PLASTIC snakes, Judas signs and mock whacking day events. For some a step too far, for many others just another quirk of the pantomime that is Scottish football.

What can’t be denied is that the events leading up to Ray McKinnon’s return to Cappielow took a run-of-the-mill Championship clash and elevated it to one of Saturday’s most anticipated fixtures.

A manager leaving for a rival is nothing new. The manner in which McKinnon left, however, is what irked the Morton support and the club’s hierarchy. The now Falkirk manager told the press pack post-match that one day his side of the story will “come out in the wash soon” and once that is the case, it won’t be him they will be “pointing the finger at”.

The side of the story the Morton support have – for now at least – is that of their chairman Crawford Rae. With Morton joint top of the division just three games into the season, and Falkirk rooted to the bottom, Rae met with McKinnon, as he usually did on a Friday, ahead of their trip to Firhill. Soon after, Falkirk had contacted the Morton chairman to request permission to speak to his manager.

Rae claimed that “there could have been previous discussions” between McKinnon and Falkirk ahead of that phone call.

This prompted a “Judas” headline from our sister paper the Greenock Telegraph, who in the week building up to the game also printed red cards containing McKinnon’s image, again accompanied with “Judas”.

The National:

Not only did the build-up help boost the home attendance – almost 500 more than their previous highest home league attendance this season turned out – it gave the atmosphere a bit of bite. A chorus of boos every time McKinnon emerged from his dugout, along with some harmless chants and name-calling, was as poisonous as it got – the kind of stuff McKinnon himself brushed off as part of the game.

Going into this one, McKinnon’s replacement, Jonatan Johansson, was still without a victory, despite only losing one of his four games, a 5-1 humbling at home to Ayr – a match in which they played well for spells but imploded during a skittish 14-minute period.

The Finn has experimented with various line-ups, mainly in a 4-3-3 system, though clearly wants his team to get the ball on the deck and knock it around – a style epitomised by his midfield three, his side’s greatest strength.

With Jim McAlister performing a screening role in front of the back four, allowing Michael Tidser and Chris Miller the freedom to dictate, the trio is arguably better than any other midfield in the division outside league leaders Ross County. If Johansson can keep them all fit – Saturday was the first time they all played 90 minutes together since he took the reigns – then Morton will be a match for most of the Championship sides they face this season.

Even Charlie Telfer, now playing on the right-hand side of the front three, is the type to put his foot on the ball and pick a pass, rather than run at full-backs.

It was Tidser who stood out against Falkirk with his precision passing and it was his bursting run that helped swing the game. After a fairly even first half – with Gary Oliver’s venomous strike off the upright being the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock – the second period had barely began when the midfielder beat the offside trap and drew foul from and a red card for Leo Fasan.

It cranked up the atmosphere another notch and caused 10-man Falkirk to sit in and play for a point.

It now felt just a matter of time until Morton scored and in the end it was Bob McHugh – no stranger to a late goal during his spell at Falkirk – who netted the winner with around 14 minutes to go.

It was a welcome and deserved victory for Johansson, who also praised the support for their behaviour on a day that required extra policing but thankfully passed without incident.

East Fife's form a product of patience

IN a season in which 13 SPFL managers have already left their post, it wasn’t so long ago that Darren Young, pictured, looked to be one of the next ones to go.

After 11 consecutive losses stretching back into last season – when penalty-shootout defeats are considered – the discontent among the East Fife support was growing and growing. Even at such a nadir, patience was afforded to Young by the board and rewards have been reaped since.

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Darren Young was the League One Manager of the Month for September

After stopping the rot with a 3-1 victory over Cowdenbeath in the Irn Bru Cup, Young abandoned his 4-2-3-1 formation in favour of 4-4-2. An admiral performance and result at Stark’s Park followed before they suffered another setback at home to Arbroath. 

Since then Daryll Meggatt has been moved into central defence, Aaron Dunsmore pushed into midfield, with Scott Agnew now playing centrally and Pat Slattery at left-back.

Up front the hard-working duo of Jonny Court and Anton Dowds, despite not scoring much between them, for a four-game stretch, would work defenders into the ground, allowing Rory Currie to emerge from the bench and net crucial goals. For those four games, Currie spent a total of 60-odd minutes on the field, scoring in each match.

East Fife are now the form side in the country, winning their last eight – two of which have come against Championship sides – which has seen them move up to third in the league and into the quarter-final of the Irn Bru Cup.