Inverness CT2–0Morton

Up to Seventh


Bottom club Morton came North looking to get some points on the board with Inverness also hoping to climb higher up the table. Layton Stewart started after his debut goal last week but Liam Sole was out injured and Noa Boutin was on the bench along with Bavidge. Ian Murray has recalled some loan players ahead of this one, Dean Black, Joey O'Toole and Louie Murphy went North with the squad. O'Halloran and Sandilands would be the main threats.

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Here's how it went on a fine Friday night in the Highland Capital. We started the game at a high tempo playing like Real Madrid but before the interval we were playing more like Rothes. Some slick play early on saw us create a plethora of good chances with Morton keeper Kinnear making three or four great saves and blocks but there was nothing he could do as Paul Allan drilled a low strike from outside the box into the bottom right of the keeper. Sweet strike and here we go. Alas the next near thing came at the other end when Brophy's shot was clawed away by Ross Munro as it headed towards his bottom corner from distance. Our second half was mediocre as Morton saw a bit more of the ball until a great cut-back from Layton Stewart saw Alfie Bavidge react quickest to slot home from six yards. Incisive play in a dull period of the game. We ended the game missing a late handful of efforts with headers from Danny Devine and Remi Savage that should at least have made the keeper work but didn't. At the end of the day a comfortable win against a struggling bottom of the table Morton.

Only downside was a lack of goals when well on top and a nasty injury to Ryan Duncan who had to hobble off gingerly

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There were early opportunities for the opening goal in the first few minutes. Longstaff was first to have a pop as he picked up a ball on the left side of the box but Brian Kinnear in goal was able to parry the shot away to safety acrobatically. Ryan Duncan got on the end of a deep cross to power a header goalwards at point-blank range but Kinnear instinctively threw an outstretched arm at the ball to deny Duncan with an incredible save. This move came after Calum MacLeod broke down play in midfield and fed the ball out wide to Longstaff via Duncan and Paul Allan which saw the winger sling an inviting ball towards the far post where Duncan met it perfectly. After quarter of an hour Kinnear was able to drop flop and stop an effort from Layton Stewart after the striker turned well into the box. On a rare break forward after an Inverness attack broke down, Eamonn Brophy brought out a good scrambled save from Ross Munro at full stretch to deny Brophy from thirty-yards with a low snapshot. A minute later Layton Stewart fired one across the keeper from the right side of the box but it went just wide of the far post. The next attack saw Paul Allan ask for a lay off just outside the box and he stepped onto Alfie Stewart's short ball to fire into the bottom corner. In as soon as it left his foot from twenty-five yards. Morton finished the half better than they started it as we went into pedantic mode and Calvin Okike shot wide from distance before the break.

HALF TIME: 1-0

A clumsy challenge by Laiith saw him booked and Ryan Duncan badly injured to be replaced by Alfie Bavidge soon after the restart. Maybe fortunate for the Morton man that he never saw red. There followed a period where very little of note happened before we were rudely awakened by a goal. It came for the hosts when Alfie Stewart fed a free kick down the channel to Layton Stewart who neatly rolled his marker before making for the line and cutting the ball back towards the six yard box where Bavidge quickly latched onto the ball to finish with aplomb from six yards. A minute later Michael Garrity almost caught Ross Munro out as he flighted a ball under the crossbar that had the keeper back-pedalling before being able to control the ball at the second attempt. We then went into another lull before a final flurry which saw Bavidge get blocked almost on the goal line and Danny Devine and Remi Savage both miss unchallenged headers as the game inched towards full time.

FULL TIME: 2-0