FINEFARE Scottish Premier League - 09.04.88Morton 3 - Collins, Turner, Alexander
Rangers 2 - Durrant, Ferguson
Season 1987/88 was a disappointing one for everyone associated with Greenock Morton. Morton were relegated from the FINEFARE Scottish Premier League after finishing rock bottom with only 16 points. Twenty years on and we have not been back in the top division.
The one bright spot came on the 9th of April 1988 when Morton beat Glasgow giants Rangers 3-2 at Cappielow - one of only three league wins that season.
Morton lined up as follows:
1. David Wylie
2. Alex O'Hara
3. Jim Rogers
4. Jim Hunter
5. Martin Doak
6. John McMaster
7. Tommy Turner
8. Derek Collins
9. Rowan Alexander
10. Alan Bateman
11. Archie McGeachy
Subs Used:
12. Jim Arthur
14. Brian Robinson
The defeated Rangers team was:
1. Chris Woods
2. Scott Nisbet
3. Jan Bartram
4. Graham Roberts
5. Ray Wilkins
6. John Brown
7. Ian Ferguson
8. James Phillips
9. Ally McCoist
10. Iain Durrant
11. Mark Walters
Subs Used:
12. John McGregor
14. Ian McCall
In the Ten Years Ago section of the 'Looking Back' feature in the Morton v St. Mirren matchday programme (11.04.98) it says:
Morton 3 Rangers 2 was the shock score in the Premier Division. We were going down but in the words of Dylan Thomas we would 'not go gently into that goodnight'. Derek Collins might smile as he reads this piece for he scored a cracker that day as Morton won a five goal thriller. The other Morton goals came from Tommy Turner (who is now with St. Mirren) and Rowan Alexander who played for the Saints before Morton.
In Graeme Ross' Morton Greats the chapter on Derek Collins mentions the match:
One high spot of the season was a rare victory over Graeme Souness's Rangers at Cappielow. It was Morton's first league victory over Rangers at Cappielow for almost 70 years. Derek scored his first goal for the club, after a foray into nose bleed territory ended with a 35-yard swerving cross shot that eluded 'Gers 'keeper Chris Woods. The goal set Morton on their way, and sent Souness searching for his tea cups.
I decided to write an article on this match after a recent visit to my Uncle in Inverness who gave me the matchday programme and ticket because I was quite impressed he was at this match - Morton's only league win over Rangers at Cappielow in the last 90 years - if the information above is correct.
The programme (pictured, above left)for the match cost 50p. It includes 'From the Manager's Desk' with Jackie McNamara (Allan McGraw was in hospital), a player profile of Alex O'Hara, 'Visitors' Spotlight' by Danny McCahon and Reserve Review with George Anderson.
A match ticket (pictured, below) for an adult to stand on the terracing cost £2.50.
Anyone who was at the match can feel free to leave their memories by posting a comment below.
I've received a couple of email responses to this post and thought I'd post them here.
ReplyDelete"We beat Rangers 1-0 at Ibrox with a Jim Tolmie goal on, if I remember correctly, November 29, 1980. I was there! I suspect what the piece means is first win at Cappielow in 70 years"
"It was the definately the match to remember in a very poor season.
Just to say it was the only time I've seen Morton beat Rangers at Cappielow in a competative match however we have won against Rangers several times in the league, well maybe just a few times."
I've updated the article to state that the match was the only time we have beaten Rangers at Cappielow in the last 90 years rather than at all.