INFO
AIRDRIE UNITED 0-4 ST JOHNSTONE
LEAGUE GAME 36
VENUE � EXCELSIOR
KICK OFF TIME � 7:45PM
DATE � MONDAY 11 MAY 2009
STARTING 11
1 � LEE HOLLIS, 2 - JAMIE BAIN, 3 - MATTHEW HAZLEY, 4 - PADDY MCCABE - MAN OF THE MATCH, 5 - LIAM SLOAN,
6 - DAVID TAYLOR, 7 - FRASER KEAST, 8 -KEVIN WATT, 9 - STEPHEN MAGUIRE, 10 - MICHAEL BROWN, 11 - STUART NOBLE
SUBS - USED
14 - KEIRAN DONAGHY FOR 9 - STEPHEN MAGUIRE, 15 - RYAN DONNELLY FOR 8 - KEVIN WATT,
16 - STEFAN MCCLUSKEY FOR 7 - FRASER KEAST
SUBS - NOT USED
12 - PAUL BYRNE, 17 - ANDREW COLLIER
MAN OF THE MATCH
4 - PADDY MCCABE
MATCH REPORT
AIRDRIE UNITED�S LEAGUE CAMPAIGN ENDED IN A 4-0 DEFEAT AGAINST CHAMPIONS ST JOHNSTONE AT THE EXCELSIOR.
HOWEVER FOR THE GAME THE DIAMONDS RESTED THEIR ENTIRE STARTING ELEVEN FROM THE PREVIOUS GAME AHEAD OF THE PLAYOFF SEMI FINAL 1ST LEG AGAINST PETERHEAD ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND DUE TO THIS FIVE PLAYERS FROM OUR UNDER 17S / UNDER 19S WERE HANDED FIRST TEAM DEBUTS AND ON THE SUBSTITUTES BENCH WAS ANOTHER FIVE PLAYERS FROM OUR UNDER 17S / UNDER 19S SQUADS INCLUDING PAUL BYRNE WHO HAD MADE HIS DEBUT FOR THE FIRST TEAM IN THE FINAL GAME OF LAST SEASON AGAINST AYR UNITED. MEANWHILE ST JOHNSTONE FIELDED A MORE EXPERIENCED TEAM WHICH INCLUDED PAUL SHEERIN, KEVIN MOON AND COLIN SAMUEL BUT ALSO GAVE DEBUTS TO TWO UNDER 17S PLAYERS AND INCLUDED ANOTHER TWO ON THEIR SUBSTITUTE�S BENCH.
FIRST HALF
ST JOHNSTONE BEGAN THE GAME AT A FAST TEMPO AND DURING THE OPENING FEW MINUTES OF THE GAME GRAHAM BARRETT HAD TWO CHANCES FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT THE FIRST OF THEM WAS SAVED BY LEE HOLLIS�S LEG AND THE SECOND WENT WIDE. ON THE 16TH MINUTE PAUL SHEERIN HAD THE NEXT CHANCE FOR ST JOHNSTONE WHEN HE HIT A CURLING SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR. AIRDRIE HAD THEIR FIRST CHANCE OF THE GAME ON THE 25TH MINUTE WHEN STEPHEN MAGUIRE HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT BUT ST JOHNSTONE GOALKEEPER EUAN MCLEAN MADE AN EASY. A FEW MINUTES LATER ST JOHNSTONE WON A CORNER AND FROM GAVIN SWANKIE CROSSED THE BALL INTO THE BOX AND AN UNMARKED STEPHEN REYNOLDS GOT ONTO IT WITH A HEADER BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR.
IT WAS AIRDRIE WHO HAD THE BEST CHANCE OF THE HALF ON THE 32ND MINUTE THOUGH AS FROM A KEVIN WATT CROSS INTO THE BOX STEPHEN MAGUIRE GOT ONTO THE END OF IT WITH A SHOT BUT EUAN MCLEAN FANTASTICALLY PULLED OFF A REFLEX SAVE TO TURN THE BALL AROUND THE POST AND FROM THE RESULTING CORNER THE DANGER WAS CLEARED. WITH ONLY THREE MINUTES OF THE HALF REMAINING ST JOHNSTONE HAD THE FINAL CHANCE OF IT WHEN GRAHAM BARRETT RACED ONE ON ONE WITH LEE HOLLIS AND HIT A SHOT BUT IT WENT FLYING OVER THE BAR AND GAME HEADED INTO HALF TIME GOALLESS.
SECOND HALF
ST JOHNSTONE MADE THE BREAKTHROUGH IN THE GAME DURING THE OPENING FIVE MINUTES OF THE HALF AS FROM A JOHNNY LINDSAY DEEP CROSS T THE BACK POST GRAHAM BARRETT GOT ONTO THE END OF IT WITH A HEADER WHICH LEE HOLLIS FAILED TO DEAL WITH AND RESULTED IN PAUL SHEERIN HITTING A SHOT WHICH HIT THE POST AND FELL TO GRAHAM BARRETT AND HE LAID THE BALL OFF TO TEAM MATE GAVIN SWANKIE WHO TURNED THE BALL INTO THE NET TO GIVE THEM THE LEAD. FIVE MINUTES AFTER THIS GOAL ST JOHNSTONE HAD A CHANCE FROM INSIDE THE BOX TO DOUBLE THEIR LEAD BUT THE SHOT WENT OVER THE BAR.
ST JOHNSTONE CONTINUED THERE SEARCH FOR A SECOND GOAL AND ON THE 58TH MINUTE STEVEN ANDERSON GOT ONTO THE END OF A GAVIN SWANKIE FREE KICK INTO THE BOX WITH A HEADER BUT LEE HOLLIS EXCELLENTLY TURNED THE BALL AROUND THE POST AND FROM THE CORNER THE DANGER WAS CLEARED. SEVEN MINUTES LATER MICHAEL BROWN HAD AIRDRIE�S FIRST CHANCE OF THE HALF WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT WIDE. SHORTLY AFTER THIS ST JOHNSTONE SUBSTITUTE STEVEN MILNE RACED THROUGH ON GOAL AND HIT A SHOT BUT IT WENT WIDE. AIRDRIE MADE THEIR FIRST SUBSTITUTION OF THE GAME AFTER THIS AS UNDER 19S PLAYER STEFAN MCCLUSKEY CAME ON FOR UNDER 17S PLAYER FRASER KEAST. TWO MINUTES LATER STUART NOBLE HAD A GO FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT FOR AIRDRIE BUT EUAN MCLEAN MADE THE SAVE.
ON THE 80TH MINUTE ST JOHNSTONE DOUBLED THEIR LEAD AS FROM A CORNER PAUL SHEERIN CROSSED THE BALL INTO THE BACK AND STEVEN ANDERSON WHO WAS UNMARKED ROSE TO HEAD THE BALL INTO THE NET. THE DIAMONDS MADE THEIR FINAL TWO SUBSTITUTIONS AFTER THIS AS KEIRAN DONAGHY AND RYAN DONNELLY CAME ON FOR STEPHEN MAGUIRE AND KEVIN WATT. THEN WITH ONLY FOUR MINUTES OF THE GAME REMAINING ST JOHNSTONE SCORED AGAIN AS SUBSTITUTE STEVIE MAY WHO PLAYS WITH THEIR UNDER 17S RACED ONTO A LONG BALL AND EXCELLENTLY RIFLED THE BALL INTO THE NET FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX. DURING INJURY TIME ST JOHNSTONE ADDED A FOURTH GOAL AS FROM INSIDE THE BOX GRAHAM BARRETT SENT A SHOT HIGH INTO THE NET TO WIN THE GAME 4-0 FOR THE FIRST DIVISION CHAMPIONS.