AIRDRIE UTD

Ross County

Unfortunately for me, I missed the game due to work commitments, so can only go with the news that’s been reported till this point. Airdrie took the lead in 16 minutes thanks to Martin Hardie’s first goal for the club after a goalmouth scramble. It’s been a long time coming for big Martin and hopefully this one will lead to the floodgates opening for him. Certainly in recent weeks he’s certainly looked a goal threat from midfield, let’s hope he can be the kind of player that can regularly score 8-12 per season from midfield. Airdrie relinquished the lead 5 minutes from half time when skipper Stephen Docherty was reported to have sliced the ball into his own net. Not much else has been reported other than that Paul Lovering struck late in the game, headering home a McLaren cross.

Around the division it was a fairly hectic day on the Sky Sports News results service. Early on in the afternoon there was a brief respite for the rest of the division when Falkirk fell behind to a David Hannah penalty against St. Johnstone. When I heard that old Yogi was playing for Falkirk I’d hoped that this was the start of a well due slide for them, but they eventually got back into it with a McBreen goal before Kevin eyechartname got sent off for the Perth side. Eventually Latapy and McBreen ground out the win to keep Falkirk on top. Clyde were also slipping up at home to Hamilton. I wasn’t so sure if this was one to get excited about, but just like Falkirk, Clyde overcame an early deficit to condemn a brave display by Hamilton. At least it keeps them behind us!

It was another painful day for Plastic Whistle again. Just like we did a couple of weeks ago, Thistle came a cropper down at Palmerston thanks to David Craig’s 80th minute goal. One has to wonder just how long that Britton and Whyte are going to get down at Firhill to turn things around for the ailing Maryhill side. Thistle, for all that our rivalry prevents me from liking them, are one of the sides that are trying to do things right and for that I have nothing but respect for them. Unlike sides like ICT who’re treading a very fine line with suicidal financial gambles, Plastic have resisted temptation, once bitten…, but have suffered possibly by making poor managerial moves. Gerry Collins, in my opinion, quite simply a horrific decision by them to replace old pigeon luvin’ Lambie two seasons ago, as he was a classic ‘number two’. Guys like McVeigh, Archie Knox and a few others of that ilk have all been there and failed to make the transition. It was a cheap move that’s still not been properly rectified. They compounded it by giving the reins to a couple of managerial novices who may have taken the job just a little too early in their development. Thistle have some right good players but just don’t look like a team. I’m guessing that a few more weeks without a major improvement will see them look for an experience boss. In a twisted sort of way, they’re needed back as a first division force. It’d be a horrible place, for us anyway, without them. What would it be like beating a wounded Thistle side regularly? Utterly boring that’s what!!

Performance of the day was almost going to go to Gordon Dalziel’s Raith side who held out for an hour at Love Street till former diamond Brian McGinty scored with a penalty, the only goal of the game. That leaves Airdrie in sixth place in the league a massive 15 points behind Falkirk, 13 points behind Clyde, 12 behind St. Mirren, only four behind Queens of Dumfries, level with St. Johnstone (but four goals worse off), one ahead of Ross County, 2 ahead of Partick, four ahead of Hamilton, and poor old Raith are stuck on 5 points as they recover from that disastrous ‘Anelka’ era.