INFO
COWDENBEATH 1-2 AIRDRIE UNITED
CHALLENGE CUP QUARTER FINAL
VENUE � CENTRAL PARK
KICK OFF TIME � 3:00PM
DATE � SUNDAY 07 SEPTEMBER 2008
STARTING 11
1 � STEPHEN ROBERTSON, 2 � MARC SMYTH, 3 � PAUL LOVERING (CAPTAIN), 4 � KEVIN MCDONALD, 5 � BOBBY DONNELLY,
6 � DAVID NIXON, 7 � STEVEN MCDOUGALL, 8 � STEPHEN MCKENNA, 9 � PAUL DI GIACOMO - 2 GOALS - MAN OF THE MATCH,
10 � SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, 11 � SIMON LYNCH
SUBS
USED
12 � DARREN SMITH FOR 7 � STEVEN MCDOUGALL, 14 � MICHAEL BROWN FOR 4 � KEVIN MCDONALD
15 � STUART NOBLE FOR 11 � SIMON LYNCH
NOT USED
16 � STEPHEN MAGUIRE, 17 � LEE HOLLIS
MAN OF THE MATCH
9 - PAUL DI GIACOMO
MATCH REPORT
AIRDRIE UNITED ADVANCED TO THE SEMI FINALS OF THE ALBA CHALLENGE CUP BY WINNING 2-1 AGAINST THIRD DIVISION COWDENBEATH THANKS TO TWO GOALS FROM PAUL DI GIACOMO.
FIRST HALF
DURING THE FIRST HALF THERE WERE ONLY FIVE CHANCES. THE FIRST OF THESE WAS FOR COWDENBEATH ON THE 13TH MINUTE WHEN THEY SENT A CROSS INTO THE BOX AND A HEADER GOALWARDS FROM ABOUT TEN YARDS OUT BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON MADE THE SAVE. EIGHT MINUTES LATER SIMON LYNCH HAD AIRDRIE�S FIRST CHANCE OF THE GAME WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT FLYING OVER THE BAR. A FEW MINUTES LATER SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT WELL WIDE. THEN WITH ONLY FIVE MINUTES OF THE HALF REMAINING MARC SMYTH WAS YELLOW CARDED. TWO MINUTES LATER STEVEN MCDOUGALL HAD THE DIAMONDS FINAL CHANCE OF THE HALF WHEN HE WENT BY A DEFENDER AND CUT INTO THE BOX AND HIT A SHOT BUT DAVID HAY MADE THE SAVE. DURING THE FINAL MINUTE OF THE HALF COWDENBEATH HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT INTO THE SIDE NETTING AND THE TEAM HEADED INTO HALF TIME LEVEL.
SECOND HALF
AIRDRIE HAD THE FIRST CHANCE OF THE HALF SEVEN MINUTES INTO IT WHEN STEVEN MCDOUGALL SENT A LOW CROSS INTO THE BOX BUT IT TOOK A DEFLECTION AND FELL TO PAUL DI GIACOMO INSIDE THE BOX AND HE BURIED THE BALL INTO THE BOTTOM CORNER OF THE NET TO GIVE DAVID HAY NO CHANCE AND MAKE IT 1-0. SEVEN MINUTES LATER SIMON LYNCH SENT A CROSS INTO THE BOX WHICH PAUL DI GIACOMO GOT ONTO WITH A SHOT BUT IT WAS SAVED. THE DIAMONDS CONTINUED TO KEEP UP THE PRESSURE AND ON THE 65TH MINUTE STEPHEN MCKENNA HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT WIDE.
COWDENBEATH HAD THERE FIRST CHANCE OF THE HALF ON THE 70TH MINUTE WHEN BRIAN FAIRBAIRN HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON MADE THE SAVE. TWO MINUTES LATER AIRDRIE MADE A SUBSTITUTION AS DARREN SMITH CAME ON FOR STEVEN MCDOUGALL. A FEW MINUTES AFTER THIS CHANGE PAUL DI GIACOMO CHASED A LONG DAVID NIXON BALL DOWN AND HE SHOWED COMPOSURE TO SLOT HOME AND MAKE IT 2-0. HOWEVER ON THE 79TH MINUTE THE DIAMONDS GAVE A FREE KICK AWAY ABOUT 30 YARDS FROM GOAL AND FROM IT BRIAN FAIRBAIRN EXCELLENTLY CURLED THE BALL OVER THE WALL AND INTO THE BOTTOM CORNER OF THE NET TO PULL A GOAL BACK.
ON THE 81ST MINUTE AIRDRIE MADE THERE SECOND SUBSTITUTION OF THE GAME AS MICHAEL BROWN CAME ON FOR KEVIN MCDONALD. A MINUTE LATER DARREN SMITH SENT A LOW CROSS INTO THE BOX AND SIMON LYNCH GOT ONTO THE END OF IT WITH A SHOT BUT IT WAS PARRIED BY DAVID HAY AND CLEARED BY HIS DEFENCE. A FEW MINUTES LATER COWDENBEATH WERE REDUCED TO TEN MEN AS MARK BAXTER WAS GIVEN A STRAIGHT RED CARD FOR A VERY BAD TACKLE ON MICHAEL BROWN. WITH TWO MINUTES OF THE HALF REMAINING AIRDRIE MADE THERE FINAL SUBSTITUTION AS STUART NOBLE CAME ON FOR SIMON LYNCH BUT THERE WAS TO BE NO MORE CHANCES AND THE DIAMONDS WON THE GAME 2-1.