MATCH REPORT: Morton 1-0 Dundee

 Morton 1 – 0 Dundee 

Grant (45)

by Ewan Boyle

Morton got a huge victory against Dundee on Saturday as they defeated The Dark Blues 1-0 at Cappielow which sent the Ton into the playoff places.

After three weeks on the road in both the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup and the Ladbrokes Championship, Morton were back on home turf and were hoping to overturn the three defeats in a row with a win against Dundee.

The Ton started the game as the better team as Luca Colville played a cross into the box on 6 minutes however it was too high for any Morton player to reach to have a chance on goal.

Morton continued their early dominance on 7 minutes as Lewis Strapp pounced down the wing and sent a low driven cross into the box but Dundee’s Jordan Foster got in front of John Sutton and cleared it away before Sutton had any chance to send it home and give Morton the lead.

But the game quickly turned to Dundee piling on the pressure when Paul McGowan forced a great save from Danny Rogers on 15 minutes as McGowan turned at the penalty spot and sent a dangerous shot towards goal which Rogers was able to get fingertips to and send out for a Dundee corner.

Another exceptional save from Danny Rogers on 25 minutes meant Morton were let off the hook once again as Paul McGowan sent a floated cross to the back post where an unmarked Declan McDaid was waiting for the volley which Rogers saved brilliantly and palmed out for a corner.

Jordan McGhee had a free header on goal for Dundee on 39 minutes but thankfully for Morton, McGhee could not direct the ball towards goal and the ball sailed past the post.

Despite the continued Dundee pressure, it would be Morton who would get the opening goal of the game as Nicky Cadden swung in a fantastic free kick which Peter Grant was able to meet and sent a thunderous header into the net to give the Ton the lead.

Just as Peter Grant could finish his celebration, the referee blew for half time and the Ton went into the second half as the leaders in the match.

Dundee started their second half brightly with Paul McGowan crossing the ball into Andrew Nelson who was unmarked but once again, the Dundee player could not direct the ball into the net to give them the equaliser.

The Ton almost doubled their lead on 53 minutes after Jim McAlister went on a delightful run from his own half and sent a great pass through to Reece Lyon who’s shot was cleared off the line, to the dismay of the Morton players.

Once again Morton went on a dangerous counter attack on 78 minutes as Luca Colville played a superb pass through to Nicky Cadden who touched it down and curled the shot past the post.

Just as the referee was about to blow his final whistle to give Morton the win, it looked like it was going to be a certain goal for Dundee when Brian McLean came in with a magnificent tackle to clear the ball from danger and keep Morton ahead until the final whistle.

The huge win for Morton sees them climb to fourth place in the league and despite it being early days in the league, puts the Ton in a great position being in the playoff positions.

 

 

Morton (451)

20. Rogers
3. Welsh 30. Baird 5. Grant 16. Strapp
17. Lyon 7. Millar 8. McAlister (c) 29. Colville 19. Cadden
21. Sutton

Subs used: 18. Cameron Blues (for Millar, 45), 14. Cameron Salkeld (for Colville, 77), 4. Brian McLean (for Lyon, 87)

Subs not used: 1. Ramsbottom, 9. Muirhead, 11. McHugh, 32. King

Dundee (4411): Hamilton, Kerr, Forster, McGhee, Marshall, McDaid, Byrne (Dorrans, 56), Robertson, McPake (Nelson, 45), McGowan (c), Johnson (Hemmings, 60)

Subs not used: Mackie, Todd, Ferrie, Moore

Referee: John McKendrick

Attendance: 1,901

⭐️ Star Man: Peter Grant

 

image: Gary Bradley