INFO
PARTICK THISTLE 0-1 AIRDRIE UNITED
LEAGUE GAME 35
VENUE � FIRHILL
KICK OFF TIME � 3:00PM
DATE � SATURDAY 02 MAY 2009
STARTING 11
1 - STEPHEN ROBERTSON, 2 - WILLIAM MCLACHLAN, 3 - PAUL LOVERING (CAPTAIN), 4 - KEVIN MCDONALD,
5 � BOBBY DONNELLY, 6 - MARC SMYTH, 7 - DARREN SMITH, 8 - STEPHEN MCKENNA, 9 - PAUL DI GIACOMO,
10 - JOHN BAIRD - MAN OF THE MATCH, 11 - SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN
SUBS - USED
12 - DAVID NIXON FOR 7 - DARREN SMITH, 14 - STEVEN MCDOUGALL FOR 10 - JOHN BAIRD,
15 - SIMON LYNCH - 1 GOAL FOR 9 - PAUL DI GIACOMO
NOT USED
16 - STUART NOBLE, 17 � LEE HOLLIS
MAN OF THE MATCH
10 - JOHN BAIRD
MATCH REPORT
AIRDRIE UNITED HOPES OF STAYING UP AUTOMATICALLY WERE HANDED A BIG BOOST WITH A LAST MINUTE WINNER AGAINST PARTICK THISTLE AT FIRHILL THANKS TO A GOAL FROM TOP GOALSCORER SIMON LYNCH.
FIRST HALF
THE GAMES FIRST SHOT WAS FOR AIRDRIE ON THE 3RD MINUTE AS PAUL DI GIACOMO HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT JONNY TUFFEY MADE THE SAVE AND BEFORE THE NEXT CHANCE AIRDRIE�S STEPHEN MCKENNA WAS YELLOW CARDED. THEN ON THE 20TH MINUTE KEVIN MCDONALD HAD A CHANCE FOR AIRDRIE WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM THE TOP OF THE BOX BUT IT WENT JUST OVER THE BAR.
PARTICK HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE 32ND MINUTE FOR THEIR FIRST CHANCE AS FROM INSIDE THE BOX THERE PLAYER HIT A SHOT AND ONE OF HIS TEAM-MATES DIRECTED IT GOALWARDS BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON MADE AN EASY SAVED. A FEW MINUTES LATER DAVID ROWSON HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT FOR PARTICK BUT IT WENT WIDE. WITH ONLY FOUR MINUTES OF THE HALF REMAINING STEPHEN ROBERTSON HAD TO TURN A DANGEROUS LIAM BUCHANAN CROSS COME SHOT AWAY TO ENSURE THE GAME REMAINED GOALLESS HEADING INTO HALF TIME.
SECOND HALF
THE HALF GOT OFF TO A SLOW START AND THE FIRST CHANCE OF IT DIDN�T COME UNTIL THE 55TH MINUTE WHEN PARTICK WON A CORNER AS FROM IT SIMON DONNELLY CROSSED THE BALL INTO THE BOX AND MARC TWADDLE SENT A HEADER GOALWARDS BUT IT WENT JUST OVER THE BAR. A FEW MINUTES LATER DAVID ROWSON HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT FOR PARTICK BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON PARRIED THE BALL AWAY AND THE DANGER WAS CLEARED.
AIRDRIE HAD THERE FIRST CHANCE OF THE HALF ON THE 63RD MINUTE WHEN STEPHEN MCKENNA GOT ONTO THE END OF A DARREN SMITH CROSS INTO THE BOX WITH A SHOT BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR. ELEVEN MINUTES LATER AIRDRIE HAD A STRONG PENALTY APPEAL TURNED DOWN AS IT LOOKED AS IF SIMON STOREY BLOCKED SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN�S SHOT WITH HIS HANDS BUT THE REFEREE WAVED IT AWAY AND SHOWED SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN A YELLOW CARD FOR HIS PROTESTS. SHORTLY AFTER THIS PARTICK WON A CORNER AND FROM IT THE BALL WAS CROSSED INTO THE BOX AND CLEARED TO THE EDGE OF THE BOX WHERE DAVID ROWSON WAS AND HE CAUGHT THE BALL ON THE VOLLEY BUT HIS SHOT WENT JUST OVER THE BAR.
WITH ONLY ELEVEN MINUTES OF THE GAME REMAINING AIRDRIE MADE TWO SUBSTITUTIONS AS STEVEN MCDOUGALL AND SIMON LYNCH CAME ON FOR JOHN BAIRD AND PAUL DI GIACOMO. A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE CHANGES PAUL LOVERING HAD A CHANCE FOR AIRDRIE WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT JUST OVER THE BAR. AIRDRIE WERE DESPERATELY SEARCHING FOR A GOAL AND ON THE 88TH MINUTE THEY MADE THEIR FINAL SUBSTITUTION OF THE GAME AS DAVID NIXON CAME ON FOR DARREN SMITH. SHORTLY AFTER THIS AIRDRIE GOT THE GOAL AS KEVIN MCDONALD FOUND SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN WITH AN EXCELLENT THROUGH BALL AND HE CUT THE BALL ACROSS GOAL TO AN UNMARKED SIMON LYNCH AND HE TURNED THE BALL INTO THE NET TO SPARK MASSIVE CELEBRATIONS AMONGST THE AIRDRIE SUPPORT AND TO GIVE AIRDRIE A CHANCE OF STAYING UP AUTOMATICALLY.