INFO
ST JOHNSTONE 3-0 AIRDRIE UNITED
LEAGUE GAME 30
VENUE � MCDIARMID PARK
KICK OFF TIME � 3:00PM
DATE � SATURDAY 21 MARCH 2009
STARTING 11
1 � STEPHEN ROBERTSON, 2 � WILLIAM MCLACHLAN, 3 � DAVID NIXON, 4 - MARC SMYTH (CAPTAIN), 5 � BOBBY DONNELLY,
6 � SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, 7 � DARREN SMITH, 8 - STEPHEN MCKENNA, 9 � SIMON LYNCH, 10 � JOHN BAIRD,
11 � STEVEN MCDOUGALL � MAN OF THE MATCH
SUBS - USED
14 � KEVIN MCDONALD FOR 7 � DARREN SMITH, 15 � KEVIN WATT FOR 9 � SIMON LYNCH,
16 � STEPHEN MAGUIRE FOR 3 � DAVID NIXON
SUBS - NOT USED
12 � PAUL LOVERING, 17 � LEE HOLLIS
MAN OF THE MATCH
11 - STEVEN MCDOUGALL
MATCH REPORT
AIRDRIE UNITED�S FIVE GAME UNBEATEN RUN CAME TO AN END TODAY AS THEY LOST 3-0 AGAINST LEAGUE LEADERS ST JOHNSTONE AT MCDIARMID PARK.
FOR THE GAME AIRDRIE MADE ONE CHANGE TO THE STARTING ELEVEN FROM THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH GAME AS SIMON LYNCH WAS HANDED A START DUE TO PAUL DI GIACOMO MISSING THE GAME THROUGH INJURY.
FIRST HALF
AIRDRIE HAD THEIR BEST CHANCE OF THE GAME WITH THE FIRST CHANCE OF IT ON THE 7TH MINUTE AS SIMON LYNCH NIPPED IN AND HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT ALAN MAIN MADE THE SAVE. ST JOHNSTONE WAS TO HAVE THE MAJORITY OF CHANCES THOUGH AND ON THE 8TH MINUTE COLIN SAMUEL WHO WAS TO HAVE AN IMPRESSIVE GAME HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT WELL WIDE. THE SAME COULDN�T BE SAID FOUR MINUTES LATER THOUGH AS FROM ST JOHNSTONE�S LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE EDGE OF THE BOX HE EXCELLENTLY DRILLED THE BALL INTO THE BOTTOM CORNER OF THE NET TO GIVE STEPHEN ROBERTSON NO CHANCE AND ST JOHNSTONE THE LEAD.
ST JOHNSTONE WENT IN SEARCH OF A SECOND GOAL AND ON THE 18TH, 20TH AND 27TH MINUTES PAUL SHEERIN, KEVIN MOON AND STEVEN MILNE HAD SHOTS FROM THE TOP OF THE BOX BUT ALL OF THEM WERE OFF TARGET. COLIN SAMUEL CAME CLOSE TO GETTING HIS SECOND GOAL OF THE GAME THOUGH ON THE 28TH MINUTE AS FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT HE HIT A POWERFUL SHOT WHICH STEPHEN ROBERTSON PARRIED AWAY. SHORTLY AFTER THIS AIRDRIE HAD A STRONG PENALTY APPEAL TURNED DOWN BY REFEREE BRIAN WINTER AS STEPHEN MCKENNA LOOKED TO HAVE BEEN HAULED DOWN IN THE BOX BY ST JOHNSTONE GOALKEEPER ALAN MAIN.
ST JOHNSTONE WERE RELIVED TO GET AWAY WITH THAT AND ON THE 30TH MINUTE THEY WON A FREE KICK AND FROM IT LIAM CRAIG CROSSED THE BALL INTO THE BACK POST AND AN UNMARKED STUART MCCAFFREY SENT A HEADER GOALWARDS BUT STEPHEN ROBERTSON GOT DOWN LOW TO TURN THE BALL AROUND THE POST AND FROM THE CORNER THE BALL WAS CLEARED. SIX MINUTES LATER THOUGH ST JOHNSTONE DOUBLED THEIR LEAD AS COLIN SAMUEL COLLECTED STEVEN MILNE�S FLICK ON AND SLOTTED THE BALL BY STEPHEN ROBERTSON AND INTO THE NET TO ENSURE ST JOHNSTONE WENT INTO HALF TIME WITH A TWO GOAL LEAD.
SECOND HALF
AIRDRIE NEARLY FOUND A WAY BACK INTO THE GAME THREE MINUTES INTO THE HALF AS FROM ABOUT 30 YARDS SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN HIT A SHOT WHICH ALAN MAIN TIPPED AROUND THE POST AND FROM THE CORNER NO DANGER WAS CAUSED. A FEW MINUTES LATER WILLIAM MCLACHLAN TRIED HIS LUCK FROM ABOUT 35 YARDS OUT BUT HIS EFFORT WENT HIGH AND WIDE. ST JOHNSTONE ATTEMPTED TO FINISH AIRDRIE OFF AND ON THE 57TH AND 59TH MINUTE STEVEN MILNE AND COLIN SAMUEL HAD EFFORTS SAVED BY STEPHEN ROBERTSON.
ST JOHNSTONE MADE THEIR FIRST SUBSTITUTION ON THE 63RD MINUTE AS THERE BEST PLAYER COLIN SAMUEL WHO HAD JUST RETURNED FROM INJURY WAS REPLACED BY GAVIN SWANKIE. IT WAS TO BE STEVEN MILNE WHO HAD THE NEXT TWO CHANCES FOR ST JOHNSTONE THOUGH BUT NONE OF THEM WERE ON TARGET. THEN ON THE 68TH MINUTE STEPHEN MCKENNA HAD A CHANCE FOR THE DIAMONDS WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT WELL WIDE.
ON THE 71ST, 76TH AND 79TH MINUTE AIRDRIE MADE ALL OF THREE OF THEIR SUBSTITUTIONS AS KEVIN MCDONALD, KEVIN WATT AND STEPHEN MAGUIRE CAME ON FOR DARREN SMITH, SIMON LYNCH AND DAVID NIXON AND DURING THIS TIME ST JOHNSTONE MADE A SECOND SUBSTITUTION AS GRAHAM BARRETT CAME ON FOR DEREK HOLMES. IT WAS GRAHAM BARRETT WHO HAD THE NEXT CHANCE OF THE GAME AS WELL AS ON THE 83RD MINUTE HE HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT WIDE.
AIRDRIE WAS TO HAVE ANOTHER TWO CHANCES BEFORE THE END OF THE GAME AND ON THE 86TH MINUTE STEPHEN MCKENNA HAD THE FIRST OF THESE WHEN HE HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 30 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT WIDE. A MINUTE LATER ST JOHNSTONE MADE THEIR FINAL SUBSTITUTION AS FORMER AIRDRIE UNITED PLAYER MARTIN HARDIE CAME ON FOR LIAM CRAIG. IT WAS AIRDRIE WHO HAD THEIR FINAL CHANCE NEXT THOUGH AS FROM INSIDE THE BOX MARC SMYTH HIT A SHOT BUT AGAIN ALAN MAIN MADE THE SAVE. DURING STOPPAGE TIME ST JOHNSTONE HAD THEIR LAST CHANCE THOUGH AS STEVEN MILNE PASSED THE BALL TO AN UNMARKED PAUL SHEERIN AND HE TURNED THE BALL INTO THE NET TO WIN THE GAME 3-0.