INFO
AIRDRIE UNITED 1-0 ROSS COUNTY
LEAGUE GAME 34
VENUE � EXCELSIOR
KICK OFF TIME � 3:00PM
DATE � SATURDAY 25 APRIL 2009
STARTING 11
1 � STEPHEN ROBERTSON, 2 � WILLIAM MCLACHLAN � MAN OF THE MATCH, 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, 11 � SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN
SUBS - USED
14 � STEVEN MCDOUGALL FOR 7 � DARREN SMITH, 15 � STUART NOBLE FOR 9 � PAUL DI GIACOMO
SUBS - NOT USED
12 � DAVID NIXON, 16 � STEPHEN MAGUIRE, 17 � LEE HOLLIS
MAN OF THE MATCH
2 - WILLIAM MCLACHLAN
MATCH REPORT
AIRDRIE UNITED BOUNCED BACK FROM LAST WEEKS DEFEAT AS THEY WON 1-0 AGAINST ROSS COUNTY AT THE EXCELSIOR THANKS TO A GOAL FROM STEPHEN MCKENNA.
FOR THE GAME THE DIAMONDS MADE TWO CHANGES TO THE STARTING ELEVEN FROM THE CLYDE GAME A WEEK AGO AS KEVIN MCDONALD AND PAUL LOVERING WERE HANDED STARTS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE INJURED SIMON LYNCH AND DAVID NIXON WHO WAS ON THE SUBSTITUTES BENCH ALONG WITH LEE HOLLIS, STEVEN MCDOUGALL, STEPHEN MAGUIRE AND STUART NOBLE WHO HAD RETURNED FROM HIS LOAN SPELL AT ALLOA ATHLETIC.
FIRST HALF
THE GAME STARTED AT A SLOW PACE AND ON THE 5TH MINUTE OF IT ROSS COUNTY HAD THE FIRST CHANCE OF IT WHEN MARK MCCULLOCH HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON COMFORTABLY MADE THE SAVE. TWO MINUTES LATER JOHN BAIRD HAD AIRDRIE�S FIRST CHANCE OF THE GAME WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT HIGH AND WIDE. THEN ON THE 9TH MINUTE IT WAS ROSS COUNTY WHO HAD THE NEXT CHANCE WHEN RICHIE HART HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT SIMILAR TO AIRDRIE�S LAST CHANCE IT WENT HIGH AND WIDE. SEVEN MINUTES LATER KEVIN MCDONALD HAD A GO FROM THE TOP OF THE BOX FOR AIRDRIE BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR.
ROSS COUNTY WAS TO HAVE THE REMAINDER OF CHANCES IN THE HALF AND ON THE 20TH MINUTE THEY HAD THE NEXT OF THESE WHEN THEY WON A CORNER AS FROM IT SEAN HIGGINS CROSSED THE BALL INTO THE BOX AND ALEX KEDDIE SENT A DIAGONAL HEADER GOALWARDS BUT IT WENT JUST OVER THE BAR. TWELVE MINUTES LATER ROSS COUNTY CAME CLOSE AGAIN AS FROM A RICHIE HART CROSS INTO THE BOX MARK MCCULLOCH GOT ONTO THE END OF IT WITH A DIAGONAL HEADER BUT IT WENT JUST WIDE. THEN WITH ONLY SIX MINUTES OF THE HALF REMAINING LOCAL LAD SEAN HIGGINS HAD A GO FROM THE TOP OF THE BOX BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR. JUST ON HALF TIME ROSS COUNTY HAD STRONG PENALTY CLAIMS TURNED DOWN AS FROM A CORNER SEAN HIGGINS CROSSED THE BALL INTO THE BOX AND ANDY DOWIE GOT ONTO THE END OF IT WITH A HEADER BUT IT RATTLED THE CROSSBAR AND BOUNCED ON THE GOAL LINE AND WAS PUNCHED AWAY BY STEPHEN MCKENNA BUT THE REFEREE DIDN�T SPOT THE HANDBALL DESPITE FURIOUS PROTESTS FROM THE ROSS COUNTY PLAYERS. BEFORE THE HALF TIME WHISTLE COULD GO THOUGH AIRDRIE ALSO HAD A PENALTY APPEAL TURNED DOWN BY THE REFEREE AS DARREN SMITH WAS UPENDED IN THE BOX BUT THE REFEREE WAVED PLAYER PLAY ON AND THE TEAMS HEADED INTO HALF TIME LEVEL.
SECOND HALF
THE OPENING QUARTER AN HOUR OF THE SECOND HALF SAW STEPHEN MCKENNA SHOWN A YELLOW CARD AND PAUL DI GIACOMO HITTING A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT DEREK SOUTAR MADE THE SAVE. DARREN SMITH WAS NEXT TO HAVE A CHANCE ON THE 61ST MINUTE WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT WIDE. FIVE MINUTES LATER AIRDRIE TOOK THE LEAD AND DARREN SMITH PLAYED HIS PART IN SETTING UP THE GOAL AS FROM A PAUL DI GIACOMO CROSS INTO THE BOX DARREN SMITH HEADED IT DOWN TO STEPHEN MCKENNA AND HE CAUGHT THE BALL PERFECTLY AND HIS POWERFUL LOW DIAGONAL SHOT WENT FLYING INTO THE NET TO GIVE DEREK SOUTAR NO CHANCE AND AIRDRIE THE LEAD.
ON THE 75TH MINUTE ROSS COUNTY HAD THEIR FIRST CHANCE OF THE HALF WHEN PAUL LAWSON HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON MADE THE SAVE. TWO MINUTES LATER AIRDRIE MADE THEIR FIRST SUBSTITUTION OF THE GAME AS STUART NOBLE WHO HAD JUST FINISHED HIS LOAN SPELL WITH ALLOA ATHLETIC A WEEK AGO CAME ON FOR PAUL DI GIACOMO. ROSS COUNTY HAD AN EXCELLENT CHANCE TO GET AN EQUALIZER THOUGH ON THE 79TH MINUTE AS FROM INSIDE THE BOX HE GOT TURNED AND HIT A SHOT BUT IT WENT JUST BY THE POST. SHORTLY AFTER THIS SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN HAD A GO FOR THE DIAMONDS FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT BUT DEREK SOUTAR MADE THE SAVE. WITH ONLY FIVE MINUTES OF THE GAME REMAINING AIRDRIE MADE THEIR FINAL SUBSTITUTION OF THE GAME AS STEVEN MCDOUGALL CAME ON FOR DARREN SMITH WHO GOT A STANDING OVATION FROM THE AIRDRIE SUPPORT. NEITHER TEAM WAS ABLE TO CREATE ANY MORE CHANCES THOUGH AND AIRDRIE HELD ON TO GET A CRUCIAL THREE POINTS AND PUT THE PRESSURE ON ROSS COUNTY AND DUNFERMLINE HEADING INTO THEIR NEXT GAMES AND ALSO EXTEND THE LEAD OVER CLYDE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LEAGUE TO FOUR POINTS.