MORTON last night justified manager Jim McInally's confidence that they could pull off a shock Scottish Cup win by emphatically turfing Gretna out of the competition in Dumfries last night.
McInally's only qualm was whether his team could cope
with the physical challenge posed by their Clydesdale Bank Premier League opponents – but those doubts were silenced as Peter Weatherson struck twice in three second-half minutes and Chris Millar rounded off a 3-0 fourth-round replay win at Palmerston.
McInally said: "At half-time coming in at 0-0, it was one of those games where you feared the ball was going to get taken to the nearest hospital.
"I said we need to deal with the physical and aerial dangers and we will win it – because I felt we would pick them off at some point. I was worried about their legs after the game on Saturday – but what an effort."
McInally hailed the recalled Weatherson, who volleyed the first on 68 minutes before netting from 25 yards to set up a fifth-round tie against his old club Queen of the South at Cappielow.
"You have to persevere with Peter – you can't leave him out for long," said the manager.
"This is his old stomping ground. I just said to the boys at half-time 'Keep a clean sheet – because you know Peter will score'."
Gretna had squandered a two-goal lead against the First Division side at Cappielow in the first match, and their defeat ends the prospect of a fifth-round Dumfriesshire derby against Queen of the South.
The match went ahead at the second attempt after it was moved from Fir Park to the ground of Queens, who now travel to Greenock on Saturday.
Gretna, who brought in Henry Makinwa for the injured Fabian Yantorno, only briefly looked a division above their opponents and Morton could even have added to their lead in the closing stages.
Morton midfielder Ryan McGuffie, who scored Gretna's goal in their 2006 final defeat by Hearts, had a powerful volley blocked in the opening moments but the first hour was to be short of genuine goalmouth action.
That changed when Weatherson gave Morton a 68th-minute lead when his volley was too strong for Tony Caig to keep out after a long free-kick fell to his feet 16 yards out.
Weatherson doubled his tally three minutes later when he arrowed a 25-yard shot into the bottom corner.
The underdogs continued to look dangerous and Dumfries-born substitute Iain Russell took the ball round Caig but was booked for diving by Kenny Clark after going down under the keeper's challenge.
Millar notched the third in the 79th minute when he slotted the ball into the corner after running on to Russell's lay-off.
Jim McAlister almost added insult to injury with an excellent run and shot that was parried wide by Caig in the final minute.
Shellshocked Gretna manager Davie Irons was almost lost for words after the late collapse. "I am very, very disappointed," he said. We didn't get going in the first half – and the second half we never even got started.
"It was shoddy defending – we didn't press the ball and allowed people to get strikes on goal.
"We didn't have the desire Morton showed. I hope the players are hurting – I'm sure they are hurting."
Gretna: Caig, Hall, Collin, Innes, Naughton, Jenkins, Murray (McGill 74), Skelton, Buscher, Deuchar, Makinwa (Deverdics 56). Subs not used: Fleming, Canning, Kissock. Booked: Buscher.
Morton: McGurn, Millar, Greacen, Harding, Smith (MacGregor 89), Finlayson, McLaughlin, McGuffie, McAlistair, Weatherson (Stevenson 85), Graham (Russell 58). Subs not used: Robinson, McGeogh. Booked: Russell.
LOAN DEALGRETNA have signed Hull City midfielder Ben Wilkinson on loan until the end of the season.
The 20-year-old is the son of former Leeds United manager Howard Wilkinson and recently had a trial with Blue Square Premier side York City. Wilkinson's contract with Hull is due to expire in the summer.
The full article contains 681 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
