Frustration for Morton manager Moore at ‘no sense’ Scottish Cup ruling

By DARREN JOHNSTONE and CRAIG P STEWART
Published on 13/12/2012 01:24

MORTON manager Allan Moore has criticised the Scottish Fooball Association after a request to play their Scottish Cup replay with Turriff United at a weekend was rejected by Hampden officials.

The fourth-round clash will now take place next Monday after a frozen pitch put paid to plans to settle the tie on Tuesday at Cappielow.

The Greenock side had proposed moving the match to Saturday 22 December, when Morton have a free weekend, but the switch was turned down by the SFA.

Moore said: “We actually said if it does not get played on Tuesday night, why don’t we just leave it until December the 22nd when we have a free weekend but rules are rules and you have to play it as quick as you can. There’s no sense. You would get a better crowd [for a weekend game], the Turriff boys don’t have to travel down during the week, but that’s been blown out of the water.”

Meanwhile, there was no great surprise when last night’s fourth-round tie between Dumbarton and Hamilton Accies was called off for a fourth time after a 9am pitch inspection at the Bet Butler Stadium.

The sides will try again next Monday, 17 December at 7.30pm with new Dumbarton player/manager Ian Murray now having seen his managerial debut delayed five times.

As well as the cup tie, a First Division match between the pair was postponed last Saturday, and it was due to be played next Tuesday, however that has now been called off to as the cup tie takes priority.

The cold weather has now delayed Murray’s plans to make an impact as a player for his side as he explained: “I had a groin operation recently but was due to be playing again at Christmas time, but that will probably be pushed back now. I had been looking to get some reserve games under my belt to get me ready, but we have not been able to hold any of them either.”

“I can run okay now but I have only played two competitive games all year and one of them was as a trialist for Brechin at the start of the season. There has been no reserve football either recently and there is nothing scheduled in until the New Year, so it is very frustrating on two levels.”