Morton 1
Dundee Utd 0
League (Premier Division)
Morton |
1 - 0 |
Dundee Utd |
 |
League (Premier Division) |
 |
| Goalscorers | |
| Ian Cochrane (81) | None. |
| Team Managers | |
| Benny Rooney |
Jim McLean |
| Starting Eleven | |
|
Roy Baines Davie Hayes Jim Holmes James Rooney Joe McLaughlin Neil Orr Robert Houston Drew Busby Bobby Thomson Roddy Hutchison Daniel Docherty |
Hamish McAlpine Dave Narey Iain Phillip John Holt Derek Stark Paul Hegarty Frank Kopel Eamonn Bannon Davie Dodds Paul Sturrock Willie Pettigrew |
| Bench | |
|
Ian Cochrane John Marr |
Billy Kirkwood Ralph Milne |
| Substitutions | |
| Ian Cochrane for ? |
Billy Kirkwood for Derek Stark Ralph Milne for Willie Pettigrew |
| Cautions | |
| None. | None. |
| Red Cards | |
| None. | None. |
| Match Officials | |
|
Thomas Muirhead (Stenhousemuir) (Referee) |
Match Report
United returned to Premier League duty with a trip to Greenock, with Frank Kopel replacing Billy Kirkwood the only change to the starting eleven from the midweek win over Hamilton.
Morton made an impressive start, creating chances for Thomson and Hutchison, but at the other end Davie Dodds had a snap shot deflected past the post. Willie Pettigrew then saw a header from a Paul Sturrock cross dip just over the bar. Morton had a great chance when a Hutchison run down the left led to McAlpine fumbling his cross, and Drew Busby's effort was booted clear. Just before half-time, Davie Dodds somehow managed to scoop the ball over the bar from eight yards out.
As the second half went on, United faded as Benny Rooney's Morton side took control though determination and hard work, and with nine minutes left, former United man Ian Cochrane thundered home to give Morton the win and United their first defeat of the season.
Squad Statistics (as at September 5th, 1981)
| 1981-82 | All Time | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Nat |  |
 |
|
|
|
| Hamish McAlpine (GK) | 33 |
|
9 | - | 476 | 3 |
| Dave Narey | 25 |
|
9 | - | 347 | 22 |
| John Holt | 24 |
|
9 | 3 | 154 | 14 |
| Frank Kopel | 32 |
|
7 | - | 397 | 13 |
| Paul Hegarty | 27 |
|
5 | - | 298 | 49 |
| Derek Stark | 22 |
|
8 | - | 128 | 3 |
| Iain Phillip | 30 |
|
7 | - | 105 | 1 |
| Eamonn Bannon | 23 |
|
9 | 6 | 95 | 23 |
| Willie Pettigrew | 27 |
|
8 | 4 | 90 | 36 |
| Davie Dodds | 22 |
|
7 | 2 | 125 | 47 |
| Paul Sturrock | 24 |
|
9 | 4 | 285 | 82 |
| Billy Kirkwood (sub) | 23 |
|
5 | - | 175 | 40 |
| Ralph Milne (sub) | 20 |
|
6 | - | 60 | 13 |
League Table (as at September 5th, 1981)
| Pld | W | D | L | +/- | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Celtic | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +5 | 4 |
| 2. | St Mirren | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 4 |
| 3. | Hibernian | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 4. | Rangers | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 5. | DUNDEE UTD | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +2 | 2 |
| 6. | Dundee | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 7. | Morton | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 2 |
| 8. | Partick Th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -3 | 0 |
| 9. | Airdrie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -4 | 0 |
| 10. | Aberdeen | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -5 | 0 |
| League results since United's last match |
|---|
| 5th September 1981 |
|---|
| Aberdeen | 1-3 | Celtic |
| Airdrie | 3-4 | St Mirren |
| Dundee | 4-2 | Partick Th |
| Morton | 1-0 | Dundee Utd |
| Rangers | 2-2 | Hibernian |