Archives | Morton 2 Dunfermline 0
For the last league game of the 2024-2025 season Neil Lennon made three changes bringing in Joe Chalmers, Tashan Oakley-Boothe and Victor Wanyama for his first Dunfermline start. On to the bench went Tommy Fogarty and Matty Todd with Craig Clay not in the squad.
Dougie Imrie`s Morton starting eleven showed one change, former Pars loanee Owen Moffat starting in lieu of Tomi Adeloye. The Greenock club on 45 points already knew that they would finish sixth but Dunfermline in seventh, ten points behind could yet be overtaken by Queen`s Park should they better the Pars result.
Oakley-Boothe got the match underway with the Fifers attacking the goal at the Sinclair Street (home) end. It took just two minutes 45 seconds for the home side to open the scoring. Morton won possession just inside their own half, Michael Garrity made ground down the left channel and picked out an unmarked MOFFAT who slotted the ball into the bottom left. 1-0
Just three minutes on the home side were awarded a penalty that absolutely no one appealed for. Referee Alastair Grieve deemed the challenge on Moffat was illegal and pointed to the spot. Chalmers got yellow carded for his protests but when the Morton skipper Grant GILLESPIE he made no mistake sending Oluwayemi the wrong way, it was 2-0.
The game continue to go Morton`s way as a Chris Kane shot was kept out by Cooper and then in 14 minutes a Cooper corner from the left was met by Kyle Benedictus at the far post. His claims that he headed over the line were dismissed, then when Kane was knocked over in the opposition box there was a good case for a penalty award but the referee indicated goal kick.
Wanyama earned a yellow card for his tackle on Cameron Blues, handing the hosts a 28th minute free kick on the right edge of the penalty box. When the ball was crossed there was pinball in front of goal before Oluwayemi clutched the ball. Cooper fired another Pars corner over from the left in 35 minutes that Wanyama back-heeled only to unluckily send the ball wide left. Benedictus` clearance on an Arron Lyall shot went for a corner on the left but Morgan Boyes was blown up for his challenge on the cross.
The Fifers best chance of the half came in 43rd minute. Oakley-Boothe`s pass for Kane Ritchie-Hosler to run on too was switched in the centre of the Morton box, Otoo opted to slip the ball left to Ngwenya but he scuffed his shot and the chance was gone. It had not been the Pars finest 45 minutes and it could surely only get better in the second half.
Half Time: Morton 2 Dunfermline 0
There were no personnel changes when the second half started. In 52 minutes Wanyama showed his class with a great pass to play Ngwenya deep into the Morton box unfortunately his cross could not be finished. Six minutes later Chalmers` tackle on Crawford led to a free kick that Shaw launched into the Pars defensive wall. Lyall rocketed the clearance back on target from 25 yards out and Oluwayemi pulled off a fine save, parrying the ball away for a corner.
First substitutions came in 59 minutes with Andrew Tod replacing Kieran Ngwenya and former Par Iain Wilson coming on for Nathan Shaw. It was Tod who forced the 66th minute set-play on the right touchline but Otoo`s cross was all too easily defended. The young yet highly rated, Morton keeper had barely been tested but he pulled off a very good save to deny Cooper from a Ritchie-Hosler pass. Next Cooper put through Tod and he unselfishly laid the ball off for Otoo to his left but his attempt remarkably went wide left.
Neil Lennon made a triple substitution with quarter of an hour remaining. Matty Todd, Ephraim Yeboah and Deniz Mehmet introduced for Josh Cooper, Chris Kane and Tobi Oluwayemi. Mehmet and Otoo combined to keep out Tomi Adeloye before Tod had a shot saved in 83 minutes and the post kept out a defenders touch, both times after deliveries from Todd. The Pars substitutes had brought a welcome injection of energy but the persistent problem in finding the net continued until the very end.
Dunfermline finished the season seventh since Queen`s Park lost 5-1 to Raith Rovers. Elsewhere Falkirk secured the William Hill Championship title with a win over already relegated Hamilton Academical.
MORTON: Sam Murdoch: Grant Gillespie (c), Morgan Boyes (Dylan Corr 72), Jack Baird, Zak Delaney: Nathan Shaw (Iain Wilson 58), Arron Lyall (Cammy Keay 72) Ali Crawford, Cameron Blues, Michael Garrity (Tomi Adeloye 72) Owen Moffat (Jordan Davies 20).
SUBS NOT USED: Lamar Reynolds, Robbie McKellar (GK)
SCORERS: Moffat (3), Gillespie (7 pen.)
YELLOW CARDS: Boyes (67), Gillespie (81)
DUNFERMLINE: Tobi Oluwayemi (Deniz Mehmet 75): Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Kyle Benedictus (c), Ewan Otoo: Kane Ritchie-Hosler (Owen Hampson 85), Victor Wanyama, Joe Chalmers, Tashan Oakley-Boothe, Kieran Ngwenya (Andrew Tod 58): Josh Cooper (Matty Todd 75), Chris Kane (Ephraim Yeboah 75).
SUBS NOT USED: Chris Hamilton, David Wotherspoon, Andre Raymond, Tommy Fogarty
YELLOW CARDS: Chalmers (6), Chilokoa-Mullen (10), Wanyama (28)
REFEREE: Alastair Grieve
ATTENDANCE: 2849 inc 529 Pars fans
WEATHER: Fine 11°C
NEXT MATCH: Season 2025-2026
Highlights - Morton 2 Dunfermline 0
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