Match Preview | Falkirk
MORTON versus Falkirk
Friday 01 March 2019
Cappielow Park, Greenock
Kick-off 7.05pm
Scene Setter
Morton and Falkirk take centre stage tonight as they contest in the first Championship fixture to be shown live on the brand new BBC Scotland channel.
The fixture is Ton’s third meeting with a Bairns side bossed by the former Cappielow management team of Ray McKinnon and Darren Taylor.
Gaffer’s Thoughts
Johansson told gmfc.net: “Friday’s game is great for everyone involved, it’s great for the players, it’s great for the supporters and it’s great for the league.
“Falkirk are playing really well at the moment, they’re undefeated in their last six games and they’re one of the in form teams in the league right now.
“I feel that we have improved as a squad since our first two meetings, we have much more competition in the team now and a lot of pace and energy moving forward.
“Obviously they will be pretty fresh with not having a game on Tuesday but that’s not an excuse for us, we know what we have to do and we know the performance levels we have to be at it to rise to the occasion.”
Team News
Both Rory McKeown and Denny Johnstone remain sidelined with McKeown still recovering from a calf injury sustained a few weeks back and Johnstone struggling with a long term knee injury that is ruled him out for the majority of the season.
Striker Bob McHugh will miss tonight’s game after coming off injured against Queen of the South on Tuesday night.
Morton Milestones and Significant Stats
10 – Striker McHugh is Morton’s top scorer this term with ten goals in 24 starts and six substitute appearances.
12 – Midfielder Michael Tidser is Morton’s top creator with 12 direct assists in 26 starts.
250 – Michael Tidser made his 250th appearance for the club after coming off the bench at Inverness last Saturday.
Current Connections
Morton forward Bob McHugh swapped the Forth Valley for Greenock in the summer of 2017 after two successful seasons with today’s opponents.
Close-season recruit Reghan Tumilty arrived at Cappielow following his release by Ross County, but spent last term on loan with the Bairns, scoring two goals in 20 appearances.
Former Morton player Ross MacLean penned a deal with Falkirk in January following a six month loan here at Cappielow in the first half of the season.
The Falkirk management team of Ray McKinnon, Darren Taylor, and Graeme Henderson started the campaign here at Cappielow before taking the reins at the Falkirk Stadium.
Head to Head
Sat 13 Jan 2018: Morton 0-1 Falkirk (Ladbrokes Championship)
Sat 10 Mar 2018: Falkirk 3-1 Morton (Ladbrokes Championship)
Sat 20 Oct 2018: Morton 1-0 Falkirk (Ladbrokes Championship)
Sat 15 Dec 2018: Falkirk 0-0 Falkirk (Ladbrokes Championship)
Last Time Round
Morton and Falkirk could not be separated as the clubs shared the spoils after an uneventful goalless draw at a freezing cold Falkirk Stadium in December last year.
Wintry weather conditions saw Westfield showered by icy sleet throughout the day, and it made a for a gruelling 90 minutes for all involved.
The best opportunity of the first half fell to Robert Thomson on 40 minutes, but the striker lost his footing on the slippery surface as he connected with Gregor Buchanan’s flick-on, causing him to slice his left-footed shot wide.
Besides Chelsea loan kid Ruben Sammut’s skewed shot that flashed high and wide at the end of a positive run at a retreating Ton rearguard, the hosts had offered little in the way of attacking threat.
Derek Gaston was required to palm Deimantas Petravicius’s speculative shot around his right-hand post within two minutes of the restart as Falkirk came out fired up for the second half.
Officials
Referee: Andrew Dallas
Assistant one: Alan Mulvanny
Assistant two: Daniel Graves
Fourth official: Gavin Ross
Fan File
Admission prices are:
Adult | Fan Card: £18, Ticket: £20
Concession (Over 65, Student, and Under 21s) | Fan Card: £13, Ticket: £15
Child (12 – 17)^ | Fan Card: £5, Ticket: £5
Child (Under-12)* | Fan Card: £0, Ticket: £1
^Proof of entitlement must be provided for concessionary tickets, while proof of age is required for children between 12 and 17 and those between 18 and 20.
*Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Please note, prices apply irrespective of the day or time of purchase.
Supporters are asked to purchase in advance where possible in order to avoid excessive queues at the ticket office on a matchday.
Briefs can still be bought from the following outlets:
Smiths of Greenock – During opening hours, 9am – 5.30pm
Sinclair Street ticket office – from 5pm to 7.05pm
Tickets can also be purchased in advance online at www.gmfctickets.co.uk or by calling the club on 01475 723571. These can be collected at the ticket office on matchday.
All home fixtures are also available to be pre-loaded onto fan cards via Interstadia’s dedicated club website, www.gmfctickets.co.uk.
