Cappielow men Kil off Raith – and gaffer Gaz
LEE KILDAY played a captain’s role i n securing the three points that sees the Greenock outfit leapfrog Falkirk into third spot – and which spelt the end for Rovers’ embattled boss Gary Locke.
Without a win in 14 games and suffering a sixth successive league loss, the former Hearts and Kilmarnock manager was called to a meeting with the Rovers board after the game, and leaves his post just seven months after replacing Ray McKinnon.
Kilday’s 53rd-minute header was the decisive moment in a match that may have been viewed as something of an inconvenience ahead of the more appealing Scottish Cup tie with Rangers this weekend.
But Morton dealt with it in a professional fashion as they ensured they will head to Ibrox buoyed by a victory.
For the Morton players, this was an early opportunity to atone for Saturday’s uncharacteristic 3-0 defeat to Queen of the South and also to prove themselves worthy of a start at Ibrox.
Morton’s influential Ross Forbes, named this week as Championship player of the month for January, was left on the bench to nurse a dead leg picked up at the weekend, while Andy Murdoch and Aiden Nesbitt were also named among the substitutes.
There was an early test for Connor Brennan, making a rare start in the Raith Rovers goal after Kevin Cuthbert sustained an abdominal i njury i n Saturday’s 3-0 defeat by Dundee United at Tannadice.
The former Kilmarnock goalie coped admirably with Jamie Lindsay’s fierce free-kick from the left edge of the box that swerved at him through rain that poured relentlessly from the Kirkcaldy night sky.
A break in the weather also brought respite for Rovers and almost the opening goal. Ross Callachan fizzed in a drive that Derek Gaston uncomfortably beat away into the path of the incoming Ryan Hardie. However, the on-loan Rangers youngster looked in two minds as he placed his first effort too close to Gaston and then failed to squeeze his follow-up past a cluster of backtracking Morton defenders.
Morton responded with a header from Thomas O’Ware that soared over the Raith goal and when Jean-Yves M’voto managed to nod a free-kick on target at the other end just before the interval, it lacked the power to trouble Gaston.
Rovers opened the secondhalf in determined fashion, with bundles of energy but without the quality required to find the breakthrough.
However, there was no such problem for Morton when they took the lead and won the match in the 53rd minute.
Raith disputed referee Gavin Duncan’s decision to award the visitors a free-kick but there was no doubt about Kilday’s emphatic header that he placed beyond Brennan from Michael Tidser’s inswinging delivery.
Morton boss Jim Duffy was thrilled with the performance. He said: “This is our bread and butter. The Rangers game is the bonus but this was really important. That’s why I was delighted, because the players’ focus was absolutely 100 per cent. No-one could look and say we were distracted.”
“It will be a great game on Sunday and now they can look forward to it.”