AIRDRIE UTD

Clyde

Airdrie were the first to threaten when Peter Cherrie was penalised for handling just outside of his own penalty area but Airdrie's free kick cannoned off a defender for a corner kick. Clyde hit the top of Airdrie's crossbar from an O'Donnell freekick that looked to be floating comfortably over. All in all though it was a poor first half in terms of entertainment as both teams tried to probe for mistakes from a long ball game that was overused. On the plus side for Airdrie the reshaped defence that held out manfully against Gretna fared no worse today either and gives Airdrie great hope looking forward. However too many misplaced passes in the last third kept the scoreline blank at the break and please, don't mention that strutting peacock in the specsavers jersey. I've always hated that KPMG £$^@><* and always think he's had it in for us.

After the half time cuppa Airdrie took a quick lead thanks to Xavier Barrau's first goal for the club when he headed on a Twigg flick on that deceived the Clyde defence. However it only took a couple of minutes for odious referee Dougal to gain retribution by awarding Clyde a pathetic free kick on the edge of our 18 yard box in line with the penalty spot. Clyde found the wall but the rebound was expertly returned across goal by Michael Zidane McGowan for Stephen O'Donnell to rocket past the impressive Stephen Robertson.

However the game was won on the introduction of Bryan Prunty. Airdrie's top man, who has been struggling with illness and injury, came off the bench for the rather ineffective Twigg and within minutes he hustled the ball back off of the Clyde defence for Holmes and McPhee to tee up Kevin MacDonald to slam home the winner.

Not a great entertaining performance but that is as much to do with a well organised and mobile Clyde team but Airdrie had a bit more class and experience. Airdrie can look forward now. We can improve on today's performance, we weren't firing on all cylinders and we still have Prunty and McKeown to come back, though to be fair, if MacDonald and Holmes continue to impress Dosser may have a fight on his hands. A good situation for Sandy Stewart to have after the catastrophic start his side made.