Airdrie started out slowly, but still looking the more composed. As is becoming very obvious, we have a good defence and a good forward line but in between is leaving a lot to be desired. Jerome in particular was causing problems with his ability to hold the ball up down the right but Roberts and McKeown were having a tougher time through the middle. At the back McManus was looking to be in good form. The weather seemed to be dictating a slower type of build up than this fixture would provide later in the season. Airdrie took the lead early on when the human tank, Stevie McKeown, dispossessed Morton's record breaking skipper, Derek Collins, at the edge of his own 6 yard box and he held off the defender to force home his third goal in a week.

A comment was passed about how old and fat the linesman looked. The irony of that comment later.... The pattern of play changed after that with Morton, Walker in particular, playing a game of running furiously at the Airdrie defence. My gripe time coming up. Yet again the Airdrie midfield didn't provide good enough protection for the defence. Time and again we had to rely on the dominance of the back three, all majestic, to save our hides. The half ended without any major chances either way.

Second half was ten minutes old when John Maisano, the attacking midfieder, latched onto a cutback to blast home from just outside the box. I hate blaming individuals but Marv was just too slow to get onto him. Sorry.

Then the game took a turn for the worse. Despite losing Doc with an injury (hence the reason Partick fans called him 'Doc the crock'?) and being replaced by Ronaldohno, Airdrie were beginning to get a grip on the game and were spending a bit more time down the Morton end, but, the game swung on an unforced injury. The REF pulled a bloody hamstring!!!! Now comes the ridiculous bit and the names haven't been changed to protect the guilty. As the madness in the middle of the park was unfurling, Morton manager strolled (about the same 'pace' he tried to defend with us in 1987) over to the tip, I mean Cowshed, and seemed to beckon, with a huge smile on his miserable face, an old friend. From the melee of Morton tops stode forward what would turn out to be our new linesman. The kid in the sweetshop, who'd presumably just been taunting us about being Clydebank in disguise, Nazi scum, you're no singin' any more, who are ya', etc., was now on the pitch, shaking hands with his heroes and waving like a shady politician to his adoring public.

Worse still, when the match finally restarted, we couldn't really blame him for the end result. The fat, aging, linesman was now in control of the whistle. His first job was to award a very soft freekick on the 18 yard line against Ronald. Williams blasted the ball through our gaping wall and the deflection beat McGeown all ends up. Ten minutes later it was the softest of soft penalites (second only to S**e in 1991) when Greacan was 'fouled' despite getting his header in and being halfway back up the park again. 3-1 down and playing for time. There was still time for Dunn to get his customary booking, joining McManus, and Marvyn 'more cards than Woolies' Wilson.

A strange day at the office, backed up by the Chairman on the radio, though he was to restrained to blame anyone. I'm concerened about our midfield. I know that the season is only two games old but this won't do at any level. It's really bad when I admired the job one of our rejects, Scott Bannerman, was doing holding down the Morton midfield. Marv and Doc both want to be Roy Keane type of midfielders doing every thing but in essence failing miserably. Neither is protecting our defence, neither is supplying the attack, Doc is constantly getting injured, Marv booked. Both wing backs are looking poor to say the least. Willie Wilson tries but lacks, Dunn looks to have ability but looks to be trying less than Wilson. I'm not panicking and I have faith in the manager, that is well documented. But I do think he'll need to reorganise in there. If he's to continue with Doc and Marv in midfield I'd like to see them deployed a lot deeper, just in front of the defence (essentially just as dour and efficient as Lambert and Lennon do for C*lt*c) providing cover for the defence. None of this kamikaze bombing forward aimlessly like we've been seeing. Gow, Roberts, McKeown and Vareille know the score so leave it to them. With three defenders and those two playing so deep our wingbacks could be pushed a lot further up the field to supply the forwards better. There didn't seem to be one decent clear cut chance created for our strikers today. Morton can count that as a gift. Now for the serious business....