MIllar Bid Accepted

According to a story by Roger Graham on the Greenock Telegraph website Morton have accepted a £5000 bid for Chris Millar - a bid that they earlier rejected.

St. Johnstone haven't responded to Morton about the acceptance of the £5000 bid.

http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/article.php?sec=2&id=18365

Livingston 6 - 1 Morton

Livingston 6 - MacKay (17 pen) Pesir (36, 58) Walker (71) McMenamin (71) Griffiths (88)
Morton 1 - Russell (89 pen)

Att - 1,800

In his programme notes for Saturday's game Livingston manager Mark Proctor said 'there are acceptable ways to lose and there are unacceptable ways to lose' - the Morton performance in this match was totally, 100%, an unacceptable way to lose.

Mass exodus as fans get up to leave as Livi players celebrate their 6th goal in the background.

The empty seats left behind.

Audio interview with Jim McInally on Your Radio*:
Part 1 - http://w4.media-convert.com/convert/?xid=onpufyds
Part 2 - http://w4.media-convert.com/convert/?xid=psbooodp
Part 3 - http://w16.media-convert.com/convert/index.php?pg=myfile&xid=qnxgtzzg


* These interviews were recorded from the radio on the bus using my mobile phone - so there may be bits when you cant hear properly, the gaps between the different parts dont run seamlessly either. They were originally Adaptive Multi-Rate files and I converted them to MP3 files using the site the link takes you to. After downloading the audio file from the media converter site the interview with Jim McInally opens my iTunes folder and plays on that. I'm not sure how this will work for anyone without iTunes. They are only available for 24 hours but if anyone wants to hear them after that just email me and I can convert them again.



Morton (4-4-2):

1. Robinson - 6
2. Shields - 5
3. MacGregor - 4 (16. Graham - 65 mins)
4. Harding - 3
5. Greacen - 4
6. McAnespie - 4 (15. Stevenson - 46 mins)
7. Finlayson - 2
8. McGuffie - 6
9. Weatherson - 5 (12. McLaughlin - 46 mins)
10. Russell - 7
11. McAlister - 6

Subs Not Used:
14. Templeman
20. McGurn

Booked: MacGregor

Sent off: Finlayson (15)

Robinson

Shields Harding Greacen MacGregor

Finlayson McGuffie McAlister McAnespie

Russell Weatherson

Livingston: Stewart, MacKay, James, Walker, MacDonald, McCaffrey (McMenamin 69), Dorrans, Fox, Craig, Pesir, Snodgrass. Subs Not Used: Weir, Jacobs, Griffiths, Lunn.

My man of the match: Dave Mackay (Livingston)

Sponsor's man of the match: Tomas Pesir (Livingston)


Matchday Programme (Click to enlarge)

BBC Match report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/7170282.stm

Tele' match report (good report - Roger Graham gets stuck into the players): http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/article.php?sec=2&id=18353

Tele' match reaction: http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/article.php?sec=2&id=18354

Gardyne's Offski In Player Exodus

According to a story on the back page of today's Greenock Telegraph Michael Gardyne has been given permission to talk to Ross County - where he spent last season on loan from Celtic. In the article it says that the winger has been given the chance to leave because Jim McInally couldn't guarantee him a game.

The article also revealed that: Adam Coakley has left the club; we recouped the transfer fee we paid to Peterhead for Bobby Linn (around £15,000 if I remember right) in his recent move to East Fife and that Alan Gildbride has extended his loan with Stenhousemuir.

Another story states that Morton have rejected two derisory bids for Chris Millar from St. Johnstone. The bids - firstly £2500, then £5000 - were totally unacceptable according to Jim McInally. The club haven't heard anything from St. Johnstone since.

One player who isn't leaving is Jay Shields who has extended his 6 month deal until the end of the season.

Livingston Game Under Threat?

According to a post on http://www.greenockmorton.org/ by Se65an of the Gourock Morton Supporters: "Just called Livingston, they advise that the pitch is under an inch of snow, but do not see this as a problem for tomorrow."

I checked the BBC weather report for Livingston and it is expected that it will snow in Livingston for the rest of today. However the forecast predicts it will rain there tomorrow. I don't know how much I would trust this as it predicts that there will be light showers with sunny spells in Greenock today!

http://www.greenockmorton.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=18193

http://www.bbc.co.uk/whereilive/yourarea/

McGuffie Relishes Playing In Central Midfield

In today's Greenock Telegraph new signing Ryan McGuffie tells Chris Fitzgerald that central midfield is his favourite position and how Gretna had been playing him all over the place.

Read the full article here: http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/article.php?sec=2&id=18314

St. Johnstone To Pay To Get Millar Now

As expected St. Johnstone have bidded cash in an attempt to sign Chris Millar now rather than in May - when his contract expires.

The information appeared in Euan Mcarthur's story about Stuart McCaffrey joing St. Johnstone on loan in today's Daily Record.

It says: "Saints have also lodged a cash bid to speed-up Morton midfielder Chris Millar's switch to Perth."

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football-news/scottish-football/scottish-football-league/2008/01/02/saints-win-will-put-us-in-title-race-86908-20271848/

Stirling Albion 1 - 2 Morton

Stirling Albion 1 - Aitken (61)
Morton 2 - Harding (60), McGuffie (82)

Att - 1,256

A debut goal by Ryan McGuffie turned out to be the winner as Morton grabbed all three points at Forthbank.

This was a terrible match played in freezing conditions in a ground with no atmosphere - a great way to start the new year.

The first half was - and I seem to be repeating this a lot this season - a non event. The boredom was only alleviated when Peter Weatherson was sent clear one-on-one with Myles Hogarth. He slowed to compose himself and from my position (ground level - I was about to get a pie) it looked like he tried to curl one into the top corner but put it into the side netting. I've since been informed Hogarth made a decent save pushing it round the post.

Morton took the lead when Ryan Harding acrobatically volleyed a loose ball into the net from close range. The chance came after a Kieran McAnespie free-kick was deflected into his path. McAnespie's performance and set piece deliveries were one of the positives that can be taken from this game.

The main positive however, was the debut of new signing Ryan McGuffie. Without looking overly impressive McGuffie gave signs that he could be the box to box midfielder we have needed for god knows how long. He has a presence, is strong and tall, can pass and adds a goal threat. Never more evident than in the 82nd minute when he rammed home a sweet half volley from from just inside the box.

Morton's defensive frailties were exposed again in this match. The first mix up came when Ryan Harding apppeared to collide with a team mate which presnted a Stirling player a free run on goal but Lee Robinson was alert and made an excellent block. The second resulted in the Bino's equaliser which came only 1 minute after we took the lead. A cross from the left side of our defence was allowed to run across the box right to unmarked former Morton player Chris Aitken who had all the time in the world to fire past the helpless Robinson.

The only other moment of note was the booing when Brian Graham replaced Iain Russell and not Peter Weatherson. This seems to have been happening for a few weeks now and is clearly angering the fans and justifiably so in my opinion. Russell works hard and offers some sort of goal threat while Weatherson wanders about doing nothing much yet every time the substitution is made it's Russell who's number is up. I'd be interested to know how the player feels about this.

As with a lot of games this season this match would have been one to forget on the basis of lack of entertainment but the fact that McGuffie made an encouraging debut and scored a cracker winner in a match against potential relegation rivals you've got to be happy with the three points.


Morton (4-4-2):

1. Robinson - 7
2. Shields - 6
3. MacGregor - 7
4. Harding - 6
5. Greacen - 5
6. McAnespie - 7 (15. Stevenson - 78 mins)
7. Finlayson - 6
8. McGuffie - 7
9. Weatherson - 5
10. Russell - 7 (16. Graham - 81 mins)
11. McAlister - 7

Subs Not Used:

12. McLaughlin
14. Templeman
20. McGurn

Booked: McAnespie, McGuffie

Robinson

Shields Harding Greacen MacGregor

Finlayson McGuffie McAnespie* McAlister*

Weatherson Russell

* McAlister and McAnespie swapped positions at half time.

Stirling Albion: Hogarth, Nugent, Forsyth, Ellis, Graham, Aitken, Hay, Bell (Harris 37), McKenna, Lilley (Walker 74), Tomana (Taggart 55). Subs Not Used: McBride, Christie.

Booked: Ellis, Hay.

My man of the match: Jim McAlister

Sponsor's man of the match:

Matchday Programme (Click to enlarge)















BBC Match report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/7165336.stm

Tele' match report: http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/article.php?sec=2&id=18308

Tele' match reaction: http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/article.php?sec=2&id=18311

Stirling Albion match report: http://redwebforum.com/rw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=195&Itemid=1

Transfer News - McGuffie & Linn

Happy New Year!

The transfer window opened last night and Morton have already started to make moves in the market.

The club have confirmed that Ryan McGuffie (pictured playing in the Scottish Cup Final) has signed a two and a half year contract this morning. There is further good news in that he will be available for the game against Stirling Albion tomorrow.

The post on http://www.gmfc.net/ also reveals that Bobby Linn has made his loan move to East Fife permanent. There is no indication of a transfer fee.

http://www.gmfc.net/club-news/news-view.asp?id=261