St Johnstone 3 - 2 Morton: St Johnston win despite spirited second-half display from Morton

Published on Saturday 12 April 2008 19:56

ST JOHNSTONE thwarted a stirring second-half riposte from Morton to earn a timely fillip ahead of next Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final.

A late header from captain Kevin James ended the Perth outfit's four-game winless run ahead of the Hampden showdown with either Partick Thistle or Rangers.

Not for the first time during his breakthrough campaign at McDiarmid Park, Andy Jackson was clinical, netting a first-half double inside four minutes to take his seasonal tally to 19.

But an inspired Greenock fightback, achieved by goals from half-time arrivals Brian Wake and Iain Russell, almost aided their relegation play-off fight. Instead, Saints head for the national stadium in good heart while Davie Irons' men are still marooned in ninth spot in the table.

With an eye on their semi, Derek McInnes kept Jody Morris and Rocco Quinn in reserve due to injury niggles and rang five changes from last weekend's 2-0 loss at Hamilton.

Alan Main returned in the nets while rare jerseys were handed to injury-plagued James and Martin Hardie, a first start for the latter since December.

A spark was needed to light the proceedings and it came from the promptings of David Weatherston on 23 minutes.

After a surging run out of defence from Steven Anderson, the ex-Queen's Park forward collected on the right, found a yard and chipped a cross to the back post where Jackson nodded home.

A swift second soon followed, Liam Craig's cross picking out the unmarked Jackson to head across the exposed Lee Robinson.

Irons simply had to scrap his cautious 4-5-1 formation at the break, throwing on forward pair Wake and Russell, and the changes soon bore fruit.

Wake quickly tucked home left-footed from just inside the area, before Kevin Finlayson then dragged just past as 'Ton revealed a new-found positivity.

St Johnstone, though, remained a threat and both James and Craig could have stretched the lead, until a moment of madness from Anderson handed the Cappielow side their leveller.

The centre-half needlessly handled in the box and Russell needed no invitation to dispatch coolly past Main.

Erik Paartalu should have netted a seven-yard chance to cap the comeback, but James had the last laugh when he bulleted in Craig's corner.