Queen Of The South 0 -Morton 2 - Wake (48), McGuffie (77)
Att: 2991
Brian Wake and Ryan McGuffie both scored to send Morton into the Challenge Cup semi-finals for the fourth season in a row.
This win was a perfect response to last week's shocker at Airdrie. The mannner of the 5-0 defeat must've given Irons plenty of food for thought and was probably the main reason that he brought in Chris Smith and went with a four at the back at Palmerston today. Alex Walker and Smith were the full-backs with Dominic Shimmin and Ryan Harding in the centre. Ryan McGuffie moved inside as Iain Russell dropped back to play wide right leaving Brian Wake up front himself in what turned out to be a four-five-one formation.
The first half was a bit of a non-event. Queens probably dominated possession but only had one real shot on goal when Stephen Dobbie turned quickly and smashed an effort at goal but Cuthbert saved well. After last week's result 0-0 at half-time was a big improvement, the back four were solid and didn't look as if they would give much away.
We started the second half brightly and took the lead after only three minutes. McGuffie drove forward and attempted to play Wake in behind the Queens' defence. His first attempt was blocked but he got it right second time. Wake collected the pass, composed himself and drilled a great strike past Cammy Bell and into the far corner.
McGuffie made it two in 77th minute. Erik Paartalu gave the former Newcastle and Gretna man the ball just inside the box on the left hand side of the pitch (down towards the away fans) and, in a very similar manner to Wakey, Ryan took a touch to compose himself and then curled a beauty into Bell's top right hand corner. For someone who wasn't there think Lee McCulloch's goal for Scotland versus the Ukraine.
Queens are one of the form teams in the division and to go to Palmerston and win while keeping a clean sheet and scoring a couple of cracking goals is a great achievement for any team never mind a team who were beaten five-nil the previous week. If we stick with the back four I think we can finally take our cup form into the league and start moving up the table.
The semi-final draw will see us matched with one of Partick Thistle, Airdrie United or Ross County for a place in the final. Surely after three successive semi-final defeats we can make it fourth time lucky and get to the final for the first time since we lost to Hamilton Accies in 1992.
1. Cuthbert - 7
2. Walker - 7
3. Smith - 8
4. Shimmin - 8
5. Paartalu - 7
6. Harding (c) - 7
7. McGuffie - 8
8. Masterton - 6 (12. Jenkins - 64 mins)
10. Russell - 7 (15. Finlayson - 87 mins)
11. McAlister - 7
Subs Not Used:
Walker Shimmin Harding Smith
Russell McGuffie Paartalu Masterton McAlister
Wake
Queen Of The South: Bell, Parratt, Barr, Sives, Aitken (Weatherston 52), McQuilken, MacFarlane (Robertson 65), Tosh, Burns (Simmons 75), Kean, Dobbie.
Subs Not Used: Halliwell, McGowan.
Booked: Robertson, McQuilken.
My man of the match: Ryan McGuffie
Sponsor's man of the match:
Matchday Programme (Click to enlarge)
Team Sheet(Click to enlarge)
Greenock Telegraph match report
BBC match report
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