion play-off rivals, as well as moving within two points of Dundee United in third.
Officials
Referee: Craig Charleston
Assistant one: Sean Carr
Assistant two: David Burns
Supporters Notes
Supporters are asked to purchase tickets in advance for all home fixtures where possible in order to avoid excessive queues at the ticket office on a matchday, with briefs available from the following outlets:
Cappielow – During office hours, 9am – 5pm.
Smiths of Greenock – During opening hours, 9am – 5.30pm.
Sinclair Street ticket office – Midweek matchdays from 5pm to 7.45pm
Match tickets can also be purchased in advance online at www.gmfctickets.co.uk or by calling the club on 01475 723571. These can collected at the ticket office on matchday.
Tonight’s Ladbrokes Championship fixture against the Sons can also be pre-loaded to fan cards on Interstadia’s dedicated club website, www.gmfctickets.co.uk.
Admission Prices
Tickets purchased after 5.45pm on a midweek matchday are priced at:
Adults – £20*
Concessions – £15
Children aged 12-16 – £5
Children under 12^ – Free
*£2 from each adult admission will be invested directly into our youth development programme.
^ Children under 12 who do not have a season card or fan card will be required to collect a match ticket with a scannable barcode from our ticket office on the day of the game and must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
However, fans who purchase tickets in advance – prior to 5.45pm on a midweek matchday – will enjoy a freeze upon last year’s pay-at-the-gate prices and these are:
Adults – £18
Concessions – £15
Children aged 12-16 – £5
Children under 12^ – Free
If you do intend to purchase a ticket at Cappielow after 5.45pm, please allow for the fact that there may be a queue at the ticket office.
Sinclair Street
Vehicles, on exiting the car park, must turn left and exit under the railway bridge, turn right into Carwood Street if travelling towards Greenock town centre, or the second left into Weir Street if travelling towards Port Glasgow.
Image: David Bell
