Celtic-bound Morgan sparkles for Saints
CELTIC target Lewis Morgan showed the quality that has caught Brendan Rodgers’ eye with a superb double last night — moving St Mirren five points clear of Dundee United at the top of the Championship table. The Scotland Under-21 international, widely expected to join the Parkhead side next week before returning to the Buddies on loan for the rest of the season, proved the difference between Jack Ross’ men and their main promotion rivals at the Paisley 2021 Stadium. Ross hailed the impact of Morgan. ‘The thing about Lewis is that he’s got pace and tricks, but he also has an end product,’ said the Saints boss. His goals and assists record is fantastic and his finishes here were outstanding. ‘He was the match-winner for us and he has that capability. We’re delighted to have him and there should be clarity on his future within the next seven days. ‘Unless something dramatic happens, though, he’ll be here for the rest of the season, which is brilliant for me as a manager and great for the club.’ If this was Morgan’s last act as an official Saints player, then it was quite a way to sign off, downing Csaba Laszlo’s men with goals in the 59th and 78th minutes. However, it was United who had the first major chance on goal. A rash challenge on Andy Durnan inside the penalty area saw referee Don Robertson point to the spot but Paul McMullan’s penalty was too close to Craig Samson, who pushed it to safety. Laszlo determined the miss as a major turning point. ‘You cannot keep missing penalties at this level,’ said the frustrated United boss. You must be clinical. ‘We lost the battle, but the war is still on. And the most important thing is the war. ‘Okay, it’s painful, but we still have to play St Mirren at home and we have a game in hand against Queen of the South.’ United were the better side in the first 45 minutes but lost their way in the second period. Saints drew first blood with a stunning strike from Morgan. The playmaker collected a quickly taken free-kick from Ian McShane and cut inside before drilling a right-foot shot beyond Harry Lewis from 20 yards. Sam Stanton was later booked for a foul on Morgan and Durnan was also cautioned for a foul on the winger, but the real punishment came when Morgan once again beat Lewis low to his left from Stephen McGinn’s through ball to seal victory for the Buddies.