Arbroath 0-0 Greenock Morton: Visitors consigned to relegation play-off

  • Author, Tyrone Smith
  • Role, 成人快手 Scotland Sport

Arbroath secured Scottish Championship survival and consigned 10-man Greenock Morton to a relegation play-off after a tense goalless draw at Gayfield.

Morton's hopes took a fatal blow when captain Sean McGinty was sent off on 65 minutes for a lunge on Scott Stewart.

Part-time Arbroath finish seventh, a point clear of Ayr United and Morton, to ensure a third consecutive season in the second tier.

Morton go into the play-offs due to Ayr having a superior goal difference.

They face League 1's fourth-place club, currently Falkirk, in the semi-finals on May 8 and 11.

Defeat will relegate the Greenock side, while victory will send them through to face the other League 1 semi-final winners for a place in the Championship.

The visitors had a penalty claim dismissed in an uneventful first half when Gary Oliver went down in the box.

Kyle Jacobs had a shot deflected over after the break as Morton tried to find a breakthrough.

The hosts had their own claims for a penalty waved away when Jack Hamilton went crashing to the ground under a challenge from Markus Fjortoft.

Arbroath manager Dick Campbell: "It was never going to be a classic but I couldn't care less. We've met our objective and we can say we are the best part-time team in Scotland, which is very important in terms of attracting players. That's up with any of my achievements and I've been lucky enough to win a few titles."

Morton manager Gus MacPherson: "We were comfortable, as we have been in a lot of games, but the final piece of the jigsaw is missing. After going down to 10 men, the game just kind of peters out. I can't question the commitment and effort, so we just need to dust ourselves down and move on to the play-off."