Morton 3 - 0 Cowdenbeath

Morton 3 - O'Brien (33), Jenkins (54), Graham (57).
Cowdenbeath 0 -

Morton cruised to victory against this season's bogey team Cowdenbeath at Cappielow in this one.

The Blue Brazil were a shadow of the side that won 2-1 at Cappielow at the beginning of the season, and who later secured a 2-2 draw at Central Park in October, despite being down to 10 men when goalkeeper David Hay was dismissed after seven minutes, having a 17-year-old, who had never played in the top team and had conceded five goals to Ton's under-19s just weeks before, replace Hay and surviving two Ton penalty kicks.

David O'Brien got the ball rolling when he leaped into the air to guide debutant Derek Lyle's superb right-wing cross over Hay and into the far corner. The ball looked to be over when O'Brien connected with the ball - something he actually admitted himself after the game - but dropped into the net at the last minute to surprise everyone.

Jenkins doubled the lead early in the second half when he collected a Graeme Holmes pass then danced between two players on the edge of the box before unleashing a strike which deflected off Scott Linton, flew high into the air and rather fortunately landed in the net behind Hay.

And the win was wrapped up when Brian Graham controlled another visionary Holmes pass, confidently dragged the ball around Hay and rolled the ball into net to make it six goals in eight games for the in-form frontman.

You can read my full Greenock Telegraph match report here: Ton Make An Ideal Start To 2011 and reaction from Derek Lyle and Allan Moore here: Lyle Is Hapy With Debut Show.

Morton (4-4-2):

1. Colin Stewart - 6
2. Grant Evans - 7
3. Kevin McKinlay - 6 (14. Carlo Monti, 72 - 5)
4. Marc Smyth - 8
5. Stuart McCaffrey - 7
6. Michael Tidser - 6 (16. Fouad Bachirou, 80 - 5)
7. Allan Jenkins - 8
8. Graeme Holmes - 8
9. Derek Lyle - 8
10. Brian Graham - 7 (12. Stewart Kean, 74 - 5)
11. David O'Brien - 7

Subs not used:

15. Kevin Kelbie
20. Kevin Cuthbert

Stewart
Evans Smyth McCaffrey McKinlay
Jenkins Holmes Tidser O'Brien
Graham Lyle

Cowdenbeath (4-3-3): Hay - 6; Baxter - 6, Armstrong - 6, Winter - 4, Vauls - 5; Cameron -6, Robertson - 5 (Ramsay, 72 - 3), Linton - 5; Ferguson - 5, Coult - 6 (Dempster, 69 - 3), Stewart - 7 (McKenzie, 61 - 4).

Subs not used: Brett, Roy (gk).


Morton bookings: McCaffrey (34), Evans (55)

Cowdenbeath bookings: Cameron (55)


Referee: Mike Tumilty

Attendance: 1,375

My man of the match: Derek Lyle



View from the other side:

cowdenbeathfc.com - match report