INFO
STRANRAER UNDER 17S 1-6 AIRDRIE UNITED UNDER 17S
LEAGUE GAME 4
VENUE � STRANRAER ACADEMY
KICK OFF TIME � 2:00PM
DATE - 07 SEPTEMBER 2008
STARTING 11
1 � ANDY COLLIER, 2 � MARTIN REILLY, 3 � BRIAN MCKINLAY, 4 � LIAM SLOAN,, 5 � MARK LAFFERTY, 6 � FRASER KEAST,
7 � STEPHEN SWEENEY, 8 - CLARK RANKIN, 9 � SCOTT SALLY, 10 � DANIEL FITZPATRICK - MAN OF THE MATCH,
11 - BRIAN LEE
SUBSTITUTES � ALL USED
12. DEAN HERON FOR 7. STEVEN SWEENEY, 14. ALLY MORGAN FOR 11. BRIAN LEE
MAN OF THE MATCH
10 - DANIEL FITZPATRICK
MATCH REPORT
A COMFORTABLE VICTORY FOR THE DIAMONDS IN THIS ONE IN A MATCH THEY DOMINATED FROM THE START. AIRDRIE LOOKED COMFORTABLE THROUGHOUT THE MATCH AND PLAYED SOME THOROUGHLY ENTERTAINING FOOTBALL AGAINST A HARD WORKING STRANRAER SIDE.
UNITED TOOK THE LEAD AFTER 4 MINUTES WHEN A FLOATED LONG DIAGONAL BALL FROM LEFT-BACK MCKINLAY ALLOWED FITZPATRICK TO NIP IN IN FRONT OF THE STRANRAER GOALKEEPER TO FINISH. AIRDRIE LOOKED TO BUILD ON THEIR EARLY LEAD AND CONTINUED TO PRESS THE STRANRAER DEFERENCE, AND CREATED A NUMBER OF GOOD EARLY CHANCES. CONFUSION IN THE HOME SIDES� DEFENCE IN THE 12TH MINUTE ALLOWED AIRDRIE TO DOUBLE THEIR LEAD, AFTER ANOTHER FLOATED DIAGONAL BALL FROM BRIAN MCKINLAY FORCED THE STRANRAER GOALKEEPER INTO A MISTAKE AND SCOTT SALLY POUNCED ON THE DROPPED BALL AND FINISHED INTO AN OPEN NET FOR 2-0.
STRANRAER FOUGHT BACK AND REFUSED TO GIVE IN, ANDY COLLIER MAKING A GREAT ONE ON ONE SAVE IN THE 15TH MINUTE TO DENT THE HOME SIDE AIRDRIE CONTINUED TO PRESS AFTER THIS WITH SEVERAL CHANCES BEING CREATED FROM WIDE POSITIONS AS STRANRAER FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO COPE WITH THE PACE OF THE DIAMONDS WIDE-MEN.
AIRDRIE WERE DENIED A THIRD ON THE HALF-HOUR AFTER GREAT BUILD UP PLAY, WITH STEVEN SWEENEY�S WIDE PASS FINDING FRASER KEAST, WHOSE DRIVEN LOW CROSS WAS DEFLECTED FOR A CORNER. CLARK RANKIN�S CORNER FROM THE LEFT FOUND SCOTT SALLY UNMARKED IN THE BOX, AND HIS HEADER WAS CLEARED OFF THE LINE, WITH THE CLEARANCE FALLING TO KEAST WHOSE DRIVEN SHOT WAS TIPPED ROUND THE POST BY THE GOALKEEPER. AIRDRIE WENT IN 2-0 UP AT HALF TIME AND DIDN�T HAVE TO WAIT LONG INTO THE SECOND HALF TO ADD TO THEIR GOAL TALLY. A CLARK RANKIN CORNER EVENTUALLY FINDING UNITED CAPTAIN LIAM SLOAN FOR A TAP IN FROM 5 YARDS. AIRDRIE CONTINUED TO PRESS AND CREATED SEVERAL MORE CHANCES BEFORE THE HOUR. UNITED CREATED A LOVELY WORKED FOURTH GOAL ON 70 MINUTES WITH THE 2 FORWARDS COMBINING SCOTT SALLY LATCHING ONTO A CUSHIONED HEADER FROM SUBSTITUTE DEAN HERON TO ROUND THE STRANRAER SUBSTITUTE GOALKEEPER AND FINISHING. 6 MINUTES LATER THE HOME SIDE GRABBED A CONSOLATION AFTER A LOSS OF CONCENTRATION IN THE AIRDRIE DEFENCE. THE DIAMONDS WENT BACK ON THE ATTACK AFTER CONCEDING, STRIKING THE WOODWORK TWICE IN 3 MINUTES, SCOTT SALLY�S SHOT FROM A TIGHT ANGLE HITTING THE UPRIGHT AND FALLING BACK INTO THE ARMS OF THE HOME SIDE�S GOALKEEPER AND ON 85 A BRIAN MCKINLAY EFFORT FROM 25 YARDS STRUCK THE TOP OF THE CROSSBAR. DANIEL FITZPATRICK SCORED HIS 2ND AND AIRDRIE�S 5TH IN THE 87TH MINUTE WITH A WONDERFUL 25-YARD STRIKE THAT FOUND THE TOP CORNER WITH THE STRANRAER GOALKEEPER HELPLESS. A MINUTE LATER CLARK RANKIN ROUNDED OFF THE SCORING WITH A TREMENDOUS INDIVIDUAL GOAL, WITH A POWERFUL RUN FROM DEEP BEATING 3 STRANRAER DEFENDERS IN THE PROCESS AND FINISHING WITH A LOVELY PLACED EFFORT DOWN TO THE GOALKEEPERS� LEFT HAND SIDE.
OVERALL AIRDRIE WILL BE SATISFIED WITH THE VICTORY IN A MATCH WHERE THEY CREATED A MOUNTAIN OF CHANCES, THE STRANRAER GOAL DENYING THE DIAMONDS A FIRST CLEAN SHEET OF THE SEASON.
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THANKS GO TO ANDREW EASTON FOR THE MATCH REPORT.
THANKS. CEEFAX