Match Report: Queen’s Park U20s 0-1 Morton U20s
Queen’s Park Under-20s 0 – 1 Morton Under-20s
Anderson (21)
Morton Under-20s recorded their second successive Development League West victory with a 1-0 win against Queen’s Park at Lesser Hampden last night.
Midfielder David Anderson scored the deciding goal after 21 minutes as a Ton side managed by director of youth Derek Anderson followed up their 2-0 home triumph against East Kilbride with another three points.
A young Ton side was supplemented by a trialist, former player Conor Pepper, in what was his first appearance since going off injured in an Under-20s fixture against Clyde at Lennoxtown on 6 December 2016.
The Irishman, who once feared his career was over due to a severe knee injury, partnered teenager Reece Lyon in the centre of midfield and put in an energetic and encouraging 72-minute display before making way.
That duo were flanked by Anderson on the right and Jack Purdue on the left, and the widemen combined to break the deadlock midway through the first half.
Fresh from making his first-team debut at Inverness, Purdue produced a moment of magic, driving down the left and in along the bye-line before presenting Anderson with the simple task of sweeping home from seven yards.
Like Pepper, club captain Lee Kilday recently made a long-awaited comeback after a lengthy period out injured, and this was his second start following a first-half runout against East Kilbride.
Skipper Kilday got more game time against the Spiders, giving evidence he is on the road to a full recovery with a brave piece of defending in the 27th minute that went down well with watching team-mates in the stand.
The centre-half put his body on the line twice in quick succession, getting in the way of two stinging shots, before following up with a strong standing block.
At the other end, Purdue continued to prove an attacking menace, peppering Owen Stott’s goal with shots over the course of the second half.
The pick of which was a powerful 50th-minute drive that forced home shot-stopper Stott to dive low to his right to push wide of the target.
Cappielow keeper Daniel Farrell was never overly tested, though, and when defender Lewis Magee was shown a red card for a trip that prevented Scott Miller from running through on goal, the outcome was never in doubt.
The Ton teenagers held on to record back-to-back league victories, with the debut of another promising 16-year-old, midfielder Jonathan Lyon as a substitute, the icing on the cake.
Morton (442)
1. Farrell
5. Eardley 2. Kilday (c) 6. Watt 3. Durham
7. Anderson 4. Trialist [Pepper] 8. R. Lyon 11. Purdue
10. Easdale 9. Armour
Subs used: 17. J. Lyon (for Pepper, 72), 12. Miller (for Armour, 72), 14. Duffy (for Kilday, 75), 15. Rodgers (for Easdale, 81), and 18. Brophy (for Anderson, 81).
Subs not used: 20. Coyle (GK).
Images: Gerry Lafferty
