Match ends, Dundee United 1, Morton 1.
Dundee UtdDundee United1MortonGreenock Morton1
Dundee United and Morton took a point apiece at Tannadice to stay in second and fourth places respectively in the Scottish Championship.
Both goals came from corners, as Lee Kilday earned Morton a first-half lead.
Fellow defender Mark Durnan equalised for United with seven minutes left, when an attempted clearance ricocheted off him into the net.
The point keeps Morton level on points with third-placed Falkirk, having played a game fewer.
United cut the gap on league leaders Hibernian to six points, with the Easter Road side hosting Dunfermline later on Saturday.
A game that had promised much started slowly, with only a Ross Forbes free-kick from 20 yards troubling the returning Cammy Bell in the United goal, while Thomas Mikkelsen and Tony Andreu might have done better with half-chances at the other end.
However, all that changed six minutes from the break when Forbes' deep corner found Kilday at the back post and the Morton captain headed home his fourth goal of the season.
United boss Ray McKinnon asked for more from his team at the interval and in the early stages both Scott Fraser and substitute Simon Murray spurned opportunities, before Forbes did well with a run and shot which Bell got down to save.
Durnan was pushed forward to support Murray up-front in search of a leveller, and the move bore fruit after 83 minutes when he scored a goal he knew little about.
Fraser's corner flew deep into the box and the defender managed to divert the ball past Derek Gaston as the Morton defence tried to clear.
Dundee United manager Ray McKinnon: "Real mixed emotions today. It wasn't pretty in the first half, but we had a chat at half-time about what we needed to do and to be fair, we emerged at least a draw after that.
"It is a competitive league, they came here and set there stall out for a draw, but credit to the players, they kept at it and created chances.
"We will push Hibs right to the end of the season, you saw that today we were pushing to get more than a point and we deserved at least that today."
Morton manager Jim Duffy: "We were excellent in the first half and in fact, until there was about 10 or 15 minutes to go, United had not really pushed us too much.
"Our central defence were excellent and we scored a good goal from the corner.
"There is nothing really between the sides at the top of the table and this was another big example of that. However, nothing is won or gained until the last quarter of the season, so there is still a lot to play for.
"We probably need another three or four wins to cement a place in the play-offs, but if we continue like that we will be there or thereabouts."
Line-ups
Dundee Utd
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Bell
- 20van der Struijk
- 4Durnan
- 14Edjenguele
- 3Dixon
- 16Flood
- 12Telfer
- 10Fraser
- 19Andreu
- 23van der VeldenSubstituted forMurrayat 62'minutes
- 18MikkelsenSubstituted forCooteat 68'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Dillon
- 8Murdoch
- 9Murray
- 11Nicholls
- 21Zwick
- 22Coote
- 24Robson
Morton
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Gaston
- 18McDonagh
- 2Kilday
- 4O'Ware
- 3Lamie
- 8ForbesBooked at 90mins
- 21Murdoch
- 12Tidser
- 17RussellSubstituted forOyenugaat 87'minutes
- 11Nesbitt
- 16ShanklandSubstituted forDonnellyat 74'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Doyle
- 9Oyenuga
- 14Scullion
- 19Donnelly
- 30McGowan
- 37Tiffoney
- 39Strapp
- Referee:
- Kevin Clancy
- Attendance:
- 6,065
Match Stats
Home TeamDundee UtdAway TeamMorton
- Possession
- Home59%
- Away41%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away5
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away5
- Corners
- Home8
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home15
- Away6
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Dundee United 1, Morton 1.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Alistair Coote (Dundee United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Booking
Ross Forbes (Morton) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Foul by Mark Durnan (Dundee United).
Post update
Michael Tidser (Morton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt saved. Ross Forbes (Morton) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
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Foul by Willo Flood (Dundee United).
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Kudus Oyenuga (Morton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Morton. Kudus Oyenuga replaces Mark Russell.
Goal!
Goal! Dundee United 1, Morton 1. Mark Durnan (Dundee United) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Corner, Dundee United. Conceded by Thomas O'Ware.
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Corner, Dundee United. Conceded by Mark Russell.
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Attempt saved. Aidan Nesbitt (Morton) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
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Attempt saved. Scott Fraser (Dundee United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
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Attempt saved. Ross Forbes (Morton) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Post update
Corner, Morton. Conceded by Tony Andreu.
Post update
Paul Dixon (Dundee United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Ross Forbes (Morton).
Post update
Lee Kilday (Morton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
