Raith 1 Vs. 2 Airdrie
By Chris Mac
August 9 2006
Airdrie travelled to Starks Park to take on Raith Rovers, in the first round of the CIS Insurance cup.
The match was not with out its difficulties but our performance warranted progressing in to the next round.
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CIS Cup first round
Report For Tuesday, 8th August 2006 |
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Raith Rovers |
1 V 2 |
Airdrie |
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Last Result
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Referee: Craig Thomson |
First Half
Airdrie started the match slowly, but as the players found their feet our passing game developed and we soon took control of the match.
Sandy Stewart only made one change from Saturday's line up; the change was positional rather than tactical. Mark Smyth and Stephen McKenna switched places. Smyth played right back and McKenna central defence.
Once we settled in to the match, we forced Raith Rovers to defend and created seven or eight chances before our opponents managed a single shot on goal. Willie McLaren had a shot come of the post. Graeme Holmes had a shot saved by Michael Brown in the Rovers goalmouth, as did Bryan Prunty, Stephen McKeown and Garry Twigg.
Michael Brown kept Raith in the game to such a degree that he even managed to save a penalty, earned by Stephen McDougall, who was sandwiched and brought down in the box, and taken by our usually unflappable Stephen McKeown. McKeown shot hard and low to the keeper's right hand side, but Brown had it covered and kept Raith Rovers in the game.
Disaster struck on 40 minutes, very much against the run of play Armand One struck a superb shot that gave Robertson no chance.
Airdrie went in at half time 1 - 0 down, but certainly not down and out, we were in this match and the score line flattered Raith Rovers. |
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Airdrie Line Up |
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Robertson
Smyth, Christie, McKenna, Lovering
McDougall (87), Holmes, McKeown, McLaren
Prunty, Twigg(76)
Subs:-
McPhee(76), Watson, Taylor (87), Hollis, Tairney | | |
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Second Half News |
Airdrie came off the blocks quickly and with only two minutes on the clock, Willie McLaren struck to give us the equaliser. Graeme Holmes sent a ball through the Raith Rovers defence that allowed McLaren to shoot past the keeper and the much-deserved equaliser was ours.
The match turned in to a mid-field battle and both teams had chances, Graeme Holmes gave us a lot of composure in the middle of the park and McKeown fought for every ball. McDougall ran and spun the Raith defence repeatedly but we still could not break the defence down. McLaren used his speed to our advantage but still nothing.
Then on seventy-three minutes, Garry Twigg made a decisive tackle just outside the Rovers penalty box. The ball broke to Graeme Holmes who slid the ball in to Bryan Prunty. Bryan circled the Brown in goals and slid the ball home from an acute angle. Making it two assists for Holmes, Bryan Prunty had his first goal of the season and a two - one lead for Airdrie.
Airdrie could have scored again, Willie McLaren found himself in plenty of space on the left, Holmes found McDougall and he sent a cross-field ball in to McLaren's path. Unfortunately, Brown was up to the task once again and the ball spun off him and out of play.
Raith Rovers were not out of the match yet and began battling for everything, sitting in the away stand we could not tell whether the Rovers fans had a legitimate claim for a handball in the box ruled out, but their players did not complain too much when the referee gave a corner instead of a handball.
Most of the late pressure was generated by the home team towards the end of the game, desperate for a late equaliser, but it was not to be. | |
Games: 14 Yellow Cards: 47 Red Cards: 2
