Dundee went down to a disappointing 1-0 defeat away to Morton tonight. The Dark Blues started badly and Jack Baird’s early goal following a corner proved decisive. Dundee fought back but again a series of missed chances cost the Dee dearly in the first half. However, Morton might well have had further goals themselves in a fighting display that delighted the home support. The Dark Blues’ pressure as they chased the game in the second half produced no reward against a defence that gave nothing away and earned the three points for the Ton.
After Sunday’s win over Cove Rangers the only change to the Dee’s starting 11 was Alex Jakubiak taking the place of Luke McCowan, who moved to the bench.
Morton started at a fast tempo that unsettled the Dark Blues. In the first minute Quitongo had the Dee defence in trouble with a speedy run into the box. Dundee couldn’t clear and Quitongo followed up to scoop a shot wide. Their next fast attack won a corner. Dundee again couldn’t clear and Pignatiello hooked the ball to the back post where Jack BAIRD scored with a looping header across goal and off the far post. Only six minutes gone and the Dee were in trouble.
Kwame Thomas took a head injury in the goalmouth scramble and was stretchered off after five minutes of treatment. Josh Mulligan replaced him, moving to the left wing with Alex Jakubiak going into the middle.
The home side came desperately close to a quick second goal. Adam Legzdins saved superbly from Calum Waters’ 18 yard shot. Again Dundee didn’t defend the resulting corner well. A scramble in the six yard box ended with the ball cannoning off Lee Ashcroft and being cleared off the line.
Morton were faster to every breakdown in the first 20 minute during which they played at a breakneck speed. Gradually Dundee played their way into the game, building promising attacks and winning more of the loose balls.
A good attack down the left resulted in Cammy Kerr feeding Lyall Cameron whose shot was deflected wide for a corner. Jakubiak took a Cameron pass, skipped past the last defender, and keeper Schwake did well to save.
Mulligan was next to burst through the middle, taking a pass from Jordan McGhee and racing clear but again was denied by a fine save by the Morton goalie.
The next Dee attack was a fast raid down the left. Mulligan cut inside and hit a fierce low shot. Shwanke saved well and Cameron’s follow up hit the post, with the ball rebounding against the youngster and wide. Mulligan tried the same again, racing in from the left, but smashed his shot across goal.
Dundee sent on Zach Robinson and Ben Williamson for Alex Jakubiak and Barry Maguire at half time. However, the Dark Blues were almost caught out again by Ton’s fast start. Yet again a corner was defended poorly and Quitongo crashed a shot against the angle of bar and post.
Dundee survived that opening assault and started to put the home defence under serious pressure. But Dundee’s attacks were usually too slow and measured. Morton always kept their shape and had men in place to hold off the Dee every time.
The Dark Blues played only in patches in a substandard second half. When they did put a good move together it usually ended with a poor decision or misjudged final ball.
The ball often bounced around deep in the Morton penalty area, but Morton’s defence stood up to every attack and always cleared. Only once did Dundee manage to find space for a clear shot when Josh Mulligan cut in from the right at the end of a fast break. Keeper Schwake saved superbly at the expense of a corner.
Morton dealt with that corner competently, as they did all night. Dundee, on the other hand, were never comfortable when the ball was launched into their goalmouth at set pieces. In truth, they were fortunate to lose only a single goal that way.
Dundee used six substitutes in total as they chased the game. The ball was kept mostly in the home half during the second half but the Dee were never truly in control. Morton were able to manage the game the way they wanted, slowing play down, wasting time, frustrating the Dee and hoping to hit on the break. They did it all very well and a second Ton goal looked as likely as a Dee equaliser.
To sum up, Dundee defended poorly and missed their chances. Morton took one of their chances and their defending was largely flawless. There can be no arguing with the result. The Dee can do a lot better than this.
Greenock Morton 4-2-3-1
Schwake
Pignatiello, Baird, O’Connor, Waters
Blues, Grimshaw,
Quitonga (Roy 53), Crawford, McGrattan (King 83)
Oakley
Unused subs: Green (gk), Ambrose, Garrity.
Goal: Baird (6).
Booked: McGrattan (foul on McGhee), Roy (foul on Kerr), Blues (foul on Tolaj), Crawford (foul on Hannant).
Dundee FC 4-2-3-1
Legzdins
Fisher (Marshall 75), Ashcroft, Sweeney (c), Kerr
Maguire (Williamson at half time), Cameron (Tolaj 80)
McMullan (Hannant 62), McGhee, Jakubiak (Robinson at half time)
Thomas (Mulligan 11)
Unused subs: Lawlor (gk), McCowan, Anderson.
Booked: Maguire (foul on Quitongo), McGhee (foul on Pignatiello), Marshall (foul on Pignatiello).
Referee: Euan Anderson. Assistants: Steven Traynor, Gordon McCabe. Fourth Official: Calum Scott.
Attendance: 2,118.
Report: James Christie.
