Greenock Morton 0 - 1 Dunfermline Athletic

The Pars were hardly in generous festive mode as they effectively stole the three points from Greenock today, it couldn`t have been worse had Santa taken the kids toys back on Boxing Day! A narrow 1-0 win would at least bring some Christmas cheer to the Pars supporters.

Bobby Ryan. Greenock Morton v Pars 26th December 2007.

This will not go down as a classic performance by the Pars with the second half played in their own half as Morton missed several good chances to equalise. But for the Pars winning the three points was the most important thing.

Jim McIntyre sent out the same team that started last Saturday against QOS. Paul Gallacher in goals with Woods, Harris,Thomson and Murphy the back four. The midfield was Ryan, Simmons, Glass and McGlinchey. Burchill and Hamilton up front.

The Pars started the game in good fashion despite the gloomy overhead conditions and a blustery wind. Getting the ball down and passing was the ideal way to play in these conditions and there was an apparent hunger about the players as they chased the ball. It was, however, Russell for Morton that hit the first shot in 5 minutes that flew over the bar. The home side also won the first corner in 6 minutes but not troubling the Pars defence.

Woods put a great ball through to Burchill in 9 minutes and for some reason the striker seemed to dummy the ball to decieve the keeper but only lost possession.

Morton`s McAlister hit over the bar in 12 minutes after some inept defending by about four Pars players as they all failed to get a boot on the ball and clear.

The Pars took the lead in 15 minutes as Burchill was upended in the box with Stephen Glass hitting low to the keepers left and just finding the back of the net. 0-1.

There was a slight heart stopping moment in 19 minutes as Gallacher fumbled a shot and almost lost hold of it as a Morton forward closed in but the keeper managed to grab hold again.

Mark Burchill was looking good and had a great chance to make it 2-0 in 21 minutes when he was through but his powerful shot was well saved.

Glass made a good defensive block in 23 minutes as he got in the way of a shot.

In 38 minutes the Ton had a free kick from about 25 yards out and the shot deflected off the wall going out for a corner. A header from the corner went wide and that should have been a further warning for the Pars not to sit back.

The home side came even closer in 40 minutes as they hit the Pars cross bar. Stephen Glass picked up a yellow card for a foul on 45 minutes. Half time 0-1.

Burchill almost cut his way through the Morton defence right from the restart but his cut back was behind Glass. Stephen Simmons hit a good shot that just went over in 47 minutes as the Pars looked to have started brightly again this half. Yet it was the home side that again hit the bar in 48 minutes

McGlinchey should have scored in 50 minutes from a cross from the left that went out for a corner although the referee somehow saw it as a goal kick. Gallacher made a good save turning a shot over the bar for a corner in 56 minutes.

Harris blocked another shot in 57 minutes with some weak shouts from the home players for a penalty. From the next Morton corner they had a free header that was wasted as it went over. By this stage of the game the Pars could barely string two passes together and were constantly giving the ball back to Morton.