Ton get job done

It was a merited win for the Greenock club and one which gives their support something to savour over the festive period.

By the time the Glasgow hoops make the short trip down the motorway Morton ought also to have several of their walking wounded back fit for the fray.

As manager James Grady commented afterwards, there's nothing like a glamour tie to hasten the recovery process.

The return of men like Neil MacFarlane, Allan Jenkins, Stevie Masterton, Alex Walker and Dominic Shimmin, along with Iain Russell who will have returned from his loan spell at Alloa, will give the manager selection options he has been critically short of since taking over the reins.

Shimmin, in fact, made the bench at Dumbarton. As has been said before, the ball is now firmly in his court after being out for eight months.

Morton won this tie by a solitary goal after two matches, but there was a stretching of the truth about Sons manager Jim Chapman's claim that his side had matched Morton over the two ties, only a quality goal separating them.

Dumbarton's sole tactic over these two games was to pack the midfield, frustrate Morton whenever possible, and hope that something might happen for them at the other end. Twice over the two games they had chances, both falling to Derek Carcary as a result of Morton errors rather than anything they themselves created.

The Cappielow men enjoyed the vast bulk of the possession, not always productively it has to be said, but it takes two to Tango.

If you want to win a tie at some point you have to do more than simply put men behind the ball. To succeed you have to be prepared to risk losing and that, ultimately, was Dumbarton's downfall.

There was much more between the teams than simply one quality goal, though the two ties highlighted that Morton lack the sort of creative player who can change a match on his own.

Morton began the tie having altered their 4-4-2 formation, bringing in young Carlo Monti on the left side of a narrow midfield three at the expense of Ryan McGuffie, and pushing Jim McAlister into the hole behind the twin strikers Brian Wake and Peter Weatherson.

They were bright and confident looking in the opening stages, totally dominating play.

A Van Zanten shot flew a couple of feet over the crossbar, then Peter Weatherson did well to turn off Gordon only to fire a drive narrowly past the left post.

Dunlop was booked for chopping down the sprightly Kevin Finlayson on the right wing before Jim McAlister provided a cross from the other flank for Weatherson to head well over.

In 16 minutes the visitors almost took the lead when Brian Wake did well to rob Dunlop and pass to Finlayson on the right. His deep cross was met by Weatherson at the back post, but his header from an acute angle was blocked on the line by Voyacek.

A minute later the siege continnued when Monti's well flighted corner on the left was headed powerfully by skipper Stewart Greacen only for Voyacek to appear to get the slightest of touches to divert the ball onto the crossbar.

It was a procession towards the home goal, Weatherson not managing to get any power behind a header from another Finlayson cross.

The latter then had a shot of his own which flew over the crossbar as the Sons were hemmed firmly and deeply within their own half.

Gradually, however, Morton, with so much of the ball, became a little loose. Reid slipped on the greasy surface allowing Hunter to run on, only a fine David MacGregor interception preventing any embarrassment for the visitors.

In 37 minutes Colin Stewart then got to a Gordon header from a Murray corner, the ball slipping out of his grasp before he smothered it near the goal-line with the home side appealing vainly for a goal.

The interval approached with Morton having re-established control but with nothing to show for all their efforts.

Play resumed with Greacen striking a 30-yard drive past the right post, then Weatherson sliding in just too late to connect with a deep Paartalu cross from the right.

A couple of Monti drives were blocked before Dumbarton provided some respite with a long range McNiff drive which Stewart saved comfortably.

Kevin Finlayson provided a good, low cross for McAlister, but his header was too near the Sons keeper to cause any real problem.

It was all Morton and, in 65 minutes, a Weatherson head flick found Wake in good position only for Chisholm to bring off a crucial saving tackle.

In 73 minutes Morton sought to change their luck by throwing on one Brian for another, Graham replacing Wake up front. And two minutes later the visiting half of the stand erupted. Finlayson supplied the supporting Van Zanten, his cross to the back post was struck accurately and with pace, and Graham leaped high to power a downward header inside the left post.

Minutes later Scott Chaplain compounded Dumbarton's misery when he needlessly blocked Finlayson on the right, an action which incurred a second yellow card and his subsequent dismissal.

Dumbarton at last gambled and threw men forward, while Morton appeared to panic a little, Stewart getting down well to a Clark shot.

But the last effort at goal came from the visitors, Monti's corner being headed not far over by Erik Paartalu.

The final whistle was greeted with a roar by the travelling support to whom James Grady turned joyously with arms raised aloft.

DUMBARTON (4-5-1): Vojacek; Chisholm, Gordon (McNiff 46), Smith, Dunlop; Geggan, O'Donnoghue, Chaplain, McStay (Clark 79), Murray (Carcary 57); Hunter.

Subs not used - Craig, White.

Bookings: Dunlop 9, Chaplain 61, 78.

Ordering-offs: Chaplain, two yellows.

MORTON (4-3-1-2): Stewart 7; Van Zanten 7, Greacen 7, MacGregor 6, Reid 6; Finlayson 7, Paartalu 6, Monti 8; McAlister 7; Wake 6 (Graham 75 7), Weatherson 6.

Subs not used - McGuffie, Shimmin, Gordon, McWilliams.

Bookings - Graham 86, Paartalu 86.

Referee: Steven McLean 7.

Attendance: 1,495.