A disastrous two minute spell in the first half cost Alloa Athletic dear as Greenock Morton romped to a 4-1 victory at Cappielow Park in their SPFL Championship clash. 

The visitors started the game the brighter and created the first few opportunities of the match. 

A determined burst forward from Steven Hetherington earned his side a free kick inside the opening minute and he dusted himself down to take it. The delivery into box was laid off by skipper Dougie Hill into path of Mitch Megginson, but his looping effort landed on the roof of the net. 

Michael Duffy then did well to flick on a long ball by Scott Gallacher, but Luca Gasparotto did well to clear with Iain Flannigan waiting to pounce. 

Morton threatened themselves soon after and Denny Johnstone had consecutive efforts on goal from corner kicks, but both times the striker was off target. 

Alloa should’ve went ahead on nine minutes when great work from Megginson to get past two players saw the ball deflect back to him off his own cross, but his shot on goal from inside the box went agonisingly wide for the Wasps. 

Morton fired a warning shot in on the visitor’s goal when Michael Miller’s over lapping run picked out Thomas O’Ware for the shot, but the effort whizzed just past the post. 

It was only a momentary reprieve for Alloa as the home side soon broke the deadlock. 

Superb skill from Stefan McCluskey on the right created room for him to put in a tremendous cross between keeper and defence allowing Johnstone to flick over Gallacher and Declan McManus forced the spinning ball home on the line to make it 1-0. 

Just 60 seconds later, things went from bad to worse for the Championship strugglers as Morton doubled their advantage. 

Ross Forbes wriggled his way into the box from short corner to shoot, and his effort deflected up and over Gallacher off Jason Marr to loop into the net for 2-0. 

Forbes could have doubled his tally for the day on 28 minutes as Morton tried to kill off the game. A well worked corner set the former Motherwell man up for the shot, but this time his effort came crashing back out off the post. 

Alloa to their credit refused to give in and found a way to reduce the deficit before half time. Flannigan’s looping cross was too long and had to be recovered by Kyle McAusland, who then set himself before curling the ball into the far top corner to make it 2-1. 

Jack Ross’ side had the impetus after the restart and good play from Megginson out on left wing earned them a dangerous free kick. Flannigan took and almost caught out the keeper with a shot to the near post, but Gaston gathered after initial fumble.

McAusland then went close to adding to his tally for the day as he tried his luck from long range, but the 25-yarder was over the crossbar. 

The key moment of the match came on 58 minutes as Megginson burst forward to unleash a ferocious low drive at goal, but Gaston in the Morton goal made a stunning one-handed save to tip onto the post. Duffy tried to prod the rebound home but somehow Gasparotto got the ball off the line to sum up Alloa’s afternoon. 

The introduction of Isaac Layne gave the visitors fresh impetus and his arrival almost had an immediate impact. Marr found him with a long diagonal and the striker did well to hold the ball up to tee up Duffy for the shot, but his effort was off target. 

The Wasps had a decent penalty shout when Duffy got upended in the box after running between two defenders, but the referee waved play on. 

Morton responded to the pressure and should have killed the game off on 71 minutes when Forbes sent Johnstone racing in on goal, but his effort was tame and easily gathered by Gallacher. 

Moments later, Alloa when agonisingly close to an equaliser again as the ball bounced perfectly for Layne to unleash a ferocious drive in on goal, but the ball was deflected inches past the post off a defender’s toe. 

Morton did kill off the game on 77 minutes as they caught Alloa on the break in midfield, Johnstone combined well with McManus and the latter spun his marker to smash beyond Gallacher for 3-1. 

Jim Duffy’s men then added a fourth goal on 81 minutes through the industrious Johnstone. 

The on-loan striker was sent racing down the right wing, he burst past Hetherington into the box and then smashed low past Gallacher to seal a 4-1 win. 

Only a brilliant save from Gallacher denied Morton a late fifth goal as he blocked McManus’ goal bound effort, and the young hitman then missed an open goal minutes later, but the damage was already done and the Wasps left Cappielow Park empty handed and still ten points adrift. 

 

Alloa Athletic: Gallacher, Finnie, Hamilton (Layne 59), Hill, Marr, Flannigan, McAusland, McManus (R.Crawford 67), Hetherington, Megginson, Duffy. Subs not used: D.Crawford, Reintam, Caddis, Hoggan, Hynd. 

 

Advertiser sport man of the match: Iain Flannigan