Morton v Accies - Sat 10th August

[Owsley 2]

I thought Hendrie did pretty well once the three centre back nonsense stopped. He'd just thwarted Reynolds twice and put in a good out swinging cross when he was taken off. Good to see Longridge back. I thought Maguire started the match perhaps the best of a bad bunch at the back then he made that horrendous mistake that let Gerrity in and it was downhill after that. Morton missed chance after chance to go 1-0 up, you can't say it should have been 4-0 as different things would then happen, and I'll keep on being a bore about this!

Credit to Charlie Albinson for some good saves, one in particular early in the second half. Bradley was better on the right after a very poor first half on the left. Henderson needs to start next week.

[Chippyminton]

1 hour ago, Beckford said:

Highlight for me was two teams playing in traditional full hoop strip

Agreed 100%. All too rare these days. One of the factors which still elevates Scotland above the chaff consisting of the rest of the world. My favourite-ever Morton kit is the 2022  '1922 Centenary Scottish Cup Win' tribute one - complete with no sponsorship logos and a traditional fold-down collar. It's the shirt I wear to every single game - and it always will be.

Fair play to you for the insightful and bang-on post.

[Ian Mcleod]

11 minutes ago, Owsley 2 said:

 Morton missed chance after chance to go 1-0 up, you can't say it should have been 4-0 as different things would then happen, and I'll keep on being a bore about this!

If you give teams like Falkirk and Ayr the chances we gave Morton today the chances are they take a few of them it was a terrible individual mistake after mistake in the first half. If we're up against guys like Morrison/Maclver for Falkirk then they take those chances as we seen last season after Macdonald slipped and Morrison went through and made it 3-1. Oakley and Dowds for Ayr also take those chances as would probably most sides in this division we were lucky today that Morton's finishing was woeful. I can understand your point that things might have been different if they scored one of them as sometime it does wake a team up or Morton may have became more defensive if they had went 1-0 up however I don't believe that would have been the case however we will never know. 

[TheGoon]

I’m annoyed at dropping points, but I don’t have many complaints about the performance (other than being utterly toothless) 

I don’t want to keep bodying them, but the drop when Reynolds & Davies brcame our forward options was like chucking a youth regen up top. Could’ve played another few hours and not scored. 

[Mr.Blue]

35 minutes ago, TheGoon said:

I’m annoyed at dropping points, but I don’t have many complaints about the performance (other than being utterly toothless) 

I don’t want to keep bodying them, but the drop when Reynolds & Davies brcame our forward options was like chucking a youth regen up top. Could’ve played another few hours and not scored. 

Reynolds was rotten and it was laughable at times how bad he was.

Davies I felt for. We obviously had the idea of playing the ball over the top for him to run on to however every single ball over the top was a shiter. Willing to give him time.

[Tondaft]

3 hours ago, Chicken Soup said:

Did anyone have a clear view on the penalty shout? I was in the Sinclair St end but it looked as clear a penalty as you would ever see. 

I had a good view of it. I thought it was a foul but it also looked just outside the box.

[Chippyminton]

My take from today FWIW;

Positives

Today proved to me that Dougie's renewed passing-game plan gives us an increased ability to steamroller a weaker opposition.  It's not quite gelled together yet, but for a game#2 'work-in-progress' - it's pretty encouraging.

The 4-1-3-2 formation is unorthodox, but it's working well against suitable opposition. But I'm sure that Dougie has the tactical brains to adapt this and adapt/change it as necessary depending on who we're facing week-to-week.

Pretty much most else has already been said above re individual performances, so no point in repeating it. Apart from adding that Jet would be an absolutely stellar striker if he shed a third of his current body weight. He currently reminds me of Ronaldinho wearing a stag-night Sumo inflatable fat suit.

Every Accies supporter I engaged with before, during, and after the game were a class act. Proper supporters of the game.  I'll be heading up next week for a few pints with a couple of them. Top laddies.

We're unbeaten so far. Aye. It's not much to celebrate after two 0-0's on the bounce - but it's better than two defeats. I remain confident that Dougie's talent for turning duffers, has-beens, jobbers and ringers into solid players will continue to prove itself - although I'm currently struggling to see what the f**k he can do with Davies and Reynolds who both look totally out of their depth, even at this relatively humble level.

Negatives

I haven't a f**king clue where our goals are going to come from. Michael Garrity should have buried the game three times over in the first half alone. For sure - every player misses golden opportunities, but in a league as competitive and as tight as this, endless near-misses just don't cut it. We HAVE to be clinical in our finishing. A million chances missed will inevitably see us heading down.

After a first-half performance which showed flashes of real quality from us (followed by a presumably motivational HT Imrie team-talk) - what the f**k happened from the 45th minute onwards? The game became a complete mirror-image of the first 45. Not good enough, Ton. Nowhere near. We need consistency from every player, for every minute, and at every conceivable level.

Morton introduced the 'Team Ton' programme to attract weans and get them involved at ground level. A fantastic, innovative, and creative marketing initiative aimed at bolstering the future of our supporter base. The excited new sign-up-day arrivals were all given a Morton flag for them to wave excitedly at their first free-to-enter home game. And when they showed up today with their flags, full of excitement and happiness - the club's hired-hand 'security' wankers wouldn't let these weans bring their flags into the ground. A f**king travesty. Shame on the club's lack of foresight- and of its continuing inability to remind the contracted firm that they're club servants, not masters.

Not specific to this game - but Cappielow's falling apart at the seams. Every year it deteriorates further and further. We're going to have real issues with safety certificates unless money becomes available from somewhere to fix the place up. I'm proud of the fact that my team plays at one of the few surviving traditional grounds in Scotland, but we need to start looking upon supporters in the same way that every other successful corporate entity treats its paying customers. I can just imagine what would happen to Starbucks or McDonalds if they ditched their immaculate bogs and replaced them with a pish-stinking breezeblock ditch. I'm equally proud to be a supporter of a fan-owned. debt-free club whose balance sheet is in profit and who lives within its means by not spending money it doesn't have - but regular visits to the numerous Lego/IKEA 'me-too' stadiums built largely using vanity-project money consistently represent the stark, soulless alternative. So my impending lottery win will transform Cappielow from a traditional Scottish ground, into the absolute best traditional Scottish ground.

Time for a pint. All the best from Girvan.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 10 by Chippyminton

[Owsley 2]

12 hours ago, Ian Mcleod said:

 I can understand your point that things might have been different if they scored one of them as sometime it does wake a team up or Morton may have became more defensive if they had went 1-0 up however I don't believe that would have been the case however we will never know. 

Really glad you said this. Why can not one pundit or commentator understand this very simple point? Morton may have sat back a bit to consolidate or we might have equalised. Morton were so profligate I think one would have been their limit. As you say, we probably won't be as lucky against other teams.

[George Caplin]

Horrendous first half from Accies, players a mile off, 2nd half much better and seem to be more comfortable with a back 4. Albisons best game for us but considering Mortons dominance first half he'd wasn't overworked, Great save at start of 2nd half which really got us the point. Not quite gelled yet but Accies look comfortable mid table to me 

[Mr Toon]

Just watched the highlights and that must surely be one of the most profligate displays ever by Morton. Seven or eight decent chances in the first half of which 4 were sitters. 

Of course Hamilton had a couple of chances in the second half as did Morton but the game should have been done and dusted by half time.

[The Ghost of B A R P]

Still can’t decide if yesterday was more glass half-full than half-empty…

We were very good in the first half and made Hamilton look like a lower-league side, but the finishing issue is a serious one: it wasn’t a case of guys you know will score goals having a bad day; it was more confirmation that the guys who missed — Garrity in particular, although Moffat should also have scored — missed because that’s what they’re likely to do. Garrity did a lot of good things, but we can’t go through the season with him playing as a striker; he should be competing with Moffat for the wide-left position.

Beyond that, it isn’t clear how we get the best out of Jet. Some of his touches were immense yesterday and he always wants to take the ball, but I’m struggling to see how, even when fit, he morphs into an actual centre-forward: more like a deluxe number 10 who absolutely needs someone running beyond him. Davies has looked poor so far, but I’ll reserve judgement until I’ve seen him and Jet on the pitch at the same time.

Reynolds, though… sorry, but I just don’t see it. He looked like a competition winner out there. Apart from stopping every attack when he got involved, there was a moment towards the end when he ran away from a loose ball deep in the midfield. Almost cost us the game and it’s just not the kind of thing you ‘learn’ at 28 years old. Pull the plug. Sorry (not sorry).

Other thing that’s both positive and negative is the amount of influence Lyall had on the game: we went down like a burst balloon when he went off. I think he’s going to be a really important player for us.

Unequivocal positives are that Ballantyne is a massive upgrade at right-back; Delaney looked physical and confident (where he was poor against Partick); and Baird and Boyes should develop into a strong partnership. With Mullen behind and Wilson in front, we should be pretty durable. Add Lyall, Moffat and (when fit) Jet and you’ve got 3/4 of a decent team… but there’s not much point in all that if the 1/4 that isn’t functioning is the part that scores goals.

Still think there’s one or two more to come… there had better be.

[Moysterclass]

A point away is definitely a positive given Ayr were comfortably better than us last week and we don't have a first choice CB fit. 

Hopefully Rankin will learn that 3 at the back won't work in this league when we're not playing against teams starting Botti Biabi or Michael Gardyne up top. 

Still waiting on that first goal which is worrying given how much we've invested in attack. Hopefully we can get that monkey off our back against Dunfermline - already looks like a 6 pointer. 

[shizzlemanizzle]

Just popped in to say thank you for Oakley Morton and thank you for Albinson, McGinty etc Hamilton. A club of Ayr’s stature should have 2 feeder teams to plunder and cast off to.  Best wishes for the season.

[Colkitto]

A bit controversial I suppose, but I've not given up on Reynolds yet.  I've seen flashes (obviously not enough) for me believe there is a player in there. 

Both Reynolds and Davies should be doing a lot better than they are just now. I get they're getting used to a completely new environment, but even so.

  

[RossBFaeDundee]

Just watched Morton's highlights, they really should've had the game wrapped up by HT it seems. JET with some great touches on the ball but he is so glacially slow you wonder if it's even worth it.

I like Williamson, but that dive in the 2nd half was one of the most blatant I've ever seen, perfect chance to sneak a goal and instead rolls his way along the ground into the ground. Surely he got a card for that?

[Jives Miguel]

16 hours ago, shizzlemanizzle said:

Just popped in to say thank you for Oakley Morton and thank you for Albinson, McGinty etc Hamilton. A club of Ayr’s stature should have 2 feeder teams to plunder and cast off to.  Best wishes for the season.

Little Ayr 

 

[Richey Edwards]

6 minutes ago, Jives Miguel said:

Little Ayr 

 

We have over 3000 games in hand. We'll be fine.