Morton 3 - 3 Queen of the South

Morton 3 - Witteveen (12, 21, 90+1)
Queen of the South 3 - Quinn (8, 52), Weatherston (64)

Att: 1,926



Witt a guy: Loan striker David Witteveen grabbed an injury time equaliser to complete his hat-trick and nick a point for Morton.

As expected, James Grady only made one change to the team that beat Ayr United 1-0 in midweek: Alan Reid came in to replace the injured Kevin McKinlay at left-back.

Morton went behind to the first real chance of the game in the 8th minute. Former Morton target Rocco Quinn volleyed under Colin Stewart after Derek Holmes had headed Bob Harris free-kick from the half way line into Quinn's path. For me, Stewart Greacen's marking was a bit suspect and Colin Stewart looked like he could've got down to the shot a bit quicker.

The home side went straight on the attack and almost equalised a minute later but Michael Tidser shot right at Queen of the South goalkeeper David Hutton's.

However, the former Celtic youngster was instrumental in Morton's equaliser in the 12th minute. It was his floated free-kick that was dropped by Hutton, who was under pressure due to a robust challenge by Davie MacGregor, and swept into the net by grateful loanee David Witteveen.

The match was turned on its head ten minutes later as Witteveen got his second of the afternoon. The big Austrian collected a Ryan McGuffie cross from the right wing, took a great first touch and turned Craig Reid with ease before firing under the exposed Hutton.

The only other goalscoring opportunity of the first period was a McGuffie header in the 35th minute. The former Gretna man met Tidser's inswinging corner, but Hutton caught it with ease. Unfortunately for the Queens stopper, he seemed to twist his ankle catching the ball and had to be replaced by sub goalie Scott Fox.

And it was Fox who made a superb save to stop Morton increasing their lead a minute into the second half. McGuffie played the ball inside to Peter Weatherson, the pass was slightly behind the Ton's top scorer, but he managed to expertly dig out a shot that looked to be heading for the top corner before Fox's intervention.

The Doonhamers equalised seven minutes into the second half, and it was almost a carbon copy of their first. A Harris free-kick from his own half was headed down by Holmes, who'd outjumped David MacGregor, to Quinn, who'd escaped Greacen's marking to side foot into the bottom corner.

Then it was the away side's turn to take the lead when the suspiciously offside looking David Weatherston collected Paul Burns lobbed pass over the top and ran clear before slotting into Stewart's bottom right hand corner.

The game could've been out of sight if the Dumfries had taken advantage of some shaky defending by MacGregor but Holmes and Jamie Adams were both denied by some great goalkeeping by Stewart in the Morton goal.

And Adams must've been crushed when, just one minute after he'd skied an absolute sitter over the bar from 8 yards, Morton equalised. And it was the man on loan from Hearts who grabbed his hat-trick in inury time. Substitute Stevie Masterton lifted a sublime pass over the top and the Wittster made a great darting run in behind before chesting the ball down, dragging it back past Stephen McKenna and slotting under the advancing goalkeeper and past Harris on the line.

Morton finished the match with 10 men as Jim McAlister had to leave the field due to injury with Grady having used all his subs. The injury turned out to be a broken metatarsal and has ruled Jim out for the rest of the season.

It wasn't a great performance but the last minute equaliser meant that the result felt like a win rather than a draw. And the point gained could prove to be a precious one as it took us up to 7th in the table, four points ahead of Ayr, who currently occupy the play-off place.

Morton (4-4-2):

1. Colin Stewart - 7
2. Ryan McGuffie - 8
3. Alan Reid - 7
4. David MacGregor - 4
5. Stewart Greacen (c) - 5
6. Neil MacFarlane - 6 (16. Allan Jenkins - 71 mins)
7. Kevin Finlayson - 5
8. Michael Tidser - 6 (14. Stevie Masterton - 67 mins)
9. Peter Weatherson - 6 (12. Donovan Simmonds - 67 mins)
10. David Witteveen - 9
11. Jim McAlister - 6

Unused Subs:

15. Dominic Shimmin
20. Kevin Cuthbert

Booked: Witteveen.

Stewart
McGuffie Greacen MacGregor Reid
Finlayson MacFarlane Tidser McAlister
Witteveen Weatherson

Queen of the South: David Hutton (Scott Fox, 36); Stephen McKenna, David Lilley, Craig Reid, Bob Harris, Paul Burns, Jamie Adams, Jordan McMillan, Willie McLaren (David Weatherston, 64), Rocco Quinn, Derek Holmes (Sean O'Connor 69). .

Unused Subs: Stewart Kean, Joe Hamill.

Booked: Harris, McKenna.


My man of the match: David Witteveen

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