Beating St Mirren meant a lot to O’Ware
Morton skipper Thomas O’Ware says it meant a lot to him to be part of the team that finally laid the club’s long-standing derby hoodoo to rest by beating St Mirren on Tuesday.
The defender didn’t buy into the idea it had been 17 years of dominance considering the clubs had spent so many years in different divisions.
However, as the club’s longest-serving player, he recognised it had been a significant period since the Ton last held the Renfrewshire bragging rights and how big a deal it was to the supporters to finally end that run.
Speaking after the game, he told gmfc.net: “All we have heard is that it has been 17 years. I’ve been here nearly six years and you grow attached to the club so obviously for me it means a lot beating them.
“You don’t even need to have been here that long – when you play in a derby match and you experience the atmosphere, you want to be on the winning team.
“You don’t want to be on the losing side in any game obviously, but it’s especially the case in a derby. That was always coming – we were all positive about tonight.
“It’s been a long time coming, over this season and last when I don’t think they outplayed us in any of the games.”
The scoreline might have finished 3-1 but O’Ware felt that there was more of a disparity between the sides on the night than the final margin suggested.
He added: “Saturday was a real grind, but I thought tonight was one-sided. We were on cruise control as soon as we got the first goal and deserved the win.
“I thought 3-1 flattered them to be honest. Up there with the Hamilton game, the first half was up there with the best football we’ve played. It was one-way traffic and we battered them.”
Just as he did in the 1-1 draw at Greenhill Road in August, the 23-year-old opened the scoring with a header from a Ross Forbes free-kick, and he took a great deal of pleasure in repeating the feat with a more favourable outcome.
He added: “The last time we played them I was gutted because I had obviously scored to make it 1-0 and it could have been the winner, but I’d take any goal against them.
“It was good to get another goal. That’s me got six this season and it’s good to be on the scoresheet. I got five in the first season the gaffer was here, five last season and I’ve got six now. I’ve not got a target now, I’m just looking for as many as I can.
“But more than anything brilliant to get six points from the two games [Ayr and St Mirren]. We also looked at it as a normal league game and the two fixtures and our target was six points and we managed to get that.”
Images: David Bell
