Revitalised Morton aim to continue bright start

Morton’s trip to Hamilton in the last eight of the Ramsdens Cup tomorrow isn’t only the most eye-catching of four ties, it could offer a glimpse of the First Division promotion chase to come.

Morton’s opening to the season has been full of promise, and bettered only by their quarter-final opponents. The ending of Dundee’s long unbeaten home record last weekend endorsed that; days earlier, Morton had competed in the most exciting match of the Scottish season to date when edged out 4-3 by local rivals St Mirren in the League Cup.

“The first point we picked up this season was probably the best,” said Peter MacDonald, the Morton striker. “We went up to Ross County, one of the favourites for the league, and got a draw. That wasn’t an easy thing to do so I think we’ve just picked up confidence from there.”

And yet Morton’s summer recruitment hinted at things to come. MacDonald and Andy Jackson supplemented Allan Moore’s attack by arriving from St Johnstone with Paul Di Giacomo’s signing on a free transfer from Ross County offering further potency.

As if to illustrate the strength at Moore’s disposal, Di Giacomo has been operating on the right side of midfield. Peter Weatherson, something of a cult hero at Cappielow, has found a starting place hard to come by.

“We’re in the same boat as most of the teams in the league [Ross County are the obvious exception] where we have a strong 16 or 18 players and are relying on luck to keep these guys fit,” added MacDonald.

“But having a big squad can have it’s own problems. You can get disharmony there. We know we have boys who are good enough and work hard enough, that’s the two most important factors.”

In Michael Tidser, a former captain of Celtic’s Under 19 team, Morton have one of the most gifted players in the First Division. Tidser’s intelligent use of the ball and, this season, improvement in the defensive aspects of his game make him an obvious target for bigger clubs. There is the added advantage of MacDonald, Jackson and the Morton captain, Stuart McCaffrey, having played a part in a successful promotion push. All were at St Johnstone when Derek McInnes guided them to the top flight in 2009.

“It’s too early to compare this team to that [St Johnstone] one,” MacDonald insisted. “I’ve played the majority of my career in the First Division so I know what it’s all about, how tough it is. What you have to do is get in a habit of not losing, picking up points away from home and winning your home games. It’s a simple theory but that’s what works. So far, we’ve gone out to win every match, nothing less.

“Other guys such as Kevin McCann, who have Premier League experience, have come in, giving us a good blend. Anyone who has watched our first few games will see how hard all the boys work for each other.” There would be a hint of irony, of course, if this Morton team proves to be the club’s most successful of recent times. The chairman Douglas Rae opted for lavish spending on wages for a while, in a bid to secure a Premier League place. That move, as has been the case at so many other lower league clubs, threatened to do Morton more harm than good. A more prudent approach, whether through coincidence or otherwise, is paying off for now.

Allan Jenkins, one of Morton’s best performers last season, made a summer switch to Balymena United largely on financial grounds. Part of Rae’s decision to tone down spending was a decline in crowds, something which would surely be halted if Moore’s team maintain their present run.

Cup success, of course, would also boost the coffers. “I think it would set down a marker of sorts if we go to Hamilton and win,” said MacDonald. “But I think we have set a couple of them down already with how we have started. The cup is a welcome break, First Division players don’t get much of a chance to compete in semi-finals or finals so we are definitely thinking positively about this tournament.

“We’ll go about our own business, not concentrate on other teams, and see how far that takes us.”