Cappielow hosted an entertaining start to the Championship campaign after Morton and Dunfermline fought out a 2-2 draw, a fair reflection on a game where both sides created chances but gifted openings.
Morton could and should have been out of sight by the time the break came around. As it was they only had Gary Oliver’s 23rd minute penalty to show for a game they had controlled for large chunks
The hosts had taken a deserved lead when Gozie Ugwu, a handful for Dunfermline throughout the afternoon, had got himself in front of Ross Graham before being wiped out by visiting goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet. The stopper conceded a penalty and received a booking for his part but it could well have been a red on another day.
Prior to that Kyle Jacobs, the new captain at the club, had sent an effort wide in the opening stages which set an immediate tone for Morton. Alan Lithgow had a powerful header across goal but Cameron Blues couldn’t convert from an acute angle at the far post.
Dunfermline had spent the bulk of the opening period inside their own half but came out with the sleeves rolled up after the break. They drew level just five minutes after the restart when Josh Edwards’ initial effort was saved by Jack Hamilton before Nikolay Todorov netted the rebound.
With their tails up, the visitors kept pushing. A second goal came when substitute Reece Cole’s corner was volleyed into the net by Kevin O’Hara after Morton had failed to clear their lines.
With ten minutes remaining, Morton got themselves back on level terms.
Substitute Lewis McGrattan, played in behind Josh Edwards, sent in a cross that took a massive deflection before hitting the back post and heading into the net.
Dunfermline could have won it in the final stages when Cole blasted over.
“We are still playing catch-up because of the Covid disruptions and having to shut the club,” said Morton manager Gus MacPherson. “We are getting there but we are also still short of numbers – we’d like to get at least another four in. What we have got here stands us in good stead.
“I thought we deserved a point at least. In the first-half we were dominant, had energy and we really attacked with a purpose. We said to them we needed to keep the backdoor shut. There was a bit of slackness there and after Dunfermline scored I think you saw the heads go down.
“The goal and the deflection that we got was a bit fortuitous but we will take it.”
Peter Grant wasn’t quite so upbeat about the point that kickstarts his chapter at the East End Park club and couldn’t hide his irritation at the lacklustre start to the game or the cheapness of the goals conceded.
“When you go 2-1 in front then it’s two points dropped but we weren’t ourselves in the first half – it was as if they were out there for a sun tan so maybe a draw is a good result,” he said.
“The boys are disappointed with their performance and the goals we lost were criminal. We haven’t lost a good goal yet.
“You never know how anyone’s going to perform until the curtain goes up but there was a lack of intensity from us. We should’ve seen the game out at 2-1 but we just didn’t do enough to get the win.
“We have to be difficult to play against. I don’t want us to be a nice team with good players because there are times when you have to dig in and roll your sleeves up. I just hope this was a one-off.”
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