Saints ease past Morton in cup clash

Aug 27 2010 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

St Johnstone 2 Morton 0

ALLAN Moore felt right at home in the Press room deep in the bowels at McDiarmid Park, having plied his trade there successfully in the Totten era.

He was swapping banter with the staff and retired pro Derek Lilley, who is now a regular at the stadium in a media role.

The recently appointed Morton manager still has the look of a jockey, albeit one that might now prompt a stewards inquiry if he tipped the scales after a race.

But even the ever-exuberant Moorie, an enduring favourite with Perth fans who savoured his cavalier wing play, was unable to whip his team into shape to pose real problems to a St Johnstone side which has enjoyed four lucrative cup runs in as many years.

This was their first jump and it wasn’t exactly Becher’s Brook. There will be bigger hurdles to come if Saints are to realise the ambitions of manager Derek McInnes and chairman Geoff Brown by enjoying a day in the sun at Hampden with elusive silverware just 90 minutes from their grasp.

Saints were leading by a head, courtesy of debutant Scott Dobie’s first-half opener, going into the final stretch. Then Murray Davidson pounced to ensure the home side could canter home, safe in the knowledge that their passage to the next round had been assured.

With injuries already biting into his squad, McInnes drafted in keeper Graeme Smith, gave Collin Samuel a chance to stretch his legs before Ibrox, and trusted to summer signing Dobie to make an impression after overcoming niggling injuries.

The former West Brom and Carlisle centre was capped during the Bertie Vogts era, when, allegedly, quaffing Irn Bru put you in the frame for international honours, but he wasted no time in making his mark.

Saints started at a gallop and Dobie was only denied by a lunging block by former Perth defender Stuart McCaffrey as he burst into the 18-yard box.

But he found the net in the 22nd minute, rising under little or no pressure to nod home a close range header after Samuel had wormed his way in behind the full-back on the left flank to deliver a teasing cross.

Then, with half-time looming, he flicked on for Sam Parkin but the striker’s diving header edged past the target.

Samuel might have warranted a penalty soon after a Shepherd challenge bowled him over but referee Allan wasn’t buying it.

Another neat Dobie touch should have presented Cleveland Taylor with a goal but the winger’s low strike was well blocked by ex-Perth keeper Kevin Cuthbert.

Saints wobbled a bit as Weatherson glanced a header past the target and Smith had to brilliantly paw out a threatening McCaffrey back post header and make it a double stop to prevent the lead evaporating.

So there was a sense of relief around a sparsely populated stadium when sub Marcus Haber bustled past his marker on the right and Taylor’s shot was deflected into the path of Davidson, who toasted another U21 call-up with a steered right foot finish from close range.

ST JOHNSTONE: Smith, Maybury, Grainger, Rutkiewicz, Duberry, Millar, Davidson, Taylor, Parkin (Haber 68), Dobie (Jackson 81) and Samuel (Caddis 68). Subs not used: Anderson and Duffy.

MORTON: Cuthbert, Evans, Shepherd, Grecean, McCaffrey, Tidser, Kane (Graham 78), Jenkins, Kean, Holmes (Weatherson 50) and Monti. Subs not used: Kelbie, Smyth and Stewart.

Referee: Crawford Allan.