Dundee United maintained their lead at the top of the Championship table with this comfortable win over Morton at Cappielow.
Billy King was the Tangerines’ two-goal hero, scoring an early Christmas cracker and then putting the icing on the cake with a stoppage-time second.
Dundee United boss Csaba Laszlo made two changes from the side that beat Dunfermline last week with Tam Scobbie returning from suspension at the expense of Paul Quinn while Paul McMullan came in for Willo Flood after the Irishman dislocated his shoulder against the Pars.
There was a place in the Morton line-up for former Dundee midfielder Gary Harkins.
United started brightly and had their first opportunity in just the fifth minute when Fraser Fyvie burst into the home box but he dragged his shot wide.
Scott McDonald was next to try his luck but his attempt flew straight into the arms of home keeper Derek Gaston.
Fyvie then gave the ball away with Morton’s Robert Thomson playing in Gary Oliver but he sent his low, angled shot just wide of United goalie Harry Lewis’s right-hand post.
After the promising opening, both sides then struggled to fashion clear-cut opportunities with neither team being able to build up a head of steam.
However, the Tangerines did manage to finish the half with a flourish with Fyvie testing Gaston with a shot from the edge of the home box.
The impressive Scott Fraser then teed up McDonald but the Morton keeper again came to his side’s rescue, blocking the Australian striker’s close-range shot to ensure the teams headed down the tunnel with the game still scoreless.
Just two minutes after the restart, Morton came close to breaking that deadlock. Ross Forbes whipped in a delightful cross from the right with Thomson’s goalbound header superbly saved by Lewis.
United then felt they had a strong case for a penalty when Fraser went down in the Morton box under a defender’s challenge but referee Gavin Duncan was not convinced.
However, that was quickly forgotten in the 61st minute when King opened the scoring. After some neat, patient interplay, the United man took his time just inside the Morton box, teeing himself up to arrow a sensational left-foot shot past the helpless Gaston.
Shortly after though, United hearts were in their mouths when Jai Quitongo latched on to a slack back-pass from Jamie Robson but as Lewis raced out, the Morton player’s composure deserted him, with his heavy touch sending the ball wide of goal.
The Tangerines had a great double opportunity to put the game to bed in the 89th minute. McDonald’s initial shot was blocked with McMullan looking certain to score from the rebound but Gaston pulled off a vital block with his foot.
However, in the 94th minute, United did finally make it two. Harkins was dispossessed by sub Patrick N’Koyi with Fyvie then squaring the ball to King to calmly slot low past Gaston to send the 435 Tangerines fans home happy.
For full report, reaction and analysis, see Monday’s Courier.
