Match Report | St Mirren Res 2-1 Morton Res

 St Mirren Reserves 2 – 1 Morton Reserves

Docherty (18, 32) – Purdue (55)

 

Morton suffered a 2-1 loss to St Mirren in a Reserve League One Renfrewshire derby at the Simple Digital Arena this afternoon.

Development squad boss John Sutton named a side containing just two first-team regulars, goalkeeper Ryan Scully and striker Ben Armour, as the Cappielow kids looked to end 2018 on a high.

But their hopes of heading into the winter break – the next fixture is scheduled for 28 January – boasting local bragging rights were dealt a serious blow by Kyle Docherty.

The St Mirren striker opened the scoring after just 18 minutes when he dispossessed defender Darren Hynes out on the left before curling a low, angled finish around Scully and inside the right post.

Docherty then added his second of the afternoon just after the half-hour mark, placing a cushioned vollet inside the right post after getting on the end of Matthew Reilly’s inswinging cross from the left.

The visitors could have crumbled as Saints threatened to steamroller over them, but they showed character to rally and finish the first half in the ascendancy.

Jack Purdue stood out as Morton’s most effective goal threat on the day, arrowing a 30-yard drive past the post before seeing an attempt to bend a shot into the top-right corner caught by the well-placed David Wilson.

And it was no surprise when the attacking midfielder, deployed wide on the left, got his side right back in the contest by finding the net 10 minutes after the restart.

With defenders breathing down his neck after collecing a precise slide-rule pass from Alexander Easdale inside the box, Purdue performed a deft roulette to create the space needed to push a shot into the top corner.

Ton’s tails were up, and Reece Lyon, with three separate strikes on goal, and Kieran Brophy both caused goalkeeper Wilson worries.

Their sustained search for an equaliser ultimately proved fruitless, however, and the Ton second string left Paisley empty handed.

 

Morton (442)

1. Scully
2. Eardley 4. Hynes (c) 5. Watt 3. Gallacher
7. Brophy 6. McGrattan 8. R. Lyon 11. Purdue
9. Armour 10. Easdale

Subs used: 12. Blair Docherty (for Armour, 62), and 16. Rodgers (for Gallacher, 81).

Subs not used: 14. Durham, 15. Martins, 17. J. Lyon, 20. Farrell (gk).

Booked: Eardley (71)

St Mirren: Wilson; Cameron, Walker, Girvan, MacKenzie, Glover (c), Reilly, Kirkpatrick, Docherty, Jamieson, Breadner.

Subs used: McBrearty, Henderson, Gray.

Subs not used: Grant, Langfield (gk).

Booked: Docherty (51), Gray (76)

Referee: Graham Grainger

 

Images: Gary Bradley