MORTON 2-2 QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 3rd January 2009


TEAM LINE-UP


           
Robinson


           
Reid
           
Thomson
           
Barr
         
Harris


           
Robertson
S3 1    
Wilson
         
Macfarlane
S1          
Tosh
         
McQuilken


S2 1      
Arbuckle


SUBSTITUTES


S1 - 70        
O'Connor
S2 - 82        
Weatherston
S3 - 86        
Scally
           
Dobbie
           
Halliwell


MATCH REPORT

Queens Team:

1 L Robinson, 2 C Reid , 3 R Harris , 4 N MacFarlane , 5 C Barr , 6 J Thomson, 7 B Wilson, 8 S Tosh , 9 G Arbuckle , 10 S Robertson , 11 J McQuilken

Subs: 12 B Halliwell, 14 S Dobbie , 15 D Weatherston , 16 S O'Connor , 17 N Scally 

 

Morton Team:

1 K Cuthbert, 2 R McGuffie, 3 A Walker, 4 D Shimmin, 5 S Greacen, 6 A Jenkins, 7 K Finlayson, 8 S Masterton, 9 P Weatherson, 10, J Grady, 11 J McAlister

Subs: 12 B Wake, 14 I Russell, 15 E Paartalu, 16 C Smith, 20 C Stewart (GK)

 

Gordon Chisholm made seven changes to the side that lost to Dundee last Saturday with the luxury of an almost full pool to pick from (minus Paul Burns). Out went Halliwell, Parratt, Kinniburgh, Simmons, McGowan, O'Connor and Dobbie. In came new signings Lee Robinson and Barry Wilson, Bob Harris, Steve Tosh and Gary Arbuckle (back from injury), Craig Barr (back from suspension) and Scott Robertson in a 4-5-1 formation with Arbuckle up front. There was a welcome return to the bench "proper" for Neil Scally who had served as sub keeper in the previous two games and in an attacking bench he was joined by Dobbie, O'Connor and Weatherston. Morton, who have been on an excellent recent run were 4-4-2 with former Queens favourite Peter Weatherson up front alongside former Gretna forward James Grady. Davie Irons' side also featured further Doonhamers in Ryan McGuffie and Iain Russell along with the very familiar ex-Gretna names of Allan Jenkins, Erik Paartalu and Brian Wake, the latter two on the bench.

 

Queens started brightly with Stevie Tosh knocking a shot over the bar in the first minute. Five minutes later though Lee Robinson was able to show his worth for the first time, smothering a dangerous cross. Up the other end though Queens made the perfect start taking the lead on seven minutes. Stevie Tosh took possession out on the left side and surged forward with Queens suddenly finding themselves with four men up. Tosh looked for Arbuckle in the penalty area but his pass was deflected along the edge of the box where Barry Wilson collected it and struck a first time curling effort into the bottom left corner past Cuthbert. Quite a debut for the former Caley man!

 

Morton tried to hit back but were denied on 18 minutes when Jamie McQuilken nodded a McGuffie header at a corner off the line, though Robinson was probably going to get there. Seconds later the lead was doubled though after Jim Thomson won possession of the ball with a positive interception. The ball was fed into the penalty area, Wilson got it across the box, Tosh's back header took out the last defender and Gary Arbuckle had time to place a shot beyond Cuthbert from six yards out and in via the right goalpost. Irons' immediate response was to put Brian Wake on for James Grady, though that was due to injury I think.

 

Stevie Masterton picked up the game's first booking on 26 minutes for a pull back on Arbuckle as the home side continued to struggle. However, they found a way back in on 33 minutes when McGuffie's dangerous cross from the right was glanced home by Peter Weatherson from 12 yards out into the bottom corner. Jamie McQuilken was booked shortly afterward for throwing the ball away. Just before the break Stevie Tosh almost restored the two goal advantage with a placed effort on the break when everyone was expecting a cross but it just eluded the far post.

 

Neither team made any half time changes and the first decent opportunity of the second period came when McAlister lashed the ball over the Queens bar from a narrow angle as he latched onto a Thomson headed clearance. A minute or two later a Finlayson shot was charged down in the box before it could reach Robinson's goal. On 58 minutes though Bob Harris' clever free kick round the wall might have caught out a less attentive keeper than Cuthbert. Sadly the Morton keeper saw it all the way and saved easily the shot Harris bent low round the outside of the wall.

 

Just beyond the hour mark Bob Harris picked up an unfortunate booking in a challenge with Finlayson that to be honest didn't even look a foul! Nothing came of the free kick fortunately. Another controversial soft free kick against Barr saw Morton get themselves upset about the positioning of the ball and ended up with Jenkins talking himself into a booking. In fact had he not been dragged away by a team-mate he'd have ended up with worse!

 

On 70 minutes Stevie Tosh signalled to the bench that he couldn't continue and was replaced with Sean O'Connor. Four minutes later MacFarlane was yellow carded for a pull back on the edge of his own box. Again though the set piece came to naught, mainly thanks to Barry Wilson taking a "sore one" in blocking it. Morton sent Erik Paartalu on for Jenkins on 78 minutes. With ten minutes to go Arbuckle was injured in a challenge by Shimmin that the referee saw as fair and had to be stretchered off to be replaced with Weatherston. Shortly afterward Scally replaced Barry Wilson for his first action in over 12 months. It was absolutely backs to the wall stuff now with just Weatherston as an outlet and the defences finally broke in injury time as a ball was nodded on into the penalty area and Peter Weatherson wheeled and fired the ball into the net from 12 yards. It was the last touch of any note with the final whistle going as soon as the kick off was taken.