INFO
AIRDRIE UNITED 1-1 ST JOHNSTONE
LEAGUE GAME 18
VENUE � EXCELSIOR
KICK OFF TIME � 3:00PM
DATE � SATURDAY 20 DECEMBER 2008
STARTING 11
1 � STEPHEN ROBERTSON, 2 � MARC SMYTH, 3 � WILLIAM MCLACHLAN, 4 � KEVIN MCDONALD, 5 - BOBBY DONNELLY,
6 � DAVID NIXON, 7 � STEVEN MCDOUGALL - MAN OF THE MATCH, 8 � STEPHEN MCKENNA, 9 � SIMON LYNCH
10 �SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, 11 � JOE CARDLE
SUBS - USED
15 � STEPHEN MAGUIRE - 1 GOAL FOR 6 - DAVID NIXON, 16 - KEVIN WATT FOR 7 - STEVEN MCDOUGALL
SUBS - NOT USED
12 � DARREN SMITH, 14 � MICHAEL BROWN, 17 � LEE HOLLIS
MAN OF THE MATCH
7 - STEVEN MCDOUGALL
MATCH REPORT
THANKS TO SUBSTITUTE STEPHEN MAGUIRE�S FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON IN THE LAST MINUTE AIRDRIE UNITED DREW 1-1 WITH LEAGUE LEADERS ST JOHNSTONE IN THE 18TH LEAGUE GAME OF THE SEASON.
FOR THE GAME KENNY BLACK MADE THREE CHANGES TO THE STARTING ELEVEN FOR THE SECOND GAME IN A ROW AS RECENT LOAN SIGNING FROM RANGERS WILLIAM MCLACHLAN WAS HANDED A DEBUT AND AS KEVIN MCDONALD AND STEVEN MCDOUGALL RETURNED TO THE STARTING ELEVEN FOR MICHAEL BROWN WHO WAS ON THE BENCH AND FOR MATTHEW HAZLEY AND PAUL DI GIACOMO. MEANWHILE ST JOHNSTONE HAD FORMER AIRDRIE UNITED PLAYER MARTIN HARDIE IN THEIR STARTING ELEVEN.
FIRST HALF
AFTER A SLOW START AIRDRIE UNITED HAD THE OPENING CHANCE OF THE GAME ON THE 16TH MINUTE WHEN STEVEN MCDOUGALL SENT A CROSS INTO THE BOX WHICH SIMON LYNCH GOT ONTO WITH A HEADER BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR. SHORTLY AFTER THIS ST JOHNSTONE HAD THERE FIRST CHANCE AS FROM A CROSS INTO THE BOX DEREK HOLMES GOT ONTO THE END OF IT WITH AN OVERHEAD KICK BUT IT LACKED POWER AND STEPHEN ROBERTSON MADE AN EASY. AIRDRIE HAD THE NEXT CHANCE ON THE 21ST MINUTE WHEN SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN HIT A SHOT FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT JUST WIDE. A FEW MINUTES LATER WILLIAM MCLACHLAN WAS SHOWN A YELLOW CARD.
MARTIN HARDIE WAS TO HAVE THE NEXT CHANCE OF THE HALF FOR ST JOHNSTONE WHEN THEY WON A FREE KICK ABOUT 20 YARDS FROM GOAL AS FROM IT HE HIT A SHOT BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON COMFORTABLY MADE THE SAVE. AIRDRIE HAD THE NEXT TWO CHANCES ON THE 38TH AND 44TH MINUTES. FIRSTLY ST JOHNSTONE GAVE AWAY POSSESSION CHEAPLY AND THIS ALLOWED STEVEN MCDOUGALL TO NIP AND HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT ALAN MAIN PARRIED THE BALL AWAY AND THE ST JOHNSTONE DEFENCE CLEARED THE DANGER. THEN ON THE 44TH MINUTE A CORNER WAS WON AND FROM IT JOE CARDLE CROSSED THE BALL TO THE EDGE OF THE BOX WHERE MARC SMYTH WAS AND HE HEADED IT GOALWARDS AND IT FELL TO SIMON LYNCH AND HE HIT A SHOT BUT IT WENT FLYING OVER THE BAR. ST JOHNSTONE HAD THE LAST CHANCE OF THE HALF SHORTLY AFTER THIS AS COLIN SAMUEL HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT HIGH AND WIDE AND THE TEAMS HEADED INTO HALF TIME LEVEL.
SECOND HALF
ST JOHNSTONE�S COLIN SAMUEL PICKED UP A YELLOW CARD EARLY IN THE SECOND HALF. IT WAS AIRDRIE WHO HAD THE FIRST CHANCE OF THE HALF THOUGH AS ON THE 53RD MINUTE JOE CARDLE RACED INTO THE BOX AND CUT THE BALL BACK TO SIMON LYNCH AND HE HIT A SHOT WHICH HAD ALAN MAIN BEATEN BUT ST JOHNSTONE HAD A DEFENDER ON THE LINE AND HE CLEARED THE DANGER. ON THE 65TH MINUTE ST JOHNSTONE HAD THEIR BEST CHANCE OF THE GAME AS FROM A STEVEN MILNE CROSS INTO AN UNMARKED DEREK HOLMES INSIDE THE SIX YARD BOX HE HIT A SHOT BUT IT WENT WIDE. BEFORE THE GAME COULD RESTART ST JOHNSTONE MADE A SUBSTITUTE AS GAVIN SWANKIE CAME ON FOR COLIN SAMUEL. FOUR MINUTES LATER ST JOHNSTONE HAD ANOTHER GOOD CHANCE AS FROM INSIDE THE BOX AN UNMARKED CHRIS MILLAR HIT A SHOT BUT IT WENT INTO THE SIDE NETTING. ST JOHNSTONE MADE THEIR SECOND SUBSTITUTION STRAIGHT AFTER THIS AS ANDY JACKSON FOR STEVEN MILNE.
THEN WITH FOURTEEN MINUTES OF THE GAME REMAINING ST JOHNSTONE MADE THEIR FINAL CHANGE AS PAUL SHEERIN CAME ON FOR MARTIN HARDIE. IT WAS AIRDRIE WHO HAD THE NEXT CHANCE THOUGH AS A MINUTE LATER STEPHEN MCKENNA HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR. SHORTLY AFTER THIS AIRDRIE WON A CORNER AND FROM IT JOE CARDLE CROSSED THE BALL INTO THE BOX AND DAVID NIXON ROSE HIGH ABOVE HIS MARKER TO SEND A HEADER GOALWARDS BUT ALAN MAIN MADE THE SAVE.
NINE MINUTES BEFORE THE END ST JOHNSTONE WON A PENALTY AND DAVID NIXON WAS SHOWN A YELLOW CARD AND FROM THE PENALTY LIAM CRAIG SENT STEPHEN ROBERTSON THE WRONG WAY AND THE BALL INTO THE NET TO GIVE ST JOHNSTONE THE LEAD. A FEW MINUTES LATER AIRDRIE MADE TWO SUBSTITUTIONS AS KEVIN WATT AND STEPHEN MAGUIRE CAME ON FOR DAVID NIXON AND STEVEN MCDOUGALL. STEPHEN MAGUIRE WAS INVOLVED QUICKLY AS A MINUTE AFTER HIS INTRODUCTION HE HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT ALAN MAIN MADE THE SAVE. WITH ONLY ONE MINUTE OF THE GAME REMAINING AIRDRIE HAD THEIR FINAL CHANCE AS KEVIN WATT PASSED THE BALL TO JOE CARDLE AND HE SENT A DANGEROUS CROSS INTO THE BOX WHICH STEPHEN MAGUIRE GOT ONTO WITH A DIVING HEADER AND IT WENT FLYING INTO THE NET FOR THE EQUALIZER. DURING STOPPAGE TIME ST JOHNSTONE HAD ONE LAST CHANCE WHEN THEY WON A CORNER AS FROM IT THE BALL WAS CROSSED INTO THE BOX AND KEVIN RUTKIEWITZ SENT A SHOT GOALWARDS BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON MADE THE SAVE AND THE GAME FINISHED 1-1.