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Morton Thistle v Ship Inn

1.30pm  13 July 2014

Stewartry Sunday Amateur League, William Telfer Memorial Cup Semi Final
Morton Thistle 4 Ship Inn 3 (att 24)

Best game of my season so far, although it is of course very early days. The crucial action was in stoppage time, when Morton Thistle recovered from conceding a last minute penalty to score twice to book their place in the cup final.

I'd expected them to win this tie comfortably, but although they looked the better footballing side they struggled to create chances. Ship Inn had the benefit of a strong wind behind them in the first half, and took an early lead.

Morton were soon level, but it proved just a temporary setback to Ship who were back in front by half time.

With the stiff breeze now favouring the home side it took just two minutes of the second half before Morton Thistle made is 2-2. Again they looked capable of scoring more to make the game safe, but failed to do so.

Extra time looked a certainty (or maybe penalties, I wasn't to find out what the rules of this cup demand after a drawn 90 minutes) when a clumsy challenge in box presented Ship with a 90th minute spot kick, which they scored from.

Morton are on a long unbeaten run though, and they weren't going to let it slip. In a generously-long period of stoppage time - about 10 minutes by my watch - they first equalised, and then found a winner.

Morton Thistle spent 2013/14 in the Dumfries and District Amateur League, but with the league folding at the end of the season they jumped straight into the local summer league. I think they may even have played in both leagues at the same time for a short while.

I believe they played elsewhere in the Amateur League, but for summer league games they use one of the three pitches at Jock's Loaning, a playing field, with an on-site changing room block, on the northern edge of Dumfries.







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