Jack’s a winner... day after Arbroath arrival
MORTON 0
ARBROATH 1 J Hamilton (77)
JACK Hamilton, who signed on loan just 24 hours earlier, headed home a fantastic winner 13 minutes from time to lift Arbroath off the foot of the Championship.
Gayfield boss Dick Campbell said: “On the back of what Morton’s done, I played three up in the second half and it is a fairy story for Jack Hamilton.
“I gave Jason Thomson a rollicking at half-time for not getting enough balls into the box.
“I thought we deserved to win the game and it is a big result on the back of Alloa getting beaten.
“There is spirit in the camp and this is a great result.
“To come to Greenock and get a result hadn’t happened too often in my lifetime.”
Morton, unbeaten in their previous four clashes against the Red Lichties, almost went behind after nine minutes.
Jason Thomson swung the ball over from the right which fell to veteran Bobby Linn, at the edge of the area.
His first-time effort took a wicked deflection off Ton’s Craig Mcguffie as he tried to block, but goalkeeper Aidan Mcadams superbly turned the ball over.
Ton, who suffered just their second defeat in their last eight outings since early December, took until 19 minutes to create their first opening.
Chris Millar latched on to a loose ball 19 yards out, but his low, crisp attempt was well clutched low down by goalkeeper Derek Gaston.
The Greenock side, who had only lost once previously at home in eight matches this term, had made Cappielow a bit of a fortress.
And they might have edged in front in 26 minutes when Aidan Nesbitt whipped over a free-kick from the right, but Michael Ledger, unmarked at the far post, failed to get the vital touch.
Arbroath, who had drawn their last two matches, almost took the lead in 37 minutes when Colin Hamilton found debutant Jack Hamilton at the back post.
However, the striker’s floated header was cleared off the line by defender Brian Mclean.
Three minutes from the break Morton threatened in spectacular style. Mcguffie got on the end of a Robbie Muirhead cross from the left, but his overhead kick from 15 yards out was well held by Gaston.
The Gayfield men made a positive start to the second half and within 30 seconds Jack Hamilton linked with David Gold, but his deflected drive from 18 yards went just wide.
Chances kept coming and going at either end and in 64 minutes Morton squandered the best of the match when Lewis Strapp fired over from 12 yards after a cut back from Muirhead.
The last two matches between these sides ended all square and this was looking like following suit until Jack Hamilton popped up in 77 minutes to bullet a header past Mcadams after a terrific cross from Thomson from the right.
Ton interim head coach Anton Mcelhone said: “We never showed the same hunger in the second half.
“It was a shame we couldn’t get a win for Jim Mcalister who was retiring today.
“He’s been a great servant to the club.
“We go into every game with a game plan and tried to freshen up the team.
“We need to get wins.”
MORTON: (4-2-3-1) Mcadams 6, Ledger 7, Mclean 6, Mcginty 6, Millar 5 (Lyon 49, 5), Muirhead 7, Nesbitt 7, Oliver 6 (Mcalister 78, 4), Mcguffie 6 (Orsi 61, 4), Strapp 6, Blues 5. Unused – Fjortoft, Salkeld, Colville, Wallace.
ARBROATH: : (4-5-1) Gaston 6; Thomson 7, C Hamilton 6, Little 6, O’brien 6, Gold 5 (Craigen 66, 4), Mckenna 6, Hilson 6 (Ruth 58, 4), Linn 6 (Donnelly 70,4), Williamson 6, J Hamilton 8. Unused – Swankie, Stewart, Davidson, Gallacher.