Kmcalpin

You have to have a big defence to match giant strikers and tough characters to win challenges. If you do that you nullify the opposition and the get the ball down and play the way you want.

Yes, Morton's performance last night had "Accies" stamped all over it. They made us play a game that suited them and dragged us into a physical scrap. SK hadn't a clue as to how to change it.

Good call Grizzly. You can add Vale to that list too as he's looked good in his 2 cameos. As always Aberdeen will prove a hard physical test

I agree to a point Tam, but Dougie Imrie is hardly what you'd call an experienced manager but he had our tactics and set up well and truly sussed.

I'm going to defend Kelly here, as I have done in the past. Is he short on confidence - yes. Does he make blunders like tonight when he fumbled the ball - yes. Is Oxborough any better - who knows. Why doesn't SK pick him? As someone said on P & B tonight at the first goal, Spittal made a hash of it and the wrong man was marking Oakley. So, it wasn't all down to Kelly. Kelly isn't the biggest keeper in the world and has never been good at crosses/set pieces. We knew that when we signed him. So, we need to field big central defenders who can dominate in the air to protect him, which we don't. We also need to minimise aerial balls into our box, which we don't. If we want a keeper who is good in the air then we don't pick him.

Absolutely. Missed opportunities. Our substitutions tonight smacked of desperation. I would have thought that Vale could have been given more gametime and yes, surely Nicholson has 20 minutes in him? Maybe in a minority of one here but I don't think McGinn and O'Donnell should both play in the centre. I'd keep McGinn as he's been a steadying influence there and, as tonight proved, we need more muscle and height in there. According to SK, O'Donnell was touch and go anyway for tonight due to family circumstances.

A game where character will be required, if we are to take anything from it. Changes need to be made to the starting line up.

Agreed. but I think many did. Maybe Tuesday lulled many of us into a false sense of security. Before the match many would have anticipated it'd be a real battle and it was. Morton have a big strong physical team and they played to those strengths. A good few thought SK would rotate the squad more giving more gametime to some newer players and rest regulars ie when we were 3-0 up on Tuesday and cruising - that didn't happen. We looked jaded tonight. A few questioned the inclusion of Miller and O'Donnell for different reasons and they both started. The team may have been more talented than Morton but lacked their will to win and character. Many mistakes made before kick off and also afterwards. Yes, we have no right to beat a Championship team in the cup, but thats now 2 years in succession we've lost. We do have the right to expect the team, if they are going to lose, to go down fighting but they didn't - they went down without a whimper.

Agree with Smiddy and Villageman. SK is going nowhere for the time being but should/will be replaced at the end of his contract in a few months time.

We should have taken the opportunity, when 3 0 up and cruising, to make more changes. This would have given fringe/ new players more game time and given others more of a rest. A few of us said this at the time. An opportunity spurned.

That's it for me. The team lacks character, especially in midfield. Talent alone will only get you so far. For starters, a keeper, any keeper, should not be captain. We lack an Ally Mauchlen or Colin O'Neill type in the middle. Any big physical striker, however agricultural can upset our rearguard.

Correct. Wrong judgement call.

He's a Championship jobber; thats his level. Physical enough to make our backline look poor. He'll get found out.

Physical honest endeavour and aggression will only get them so far. That was good enough to beat us though.

Ah Vale again.

Very much so. A lot of bad decisions off the pitch and we look to have been ill prepared. We were beaten at 7.15 tonight.

A good summing up.

Ah some changes!

Starks Park II Well that's it for another year. Pathetic.

Yes, that's causing us all kinds of problems and Morton are taking advantage with a high press.

He is what he is . We knew, when we signed him that he was weak in the air.

We knew they are a big physical team, good in air. So we keep the ball on the deck going forward and minimise crosses. Team probably needed freshened up for tonight. As far as I can tell, the wind isn't hampering Morton

We look ill prepared for this game and Morton have taken us by surprise.

We look rattled and simply not up for it.

Well that was coming. Really no surprise. Someone has forgotten to tell the team this is a cup tie.