Morton 2 Raith Rovers 0: 150th party capped off in style

Party fever had hit Cappielow as Inverclyde united to celebrate 150 years of Greenock Morton Football Club but the next century and a half got off to a flyer thanks to second half strikes from Serb striker Filip Stuparevic and first-half substitute Michael Garrity.

(Image: Alex Craig)

The last century and a half had brought the community thrills, spills and everything in between was Scottish Cup wins were followed with escapades in the top flight followed by flirting with going out of existence all together.

The fanfare of this special occasion saw faces old and new in an Inverclyde-wide effort to come out and back the team ahead of a game that saw them come up against a side who believe they have plenty to shout about.

Raith Rovers were the team looking to gate crash a second party in as many weeks, fresh off the back of ending Falkirk's long unbeaten run at Stark's Park last time around.

Morton however, were looking to get back to winning ways, and in a similar fashion to the way that they'd disposed of Airdrieonians at Cappielow a fortnight prior.

Morton(4-1-3-2) Mullen, Ballantyne, Baird, Broadfoot, Delaney, Wilson(Blues,59), Moffat, Lyall(Gillespie,74), McGinn, Crawford(Garrity,36), Stuparevic(Reynolds,73)

Subs not used: Woods, Davies, King, O'Boy

Booking: Wilson(57) Blues(85)

Scorers: Stuparevic(48) Garrity(54) 

Raith Rovers(4-2-3-1) Dabrowski, Freeman(Dabo,64), Hanlon, Murray, Stevenson, Byrne(Brown,46), Matthews(Mullin,83), Pollock(Fordyce,77), Easton, Connolly(Jamieson,64), Hamilton

Subs not used: McNeil, Smith, Mullin, Gibson 

Booking: Stevenson(69)

Ref: Iain Sneddon

MoTM: Owen Moffat

Moffat starred (Image: Gary Bradley)

The little winger was on top form against Raith - he'll be a key player for Dougie Imrie this season.

Att: 2976

That saw Imrie make a solitary change to the side that lost out to Ayr United at Somerset Park.

In a new era that promised plenty of new beginnings, a new No.9 was chosen to lead the line on the biggest stage of the season so far.

Motherwell loanee Filip Stuparevic got the nod from Imrie to make his full debut in front of a sea of tartan and blue and white. He replaced Lamar Reynolds who dropped to the bench to sit beside the returning Michael Garrity.

Typically, Raith were unchanged from their previous victory as both sides looked to get a timely three points.

And despite being slow out of the traps, which wouldn't have been what Dougie Imrie had asked after being so electric in their opening games of the season, Ton should've got their noses in front inside ten minutes.

A great move in the defensive third saw Niall McGinn scamper away from Ross Matthews with Delaney and Stuparevic in support. The former Aberdeen man opted to go alone, shifting his body weight to open up an angle and fire a fierce low strike towards the bottom left corner, that Dabrowski just got a palm on, to tip it round the post.

But Rovers weren't here to make up the numbers as they looked to catch the hosts cold from a free kick. Dylan Easton would try his luck from distance, striking the ball from all of 30-yards and he was unfortunate to watch his effort cannon back off the bar with Mullen beat.

Imrie though would again be asking questions of the match officials midway through the half, as Peter Stuart looked to have spared Kevin Dabrowski of any blushes.

The Polish stopper looked to have made a hash of a fairly easy situation as Ali Crawford chased down the dead ball, nipping in in front of the keeper as he was about to pick the ball up. Dabrowski was left scrambling and looked to bring Crawford down whilst reclaiming the ball. But Stuart was unmoved as Imrie screamed for a penalty.

And Zak Delaney thought his first two senior goals had come in back-to-back home games five minutes from the interval.

His deflected strike from the edge of the box looked destined to nestle into the top right corner, but for a late sprawl from Dabrowski who dramatically palmed clear at the last second as the sides went into the break level.

Filip Stuparevic got off the mark (Image: Alex Craig)

However Ton would get the fast start they were looking for, coming out the traps flying in the second half, where Stuparevic would conduct the crowd that looked to adore him with deistinction, as he headed home his first Morton goal on his first start in his first home appearance.

Zak Delaney did well to wedge a ball into the penalty area for the super-Serb to dominate Euan Murray and sensationally glance the ball across goal and into the top left corner to get off the mark.

And the roof would lift off of a packed Cappielow just six minutes later as Michael Garrity sealed his return from injury with a strike of his own and give his side a two goal cushion.

Garrity doubled the scoring (Image: Alex Craig)

Despite wanting to see his side play through the lines, it would be a quick back-to-front move that saw his side double their lead. Owen Moffat's long ball over the top of Euan Murray saw Garrity run one-on-one with Dabrowski and the winger made no mistake in firing the ball across the face of goal, in off the post before wheeling away in celebration in front of a delighted Cowshed support.

It looked like Ton were in easy street, but Raith were keen to remind them that they were still in a game. A ball over the top saw Hamilton race in between Baird and Broadfoot, and look likely to get a shot away. But some great recovery running from Baird saw him block the shot all together.

Ton never looked like losing control of the game, but lapses of concentration would creep in inside the closing stages. Rovers sub Josh Mullin had everyone within Cappielow on edge after ghosting in behind Kirk Broadfoot. His first time shot looked to rifle across the face of goal, but Ryan Mullen was more than equal to it.

Although, 150-years worth of Morton were perfectly summed up deep into injury time when Ryan Mullen fell to a heap, unchallenged. All the signs pointed to a broken ankle, in what would've been an utter nightmare for Imrie.

With a stretcher being signalled for, and all of Ton's sub intervals used up, Cammy Ballantyne looked ready to prep himself to replace the stopper in net.

He'd swapped his blue and white hoops for the green of the Ton goalie top. When running over, strapping his new gloves. Mullen rose like Lazarus to heroically battle on and finish the game.

A comical cheer would erupt, but it was perhaps a sweat that Imrie wouldn't have fancied.

The win see's Ton rise to fifth in the Championship, five points off the top four ahead of next week's SPFL Trust Trophy clash against Hamilton Accies at New Douglas Park.

Things are most definitely looking like they're beginning to click at the right time as the positivity around Cappielow continues to grow.