INFO
AIRDRIE UNITED 0-2 ROSS COUNTY
LEAGUE GAME 14
VENUE � EXCELSIOR
KICK OFF TIME � 3:00PM
DATE � SATURDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2008
STARTING 11
1 � STEPHEN ROBERTSON, 2 � STEPHEN MCKENNA, 3 - MATTHEW HAZLEY, 4 - KEVIN MCDONALD (C) - MAN OF THE MATCH,
5 - BOBBY DONNELLY, 6 � DAVID NIXON, 7 - DARREN SMITH, 8 - SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, 9 - PAUL DI GIACOMO,
10 - SIMON LYNCH, 11 - JOE CARDLE
SUBS - USED
14 - STEVEN MCDOUGALL FOR 7 - DARREN SMITH, 15 - STUART NOBLE FOR 10 - SIMON LYNCH,
16 - KEVIN WATT FOR 9 - PAUL DI GIACOMO,
SUBS - NOT USED
12 � MICHAEL BROWN, 17 � LEE HOLLIS
MAN OF THE MATCH
4 - KEVIN MCDONALD
MATCH REPORT
ROSS COUNTY GAINED REVENGE FOR LOSING THE ALBA CHALLENGE CUP FINAL SIX DAYS AGO AS THEY LEFT THE EXCELSIOR STADIUM WITH A 2-0 WIN.
FOR THE GAME AIRDRIE MADE THREE CHANGES AS SUBSTITUTES DARREN SMITH, MATTHEW HAZLEY AND SIMON LYNCH FROM THE GAME SIX DAYS AGO CAME INTO THE STARTING 11 FOR MARC SMYTH WHO WAS UNAVAILABLE, PAUL LOVERING WHO WAS INJURED AND STEVEN MCDOUGALL WAS ON THE BENCH.
FIRST HALF
ROSS COUNTY HAD THE OPENING CHANCE OF THE GAME ON THE 7TH MINUTE WHEN ANDY DOWIE HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT JUST OVER THE BAR. A FEW MINUTES LATER MARTIN SCOTT HAD A GO FOR ROSS COUNTY FROM DISTANCE BUT IT WENT WELL WIDE. ON THE 14TH MINUTE AIRDRIE HAD THEIR FIRST CHANCE AS GOOD PLAY BY PAUL DI GIACOMO LED TO HIM SETTING UP SIMON LYNCH AND FROM INSIDE THE BOX SIMON HIT A SHOT WHICH HAD TONY BULLOCK BEATEN BUT IT RATTLED THE BAR AND THE ROSS COUNTY DEFENCE CLEARED THE DANGER.
THE NEXT CHANCE DIDN�T COME UNTIL THE 30TH MINUTE FOR ROSS COUNTY WHEN SEAN HIGGINS HIT A SHOT FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON MADE THE SAVE. THERE WAS NOTHING STEPHEN ROBERTSON COULD DO TO STOP SEAN HIGGINS FROM SCORING A FEW MINUTES LATER AS FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT SEAN UNLEASHED A SHOT WHICH WENT FLYING INTO THE TOP CORNER OF THE NET TO GIVE ROSS COUNTY THE LEAD.
ROSS COUNTY WAS TO HAVE THEIR FINAL CHANCE BEFORE HALF TIME ON THE 37TH MINUTE WHEN DYRON DAAL HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT WIDE. THERE WAS STILL TIME FOR AIRDRIE TO HAVE THREE CHANCES BEFORE HALF TIME. FIRSTLY ON THE 41ST MINUTE STEPHEN MCKENNA HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT WIDE. TWO MINUTES LATER SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 30 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT HIGH AND WIDE. THEN DURING STOPPAGE TIME SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN HAD A GO FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR AND ROSS COUNTY WENT INTO HALF TIME WINNING 1-0.
SECOND HALF
A POOR KICK OUT BY STEPHEN ROBERTSON DURING THE OPENING MINUTE OF THE HALF PROVIDED ROSS COUNTY�S DYRON DAAL WITH AN EXCELLENT ONE ON ONE CHANCE WITH STEPHEN ROBERTSON AND FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT HE HIT A SHOT BUT IT RATTLED THE BAR AND THE BALL WAS EVENTUALLY CLEARED. DYRON DAAL WAS TO HAVE THE NEXT CHANCE FOR ROSS COUNTY ON THE 59TH MINUTE WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT WIDE. FIVE MINUTES LATER ADAM STRACHAN SENT A CROSS INTO THE BOX AND SEAN HIGGINS GOT ONTO THE END OF IT FOR ROSS COUNTY BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON TURNED THE BALL AROUND THE POST AND FROM THE CORNER THE BALL WAS CLEARED.
ROSS COUNTY MADE THEIR PRESSURE COUNT ON THE 66TH MINUTE THOUGH AS RICHARD BRITTAIN DRILLED A SHOT FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT INTO THE NET TO MAKE IT 2-0. AIRDRIE MADE THEIR FIRST TWO SUBSTITUTIONS SIX MINUTES LATER AS STUART NOBLE CAME ON FOR SIMON LYNCH AND AS KEVIN WATT CAME ON FOR PAUL DI GIACOMO TO MAKE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE SEASON FOR THE FIRST TEAM. KEVIN MCDONALD WAS BOOKED SHORTLY AFTER AND ROSS COUNTY�S ANDY DOWIE HAD THE NEXT CHANCE WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT WIDE. AIRDRIE MADE THEIR FINAL SUBSTATION AFTER THIS AS STEVEN MCDOUGALL CAME ON FOR DARREN SMITH.
ROSS COUNTY HAD THE NEXT TWO CHANCES OF THE GAME. FIRSTLY ON THE 75TH MINUTE DYRON DAAL HIT A SHOT FORM INSIDE THE BOX BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON MADE THE SAVE. DYRON WAS TO HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE EIGHT MINUTES LATER WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON PARRIED THE BALL AWAY AND ADAM STRACHAN�S REBOUND WAS OFF TARGET. WITH ONLY A MINUTE OF THE GAME LEFT AIRDRIE WON A FREE KICK OUT ON THE LEFT WING ABOUT 20 YARDS FROM GOAL AND FROM IT JOE CARDLE CROSSED THE BALL INTO THE BOX AND DAVID NIXON SENT A HEADER GOALWARDS BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR.
DURING INJURY TIME THE GAME WAS STOPPED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AS AIRDRIE�S KEVIN MCDONALD WAS KNOCKED OUT COLD IN A 50/50 CHALLENGE WITH A ROSS COUNTY PLAYER AND KEVIN HAD TO BE STRETCHERED OFF THE PARK. AIRDRIE HAD THE FINAL CHANCE AFTER THIS WHEN SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT JUST OVER THE BAR AND ROSS COUNTY WON THE GAME 2-0.