Scottish Division 1
Saturday 11th December
Well we're back on the road after a few weeks hiatus due to the weather. We had three options available today, Partick Thistle, Dunfermline & Morton. We decide on Morton hoping that by going to the furthest away ground we'll be rewarded with a fine game of football. I'm just hoping that the game will be on once we get there.
Andy; we're going to hang fire going to East End Park till after the 23rd December, that is when you're home isn't it? (Editor's note - correct at time of going to press).
I don't have to be at my dad's until 12.45pm but seeing as Emma needs the motor this morning to get out to her folks house for 11am it's an early drop off for me at 10.30am at ma & pa Pattison. A pleasant surprise greets me as the front door is opened by my youngest nephew Max; the time flies playing snap, the jumping on the bed game and Lego and suddenly my dad's waiting for me in the car and we're off.
After the devastation the snow and ice has caused for the last week or so my dad is a little worried that this thaw will mean that the traffic on the M8 will be heaving and that it will take us a while to get to Greenock. Traffic's lighter than expected and we drive straight through Glasgow with ease and arrive at the car park adjacent to the ground about 1.45pm. It's way way too cold to think about leaving the car until for at least another 45 minutes though.
When we do leave the car, we wander down the hill and find that the Morton Club shop is located in a lorry trailer parked outside the ground. It's one of those trailers that look likes it could be a chip van but instead of deep fat fryers and battered sausage its full of hats, scarves and luckily for my dad pin badges.
I don't know if many of you have been to Cappielow before, the two ends behind the goal are open to the elements, the stand opposite the dug-outs, known as the 'Cowshed' has half seating / half terracing so we decide on the main stand which is all seated & covered. We indulge in what has now become the pre-match pie and take it to our seats. After trying to squeeze into a couple of seats, my dad decides he needs to find a seat on the aisle as there is very little room for his 6ft 4" frame. It's almost as tight a squeeze as Albion Rovers ground.
The pie was strange. It was toasting and the meaty contents were spot on but the pastry crust was weird, it was it looked like it hadn't been cooked and the texture was all soft and spongy. All in all a 7 out of 10 effort.
The two teams run out and it's good to see both sides are wearing their home strips. It's Morton who are making all the running early doors. Six minutes in and the Morton fans are shouting for a penalty as a cross comes off the hand of the Dundee centre half McKeown. Morton are pinging the ball from one side of the pitch to the other, their right midfielder Allan Jenkins is winning everything in the air and the pace of the left winger O'Brien was causing the Dundee defence difficulty.
A rasping shot from Jenkins is saved brilliantly by Douglas but the ball falls right at the feet of Brian Graham who somehow managed to put it over the bar. I reckon even Chris Iwelumo would have scored that one.
On the far side of the ground there are a bunch of Morton fans doing the bouncy bouncy and to be honest it looks quite enjoyable and at least they'll be keeping warm in the blistering cold.
Dundee force a corner mid-way through the first half and it's floated over to the back post where Forsyth meets it on the half volley but it's saved by Colin Stewart. Leigh Griffiths is next to try his luck but his tame effort is easily saved.
Dundee defender Weston's attempted clearance smacks off the back of one of his team mates straight into the path of Morton's O'Brien who leathers it towards goal. Rab Douglas pulls of a wonderful save but his parry falls straight to Graham who with an open goal must score. Unbelievably for the second time in this half he manages to hit it over the bar. Chump!
Shortly before half time a cross Jenkins heads the ball over Douglas and looks certain to open the scoring but a great clearance off the line by Forsyth.
The sides go in level at half time, perhaps this is a bit unfair on Morton who've certainly had the lions share of possession. During the half time break the stadium announcer thanks the Italian branch of the Greenock Morton supporters club for making their annual pilgrimage to Cappielow.
The second half kicks off. Dundee have the first chance of the half with a free kick just on the edge of the box, but it's smashed straight into the wall. Up the other end of the park, a shot by Tidser is again saved brilliantly by Douglas. There are two blokes sat behind us who comment on the fact that the last time these two sides met here it was Rab Douglas who kept Dundee in the game and it looks like he's going to do the same here.
With just under half an hour to go Dundee are awarded a penalty. After a period of pinball inside the box O'Donnell is chopped down and Matthew Lockwood tucks it away in the bottom left hand corner. It's an undeserved lead.
Leigh Griffiths tries to double their lead with an audacious effort from forty yards but it sails miles wide and his team mates are quick to let him now their displeasure. A Douglas clearance falls to Harkins who controls it on the bounce, takes a couple of touches and smacks it on the volley but it ends up going just wide.
Goal for Morton! A brilliant cross from the right wing is headed in by Brian Graham, who finally gets one on target. The crowd go mental. Their joy is cut short by the linesman on the far side who signals for offside. Judging by the abuse he got from the fans up that end of the park I'm guessing it's a close call.
Griffiths picked up a soft booking with minutes to go when he refused to give the ball back for a Morton free kick. He's lucky not to get himself sent off in the final minute as he takes about two minutes to take a corner.
The game finishes and Dundee leave with the three points. An undeserved three points though.
It's good to get back on the trail, and although it's not been the greatest game we are happy that it didn't finish nothing each. Twenty four games in and we've yet to witness a nil nil draw, here's hoping I've not jinxed it.
Ticket: Adult £17, Concession £11
Programme: £2
Attendance: 1568
Pie: £1.30
Pie Marks: 7 / 10
Man of the Match: Dad - Rab Douglas (Dundee) Me - Andy O'Brien (Greenock Morton)
Final Score: Greenock Morton 0 v Dundee 1
Mileage: 142 miles
Next game: Falkirk Stadium (Falkirk)
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