Murray looks for reaction after cup shock

Ian Murray insists his Morton players need to try and block out the criticism that will follow their shock defeat to Linlithgow Rose in the Premier Sports Cup. Murray’s men were stunned by their Lowland League opposition, who could have left Cappielow with a more comprehensive victory. Despite his clear frustration at the performance and result, the Ton boss felt there were some positives from a disappointing afternoon. “It was a funny game at times. We did some really good things, but other times we were poor,” Murray said. “We probably hit the counter-attack too much. We had a couple of warnings in the first half from our own set plays, and then they obviously score from a counter-attack. “There was a bit of naivety from us going forward. Our play wasn’t as secure as we thought it was in the forward areas, and they were able to break quickly. “Overall, though, I think it’s a really disappointing result because we’ve not picked up any points from the game — but there are positives within it.” Balls over the top and quick counter-attacks caused Morton problems throughout the afternoon. The decisive goal saw Calum Rae slot home after being sent clear by a long ball from Dylan Paterson. Murray admits his defence need to be more alert, though he feels they are still in the early stages of their learning journey. “We can’t hide from that. There are caveats to it — we’ve got two fairly inexperienced players in those positions, and it’s very difficult for them,” he explained. “They’re learning all the time and we’re trying to help them all the time. “When you play with inexperienced players, those things can happen. It’s a key area of the pitch where you need a bit of experience. “The players gave everything. They put in a big shift. They’ve done some good stuff. “Kris made a fantastic block at the end, and Laiith was aggressive in what he was trying to do. “We have to remember where we are — it’s only the second game of the season. We don’t have the biggest squad at the moment and resources are fairly limited.” Although he felt there were positives, the Cappielow gaffer refused to downplay the significance of what was a disappointing loss. The home supporters booed their team off the pitch at the end of an abject display. However, the players will have a quick chance to bounce back when they take on East Fife at Bayview on Tuesday evening. “If you look at the facts, we were playing against a side that people expected us to beat, and that’s not taking anything away from Lithgow, but that’s the reality,” Murray said. “We’ve turned over around 60 per cent of the squad during the summer, which is very difficult. “We’re bringing in players who haven’t played at this level before, and we’ve got guys like Bobby (McLuckie) coming in to use this as a platform, Callum (Sandilands) who has done well in League One, and Jayden (Gorman) who is still adapting to being here. “There are a lot of little factors involved, but ultimately people don’t want to hear too much of that. They look at the scoreline, and I understand that. “That’s part and parcel of football. Everybody has an opinion. We’ve all sat and watched games and talked about them, so we’re no different from anyone else. “We have to respect people’s opinions, but we also have to block it out a little bit, maintain our focus, get ready for training and prepare properly for a really tough game away from home on Tuesday.”