By Stomp Admin
August 2 2009

Airdrie were knocked out of the cup on Penalties by Alloa after 120 minutes of football and 95 minutes of playing with a man down after team captain Paul Loveing was shown a deserved straight red for going in to a tackle with his studs up, again!

Airdrie 0 - 0 Alloa (3-4 on Penalties)

The Team

Robertson (My MOTM)
Smith, Donnelly, Nixon, Lovering.
MacDonald, McLaughlin, Lagana.
Baird, Gemmill, Trouten.

Kenny Black set out his stall and opted for a 4-3-3 formation, a tactic that should have given us more scoring opportunities. Allan Maitland settled for the standard 4-4-2.

On the way to the match with friends, I stated that yesterday's game was probably going to decide in many peoples minds our place in the 2nd division, if we had won comfortably we were champions elect, lose and the season was already over, a draw and the jury was still out.

Yesterday's game, was a not proven verdict, but did show us one thing, we need a proven goal scorer!

Airdrie were slow to settle in to the 4-3-3 formation, in the opening 7 minutes Alloa controlled the match but never managed to actually threaten. Airdrie's first shot on goal came from Kevin MacDonald. Australian signing Lagana fed a neat ball through the defence and MacDonalds shot forced Alloa keeper Crawford to pull off an excellent save.

Then on 25 minutes, Airdrie were reduced to 10 men, as said above I've no complaints about the sending off, Team Captain Paul Lovering went in with his studs showing and not for the first time was shown a straight red card, in what's going to be a tough season with regards squad availability this isn't the way to start the campaign.

I think Kenny Black then did the right thing, he didn't make a rash decision by making substitutions, Scotty McLaughlin replaced Lovering at left back, Trouten dropped back in to mid-field where I think he had a better game and we kept two up front.

Alloa against our 10 men then took control of the rest of the half, Robertson was forced into pulling off three brilliant saves, one in particular left him lying on his back in a daze near then end of the first half, a shot from Noble, that by all accounts Robertson saved with his face. 

Yet Airdrie in the first half could still have opened the scoring, Gemmill had a half chance that trickled in to the keepers arms and MacDonald had a header that if he had managed to get over the ball instead of under it could have made this a different story.

The second half was simply a battle of wills, both teams had half chances, Robertson continued to pull off saves to keep us in the match and our forward line offered very little and the match ran out as a 0-0 draw in torrential rain.

Injury Time saw two very tired teams battling to keep out of the puddles, play slowed to a dull pace as the ball held up on the water logged pitch. Then Alloa's Callum Anderson, levelled the field. In a carbon copy of Loverings tackle he was shown a straight red and went for an early shower. Although both teams huffed and puffed there was to be no goals in the match and penalties decided who progressed, to the next round of the Co-operative Insurance Cup.

Airdrie fizzle out of the Coorperate Insurance Cup

Discussion started by The Stomp (IP Logged), 02/08/2009 11:18

The Stomp
02/08/2009 11:18

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Johnny Texas
02/08/2009 12:18

I todays papers Kenny says he will look at the tackle that got Paul sent off before he comments, I think you have more to worry about Kenny, we look like we could have played till next week and not scored. I honestly think that until we get someone who can score goals we will stay in this division. This has got to be the worst Airdrie team I have watched.

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Diamond Daft
02/08/2009 14:27

definetely the worst Airdrie team i have came accross.
every second ball is a punt up the park to a guy of 5ft 5, who is up against 2 lads who are well over 6ft, its not @#$%& rocket science.

when we have the ball on the deck we can play some half decent football but never an end product.

out on the alba cup and the cis in a week, so use this to just concentrate on the league. if we dont beat arbroth 4-0 next week i wont b back

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wilkman2112
02/08/2009 16:36

you wont be back then!

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++AmmO++
02/08/2009 20:53

when was the last time Albion Rovers were left in 2 cups longer than Airdrie??

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Diamond Daft
02/08/2009 22:18

my point exactly wilkman !

aslong as kenny is in charge airdrie will continue on a downward spiral, going up and down from the first divisionto the second and then eventually being barely a top half seconddivison team then eventually we will be in the 3rd.

breaks my heart to admit it but and things will dfinety get worse before they get better

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Sergeant Wilson
02/08/2009 22:39

What the @#$%& is The Coorperate Insurance Cup?

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