Match Preview: Dumbarton
Ladbrokes Championship
MORTON versus DUMBARTON
Saturday 20 August 2016
Cappielow Park, Greenock
Kick-off 3pm
Match Preview
Morton welcome Dumbarton to Cappielow as they look to continue the solid start to the season which has seen them embark on a seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions by beating the likes of Kilmarnock and Hamilton Accies on Betfred Cup duty.
Jim Duffy’s men have kicked off the league campaign with successive 1-1 draws against St Mirren at the Paisley 2021 Stadium and Falkirk here in Greenock but looked on course for maximum points on both occasions until the opposition netted last-gasp equalisers.
Luke Leahy’s injury-time leveller last week came to pass in controversial circumstances, with most onlookers adamant that the Bairns defender had controlled with an arm before flicking the ball into the net.
Seven days have passed since that agonising ending and the Ton team will be looking to put it firmly behind them by claiming maximum points for the first time in 2016/17 when Stevie Aitken’s side come to town.
The former Ton midfielder’s Sons will arrive on Sinclair Street buoyed by a fantastic home win against one of the division’s title favourites in Dundee United, a Mark Docherty penalty proving enough to separate the teams on the day.
Manager’s Thoughts
Jim Duffy told gmfc.net: “We have prepared for an extremely tough match. Dumbarton had a terrific result against Dundee United and that will give them confidence.
“But in this division things can change from week to week. The cliche in this division is to expect the unexpected, and I don’t think it’s a surprise that Dumbarton can beat Dundee United.
“It’s about your players and how they perform on the day. Dumbarton performed very well last week and deserved to win, so we need to make sure we perform well this week and hopefully we deserve to win.
“We’ve played two league games and have two draws against tough opponents. We’ve played well in both games and I think we’ve deserved more, but football is about seeing things out and we haven’t managed to do that.
“Hopefully we can manage to do that this week. We’re looking to perform to the same level we have done in the previous league games and see if we can capitalise on our good play.”
Team News
Conor Pepper (knee) is out and Mark Russell (viral problem) is doubtful, but Aidan Nesbitt is expected to be available for selection despite being substituted at half-time in Celtic Under-20s’ Irn-Bru Cup win at Cowdenbeath due to illness.
Current Connections
Midfielder Ross Forbes spent time on loan with the Sons as a teenager during the second half of the 2008/09 season, helping them lift the Third Division title, as did Celtic loanee Jamie Lindsay, who made 28 appearances in last term’s Championship.
Dumbarton boss Stevie Aitken enjoyed eight seasons as a player here at Cappielow, making 97 starts, 34 substitute appearances and scoring five goals.
Recent Meetings
Sat 25 July 2015: Morton 2-3 Dumbarton (Challenge Cup, 1st round)
Sat 12 Sep 2015: Morton 0-0 Dumbarton (Ladbrokes Championship)
Sat 31 Oct 2015: Dumbarton 1-2 Morton (Ladbrokes Championship)
Sat 13 Feb 2016: Morton 2-0 Dumbarton (Ladbrokes Championship)
Sat 2 April 2016: Dumbarton 0-0 Morton (Ladbrokes Championship)
Last Time Out
The teams could not be separated the last time they faced off on league duty, recording their second goalless stalemate of the season in a forgettable 90 minutes at the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium.
Officials
Referee: Mat Northcroft
Assistant one: Ivan Stankovic
Assistant two: Gordon Crawford
Supporters Notes
Admission is pay at the gate and prices are:
Adult – £18
Concession – £15
Parent and child under 16 – £18
Child aged 12 to 16 – £5
Child under 12 accompanied by an adult – Free
We are trialing print-at-home and e-tickets tomorrow and these can be purchased by going to: http://greenockmortonfc.eventgenius.co.uk/. Please read our news item for full instructions by clicking here. Online ticket sales will close at 8am on Saturday morning while stocks last.
Image: David Bell
