Smokies sting TON OUT TO AVOID SHOCK DEFEAT IN ARBROATH
ARBROATH v MORTON
Match preview by
ARBROATH become the latest team to try and halt the Morton bandwagon when they welcome them to Gayfield Park tomorrow afternoon.
They are in great need of a result for their own reasons as they bid to put the Greenock men’s unbeaten run up in smoke on the return to Championship action following last week’s break for the Scottish Cup.
Morton go into the game sitting in second position in the table, just a point off league leaders Ayr United.
The Red Lichties meanwhile have suffered a very disappointing few months and find themselves second bottom, just a point clear of Hamilton Accies at the foot.
The table and form lines would tend to suggest only one outcome, but this game could still be a tricky test for Dougie Imrie and his men.
They have already suffered defeat at the hands of Dick Campbell’s side this season, going down 2-1 to them at Cappielow back in September, inset.
The result continued the Ton’s poor record against them over the last few years - since Arbroath were promoted into the Championship they have only mustered two wins against them in 12 matches.
It does not quite constitute a hoodoo but nonetheless it is a record that Imrie and his players must want to improve, as they look to make it nine games unbeaten in the league and 10 without defeat in all competitions.
They would love to get to the end of the year with that stretch extended and kept intact, with four games to be played during December.
It kicks off with the trip to Angus to meet a side which sits 16 points adrift of them after 16 matches.
After their respective seasons last year not many people would have predicted such a big gap between the two outfits, but it’s a fair reflection of how things have gone.
Morton are enjoying a strong campaign while Arbroath have faltered following a terrific promotion push last term which saw them finish a close second to Kilmarnock before losing out to Inverness
in the play-offs.
They probably over-achieved last term given the resources at their disposal but sustaining that standard has proved a problem, with a variety of factors contributing.
Campbell lost a series of key men over the summer, the squad has been troubled by injuries and individual loss of form and crucially he has not been able to replace the forwards who have departed with reinforcements of sufficient quality.
Looking at their record thus far the obvious problem is in attack, as they have found the net only 10 times this season, the worst return in the division by far.
They have had more draws - six - than anyone else in the league and need to start turning them into wins.
It has all added up to a frustrating start which has seen them record only two wins in the Championship all season.
Despite it all, Campbell remains confident that they can and will turn it around and Morton, more than most teams,
Up four the cup Alexander King scored his first goal for Morton against Queen of the South. should be well warned about their ability to pose problems.
Arbroath will feel that if they can turn a few of the stalemates into victories then they will turn a corner, and will be determined to get a result on their own patch tomorrow.
They go into the game off the back of a comfortable Scottish Cup win over Fraserburgh and that will have done their confidence levels no harm at all.
From Morton’s viewpoint, they will be aiming to carry on in the same vein as of late - giving up very little at one end and carrying a threat at the other.
Imrie wasn’t happy with their first half showing in the cup clash against Queen of the South last week, but the pleasing thing for him must be the response that he got to his halftime team-talk.
They ended up winning the tie 4-1, with two late goals putting a bit of gloss on the scoreline - the final one being a superb solo effort by Alexander King, fresh from signing a new contract with the club.
The youngster will hope he has made his claim for a starting place and with the return of players from injury such as Darragh O’Connor there is now competition for places in every department.
Last Saturday’s game was probably always going to be a bit of a ding-dong, as Queens remain a useful side even following their relegation in May - but once Morton got to grips with them they ran out comfortable winners.
Robbie Muirhead showed his quality with two fine goals which take him on to eight for the campaign and he’ll be looking to reach double figures before 2022 is out.
Ton’s reward for that third round win is an away tie against Celtic and while it has attracted a lot of attention, that won’t be the case in a dressing room which has its feet planted firmly on the ground and looks to the next game and no further.
Just now, Morton only have eyes for Arbroath - and if they can post a first win at Gayfield in almost three years it would be a terrific result which would keep them in touch at the top.