RICKI Lamie and Romario Sabajo stepped up their recovery from injury last night as Morton Under-20s beat Queen’s Park 3-0 at Lesser Hampden.
Andy Millen’s side had played just 48 hours earlier, winning 4-0 away at Stranraer thanks to an Alex McWaters hat-trick and a solitary Scott Tiffoney strike.
And with two Development League West matches in such close proximity, Jim Duffy took the opportunity to give some first-team players valuable game time against the Spiders.
Defender Lamie has been out for over a month with a hamstring tear, while wideman Sabajo has spent an almost identical spell on the sidelines with an ankle problem.
The pair would get 67 and 80 minutes under their belt respectively, and they were joined in the starting line-up by Michael Miller, who featured for 77 minutes.
It was two regulars who combined to open the scoring on 17 minutes, though, when Jon Scullion crossed for strike partner Thomas Orr to head into the net via the underside of the crossbar.
Sabajo then marked his return to action in style in the 44th minute, skipping inside three challenges to open up the space for a sensational 25-yard strike that flew over goalkeeper Craig Melrose into the net.
Deadly frontman Orr completed his double on 73 minutes by bustling clear down the right before checking back onto his left foot and nonchalantly bending the ball inside the left-hand post.
It maintained the teenager’s strike rate of a goal per game — 13 in 13 Under-20 appearances this term — and guaranteed the win that would move Ton four points clear at the top of the table.
Morton (4-4-2): McGowan; Langan, Mitchell, Lamie (Irvine, 67), Strapp; Quitongo, Stevenson ©, Miller (Tiffoney, 77), Sabajo (McWaters, 80); Orr, Scullion. Subs not used: Duffy, Gaston (gk). Booked: Quitongo (64).
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