MORTON had fallen victim to vandalism on the eve of their Ramsdens Cup second-round match with Queen of the South.
This morning they will report an act of larceny.
Cappielow had been damaged by unruly youths earlier this week but a team from Dumfries snatched a place in the quarter-finals of the competition from the ground last night. Nicky Clark turned in a header in extra time to maintain the second division club's perfect start to the season.
Their route had not been as simple as that sounds, though. Michael Tidser salvaged a moment of quality after 38 minutes from a hitherto soporific cup tie; the Morton midfielder timed a volley perfectly to guide the ball into the net. Morton nearly replicated the feat three minutes after the break, but Peter Weatherson's drive was tipped wide by Lee Robinson. A place in the quarter-finals would also prove within reach.
An interminable season had brought relegation last term, but Queens had exerted a certain authority over their opening three competitive matches since the summer. The Dumfries side will have viewed the trip to Cappielow as a chance to frank the belief that their absence from the first division will only be temporary. That may prove to be the case but there were moments last night when their second-division status seemed to catch up with them.
The first half offered a more direct approach but only an indirect threat – Danny Carmichael squeezed a shot away which was stopped by the foot of Derek Gaston – was about it. There was nothing pretty about their equaliser either, with Mark Durnan bundling the ball into the net after 66 minutes.
The goal galvanised the visitors and that was harnessed by Allan Johnston – the Queens' player-manager affording himself his first appearance of the competitive season and exuding a quite command from midfield. And yet there were moments of vulnerability, notably when Stephen McKenna was penalised for handball with five minutes of normal time left.
Robinson had only just dusted himself down from an instinctive save following a thumping Kevin Rutkiewicz header and he showed similar obstinacy to first block Peter Weatherson's spot-kick, then paw away a follow up from David Graham.
The arrival of extra time wasn't to be so averted and Weatherson and Tony Wallace struck the bar and an opponent with successive headers in the opening period. Clark hit the net with his.
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