Championship
Round 20| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derek Gaston | |||
| Lee Kilday | |||
| Gregor Buchanan | |||
| Kerr Waddell | |||
| Reghan Tumilty | |||
| Charlie Telfer | |||
| Jim McAlister | |||
| Chris Millar | |||
| Rory McKeown | |||
| Scott Tiffoney | |||
| Bob McHugh |
| Min. | Rat. | Pos. | No. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Tiffoney | 28 | Michael Tidser | 12 | ||
| Charlie Telfer | 63 | Jack Iredale | 15 |
| Player. | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|
Game Report
Morton made the best possible start to 2019 with a 1-0 win at Cappielow over Ross County. A chilly night in Greenock was reflected in a first half where goalmouth action was frozen out. The match improved after the break and Kerr Waddell put Morton in front with a fine volley. County struggled to fashion a equaliser and eventually saw their captain, Marcus Fraser, sent off.
Morton switched to a three-man defence again with Kerr Waddell returning on the left. Reece Lyon dropped to the bench that included Michael Tidser. Ross County brought Tom Grivosti in at left-back, but were otherwise unchanged from last week. Josh Mullin made the bench with Harry Paton.
County created the first real chance after a few minutes, but Callum Morris failed to keep his header on target. Derek Gaston then came to Morton's rescue when he parried away Michael Gardyne's shot at the end of a mazy run.
The hosts were struggling to create flowing moves and were further hampered by injury to Scott Tiffoney. Michael Tisdser took his place. Morton's best chance of the half fell to Rory McKeown, but from close range he fired over the bar.
County's Don Cowie had a chance in the second half only to see it cleared off the line by Kerr Waddell. The visitors made substitutions with Josh Mullin and Harry Paton replacing Cowie and Morris. Gaston again denied County with a fine save from Gardyne.
Morton took the lead after an a hour as Kerr Waddell volleyed into the net from a set play situation. County pressed for an equaliser but it wasn't their night. They had the ball in the net near the end but it was disallowed for offside. This resulted in a red card for their captain, Marcus Fraser, for dissent. A further altercation between Gardyne and Chris Millar revealed how competitive the match was.
Consecutive wins has Morton in play-off contention again. The win was built on strong defence again as they struggled for possession at times. County were fortunate to win the Highland derby and came unstuck in Greenock. They created more chances but failed to take them. Fraser's red card will now test how deep County's squad really is.