Caldwell hits out as Thistle throw it away

GARY CALDWELL labelled his Partick Thistle team ‘embarrassing’ after Morton scored three goals in eight second-half minutes to claim a magnificent comeback victory at Cappielow last night. David Hopkin’s side looked dead and buried at half-time as goals from Kenny Miller and Rafa de Vita had the Jags flying. But the hosts flipped the game on its head after the break as Nicky Cadden, John Sutton and Brian McLean all got on the scoresheet to claim a victory that takes them to second place in the Championship. ‘It was embarrassing that we let a two-goal lead slip,’ said Caldwell. ‘It was given to us as we didn’t play well in the first half. We told the players at half-time they must be better or they could lose the game. ‘We wanted to scrap with a team who is better than us at doing that and we paid the price.’ Veteran striker Miller ran from inside his own half to latch on to Sean McGinty’s powerful header and knock the ball under Morton goalkeeper Danny Rogers in 25 minutes. Thistle were then cruising three minutes later thanks to De Vita. Alex Jones found the Italian with a cross into the penalty box and the winger volleyed home. But Morton moved up a gear in the second half and their efforts paid off in the 72nd minute when Cadden fired home a free-kick off the underside of the crossbar. The Greenock team equalised five minutes later when Aidan Nesbitt fired a corner across the face of goal for substitute Sutton to tap in at the back post. It was more poor set-piece defending from Thistle for Morton’s third when a long throw into the box from Lewis Strapp was flicked home by McLean ten minutes from time. Jubilant Morton boss Hopkin said: ‘At half-time, I was calm. I said it was two mistakes, so let us change things and get in their faces. It shows the heart we have. We’re building a young team who’ll be here for the future not just this season.’