INFO
AIRDRIE UNITED 5-0 MORTON
LEAGUE GAME 5
VENUE � EXCELSIOR
KICK OFF TIME � 3:00PM
DATE - 30 AUGUST 2008
STARTING 11
1 � STEPHEN ROBERTSON, 2 � MARC SMYTH (CAPTAIN), 3 � MATTHEW HAZLEY, 4 � KEVIN MCDONALD,
5 � BOBBY DONNELLY, 6 � DAVID NIXON - 1 GOAL, 7 � STEVEN MCDOUGALL, 8 � STEPHEN MCKENNA
9 � PAUL DI GIACOMO - 1 GOAL, 10 - SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN - 2 GOALS - MAN OF THE MATCH, 11) SIMON LYNCH - 1 GOAL
SUBS
USED
12 - DARREN SMITH FOR 14 - JOE CARDLE, 14 - JOE CARDLE FOR 7 - STEVEN MCDOUGALL,
15 - MICHAEL BROWN FOR 4 - KEVIN MCDONALD
NOT USED
16 - STUART NOBLE, 17 � LEE HOLLIS
MAN OF THE MATCH
10 - SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN
MATCH REPORT
AIRDRIE UNITED TOOK ON MORTON IN THE 5TH LEAGUE GAME OF THE SEASON TODAY AND THEY PRODUCED A STUNNING PERFORMANCE TO HAMMER MORTON 5-0.
FOR THE GAME THE DIAMONDS MADE ONE CHANGE FROM THE TEAM THAT STARTED AGAINST HEARTS IN THE CIS CUP THREE DAYS AGO AS SIMON LYNCH WAS RESTORED TO THE STARTING ELEVEN IN PLACE OF JOE CARDLE WHO WAS ON THE BENCH. MEANWHILE MORTON INCLUDED FORMER AIRDRIE UNITED PLAYER ALLAN MCMANUS IN THERE STARTING ELEVEN.
FIRST HALF
SIMON LYNCH WAS TO GET THE GAME OFF TO A QUICK START FOR THE DIAMONDS AS DURING THE OPENING TEN MINUTES HE HAD THREE CHANCES. FIRSTLY ON THE 5TH MINUTE SIMON HAD A GO FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX BUT KEVIN CUTHBERT MADE THE SAVE. TWO MINUTES LATER SIMON SENT A HEADER GOALWARDS FROM ABOUT SIX YARDS OUT BUT RYAN HARDING CLEARED THE BALL OFF THE LINE AND IT FELL TO SIMON AND HE HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR. THEN ON THE 13TH MINUTE KEVIN MCDONALD PLAYED AN INCH PERFECT PASS TO STEVEN MCDOUGALL WHO WAS OUT ON THE RIGHT WING AND STEVEN SENT A LOW CROSS INTO THE BOX WHICH THE MORTON DEFENCE FAILED TO CLEAR PROPERLY AND THIS LET SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN FIRE THE BALL INTO THE NET FROM INSIDE THE BOX FOR THE DIAMONDS FIRST LEAGUE GOAL OF THE SEASON.
MORTON WERE DEALT A MAJOR BLOW A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE GOAL AS GOALKEEPER KEVIN CUTHBERT HAD TO COME OFF INJURED AND THIS MEANT SUBSTITUTE GOALKEEPER COLIN STEWART CAME ON. MORTON WERE TO HAVE THERE FIRST CHANCE OF THE GAME ON THE 25TH MINUTE WHEN IAIN RUSSELL HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON MADE THE SAVE. A MINUTE LATER AIRDRIE HAD ANOTHER CHANCE WHEN THE BALL FELL TO SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN INSIDE THE BOX AND SCOTT PLACED THE BALL INTO THE BOTTOM CORNER OF THE NET TO GIVE COLIN STEWART NO CHANCE AND TO DOUBLE THE LEAD.
THERE WAS TO BE THREE MORE CHANCES LEFT DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE HALF. FIRSTLY ON THE 32ND MINUTE STEVIE MASTERTON HAD MORTON�S FINAL CHANCE OF THE HALF WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON MADE THE SAVE. FOUR MINUTES LATER FROM THE RIGHT WING STEVEN MCDOUGALL SENT AN EXCELLENT CROSS INTO THE BOX WHICH PAUL DI GIACOMO BROUGHT DOWN AND SENT A SHOT HIGH INTO THE ROOF OF THE NET TO MAKE IT 3-0. WITH SIX MINUTES OF THE HALF REMAINING PAUL DI GIACOMO HAD THE FINAL CHANCE OF IT WHEN HE SKINNED A MORTON DEFENDER AND HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT WIDE. MORTON MADE ANOTHER SUBSTITUTION STRAIGHT AFTER THIS AS PETER WEATHERSON WHO HAD BEEN UNABLE TO COPE WITH THE IMPRESSIVE STEVEN MCDOUGALL ALL AFTERNOON WAS SUBSTITUTED FOR A TRIALIST. HOWEVER THERE WAS TO BE NO MORE CHANCES DURING THE HALF AND THE DIAMONDS WENT INTO HALF TIME WITH A 3-0 LEAD.
SECOND HALF
SIMILAR TO THE FIRST HALF SIMON LYNCH GOT THE HALF OFF TO A QUICK START FOR THE DIAMONDS AS TWO MINUTES INTO IT HE HIT A SHOT FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX BUT COLIN STEWART MADE THE SAVE. THEN ON THE 56TH MINUTE MORTON MADE THERE FINAL SUBSTITUTION AS ALLAN JENKINS CAME ON FOR DOMINIC SHIMAN. HOWEVER THE NEXT CHANCE WAS FOR THE DIAMONDS ON THE 59TH MINUTE THOUGH WHEN THEY WON A FREE KICK ABOUT 30 YARDS FROM GOAL OUT ON THE RIGHT WING AND FROM IT MATTHEW HAZLEY SENT A DANGEROUS CURLING CROSS INTO THE BOX AND IT DEFLECTED OFF OF DAVID NIXON AND WENT INTO THE NET TO INCREASE THE LEAD. SHORTLY AFTER THIS MORTON HAD THERE FIRST CHANCE OF THE HALF WHEN SUBSTITUTE ALLAN JENKINS GOT ONTO THE END OF A CROSS INTO THE BOX ABOUT SIX YARDS OUT WITH A HEADER BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON MADE THE SAVE. THEN ON THE 63RD MINUTE SIMON LYNCH WAS PLAYED THROUGH ON GOAL AND HE WENT INTO THE BOX AND RIFLED THE BALL INTO THE NET TO MAKE IT 5-0.
BEFORE THE GAME RESTARTED AIRDRIE MADE THERE FIRST SUBSTITUTION OF THE DAY AS JOE CARDLE CAME ON FOR STEVEN MCDOUGALL. HOWEVER IT WAS MORTON WITH THE NEXT CHANCE ON THE 67TH MINUTE AS ALLAN JENKINS HAD A SHOT FROM A FEW YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT INTO THE SIDE NETTING. THREE MINUTES LATER THE DIAMONDS WERE DEALT A BLOW AS JOE CARDLE HAD TO COME OFF INJURED AND DARREN SMITH CAME ON FOR HIM AND FOUR MINUTES AFTER THIS THE DIAMONDS MADE THERE FINAL SUBSTITUTION AS MICHAEL BROWN CAME ON FOR KEVIN MCDONALD.
THERE WAS TO BE THREE MORE CHANCES REMAINING IN THE GAME AFTER THIS AND THE FIRST TWO OF THESE WERE FOR MORTON. FIRSTLY ON THE 78TH MINUTE THEY SENT A CROSS INTO THE BOX AND AN UNMARKED PLAYER SENT A HEADER GOALWARDS BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON MADE THE SAVE. TWO MINUTES LATER MORTON WON A FREE KICK ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT FROM GOAL AND THEY HIT A SHOT BUT IT WENT JUST OVER THE BAR. THEN WITH ONLY THREE MINUTES REMAINING MORTON�S DAY GOT WORSE AS FORMER AIRDRIE UNITED PLAYER ALLAN MCMANUS WAS SENT OFF FOR A RECKLESS TACKLE ON STEPHEN MCKENNA. SHORTLY AFTER THIS THE DIAMONDS HAD THE FINAL CHANCE OF THE GAME AS A CROSS WAS SENT INTO THE BOX AND STEPHEN MCKENNA DIRECTED IT GOALWARDS AND DAVID NIXON SENT A HEADER GOALWARDS BUT COLIN STEWART MADE THE SAVE AND THE GAME FINISHED 5-0 TO THE DIAMONDS.