Morton 3 - 0 Dumbarton: Campbell helps himself to hat-trick

MORTON comprehensively brushed aside Dumbarton with the help of an Archie Campbell hat-trick as they finally lived up to their billing as promotion outsiders.

Newly promoted Dumbarton will have been happy with the start they made to the game as they forced the home defence into a string of last-ditch challenges, but eventually the experience and know-how of Morton came to the fore with both Michael Tidser and Archie Campbell rattling the woodwork as Allan Moore’s men began to force the issue.

It looked like the visitors from across the Erskine Bridge might get to the interval still on a level footing, but it wasn’t to be as with 43 minutes played Campbell finally broke through with a composed finish, having been played in by Tidser.

The game was over as a contest seven minutes after the restart with Campbell again on target, this time slamming home a hotly-debated penalty after Andy Graham was ruled to have fouled David O’Brien.

With Dumbarton heads dropping and discipline evaporating, it was now a question of how many Morton could fill their boots by as they laid siege to the visiting goal, O’Brien warming the palms of Stephen Grindlay and Scott Taggart striking the bar. Campbell wasn’t to be denied the match ball, though, as he seized on a James Crainey backpass and picked his spot. The little striker even had time to miss from the spot with two minutes remaining as he struck the underside of the bar with a thumping strike.