It appears that no one can be bothered making a post match thread(one will probably be there by the time I finish this post) so we may as well have the post match talk here too.
Those Morton fans who weren't at the game; guess which Morton player played a big part in their goal?
That said, it was McManus' best game yet for us, not that that's an acheivement.
I thought a draw would have been a fair result based on the play today, although it was clear we were beaten after Livi took the lead, and if one team did deserve a win it was them. We could have still taken a point if wasn't for that bellend of a linesman though. More on him later.
The first half was a fairly dull affair. Livingston had more possession but rarely reached the final third. We got to the final third moe often, but never created a real chance. The only events of the first half were Finlayson's tussle with a Livingston player, and Brian Winter's utter ineptitude. Looked like Finlayson should have been sent off from where I was but it was hard to make out what was going on, the highlights should show what went on there. I just saw Finlayson and a Livi player squaring up, then Finlayson stumbled backwards, then the Livi player was on the ground. Booking for both players in the typical referees reaction to such an incident.
Winter was frustratingly inconsistent throughout the half, penalising both teams for absolutely f**k all at times. There was one occasion when Livingston got a freekick(correct on that occasion IMO) for McManus climbing. When we got the ball clear less than a minute later, McPake climbed in exactly the same way as McManus did. No freekick. One of many perplexing decisions. In the second half there was a blatant obstruction by Innes yet Livi got the freekick, then 30 seconds later there was a blatant obstruction by Finlayson yet Morton got the freekick. Truly bizarre.
Anyway, the second half saw the introduction of Griffiths, and he started to carve out openings for Livingston. He's a damn good player. Morton also had a few chances of their own as the game went on, with Finlayson fluffing a shot in space in the box and Grady putting it wide when the ball fell to him most notably.
It was a good game with end to end stuff after a poor first half. We had a stonewall penalty turned down when Jenkins burst through the middle and Innes tripped him. A definite foul, the only way it wasn't a penalty was if it was outside the box which a few around me thought it was, but it looked inside to me. No freekick says our esteemed referee.
Livingston had stretched our defence a fair few times, taking advantage of us having two naturally central players at full back. Cuthbert pulled off save after save, but it was a centre back who ballsed up when the goal came. McManus had the chance to header it clear, but nodded it to Griffiths IIRC(sound familiar?) who knocked it to Elliot and he hit a great strike into the far corner of the net from 20 yards.
Questions have to be asked of Irons for not making subs before this; it was clear that Jenkins wasn't keeping up with the pace of the game and needed to come off, but he stayed on and their midfield kept finding space. McAlister was having a terrible game and Finlayson wasn't up to much, but they were still on, and we stopped creating from out wide. Weatherson just looked knackered and needed off, but he stayed on. we let Livingston take a hold of the game because we didn't change things when that started happen, and it cost us.
Howevere, now we come to that wee scrote of a linesman. Now Brian Winter was incompetent. I can handle that. It's bloody annoying and ruins the game, but it evens itself out pretty much. This linesman however, wasn't just incompetent. He was either blind, biased or just doesn't know the rules of football. I'm going to guess at doesn't know the rules, unless Livi's new owners have brought over that Italian way of buying the referees, which let's face it, they haven't.
This incident was irrelevant in terms of impact on the result, but highlights this wankstain's fuckwittery, and also how Chris Innes is a cheat and a pathetic excuse of a professional. Iain Russell had came on as a sub(too late), and was chasing every ball. He'd closed down Innes who had nowhere to go, slid in and took the ball without touchinghim, and it went out for a Livingston throw. Innes stands still for a whole second, then yelps and flings himself in the air like a fucking Aiden McGeady impersonator. The linesman was two yards away and had a clear view of it, as did those in the stand behind him. Does he call the ref over and tell him Innes blatantly dived and should be booked? No, he indicates for a Livingston freekick and gets Russell booked.
Nothing on his next display of uselessness. Russell skins Talbot, cuts into the box, knocks it past McPake and is about to cut it back to where Weatherson and Wake are standing for a great chance for an equaliser. Innes slides in and takes him out, no intention of taking the ball. As stonewall a penalty as you'll ever see. Now, you can forgive Winter missing this, as he's quite a distance away and could well have players blocking his view. The linesman however had no players blocking his view, and he was looking right at it, 10 yards away. All the Morton players and Livingston players look to him, and what does he do? Gives a fucking goal kick. The Morton players naturally go over to him to protest, and then Talbot had the cheek to go and say Russell should be booked for diving. Then McPake charges over, when he should have just been grateful his team hadn't lost two points due to his teammates stupidity, and screams at the Grady and Russell "Get to f**k, get to f**k, get to f**k!" p***k.
I thought a draw would have been a fair result, but if one team edged it was Livingston. That said, we could have taken something if Irons would ever make substitutions when we're not losing and if the linesman knew what a foul is. But at the end of the day, we lost and there's nothing we can do.
I just hope to god Shimmin's back next week.
I had too much too drink last night to attempt getting rid off the bags under my eyes, to attempt the weans gate today.
