Match Report

MATCH REPORT
Stenhousemuir v Airdrieonians at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 18.8.18
Ladbrokes SPFL League One Att 708
Stenhousemuir 1 [Crighton og 45] Airdrieonians 2 [Conroy 42, 55]

Stenhousemuir – Smith, Reid, Donaldson [McMenamin 85], Neill [b90], Tena, Gibbons [Vaughan 74], O’Hara, McGuigan, Duthie [Ross 58], Cook and Dickson. Subs not used – McMinn, McBrearty, Johnson and Halleran,

Airdrieonians – Hutton, Robertson [so 13], MacDonald, Page, Crighton, Cairns [Gallagher 81], Stewart, Conroy, Duffy [b20] [L.McIntosh 20][Russell 74], Carrick and Victoria. Subs not used – McKenzie, Edwards, and S.McIntosh.

Referee – David Lowe Assistants – Gary Hilland and Craig Ferguson

For a while Stenhousemuir have had the upper hand against Airdrie but on this occasion despite most things against the visitors it was Airdrie who travelled home with all three points.

The game had started well for Stenhousemuir and in the first five minutes Kevin O’Hara on his league debut flashed a shot just wide after a weighted pass from Alan Cook. In the 13th minute Airdrie were reduced to ten men after a foul by Scott Robertson on Cook was deemed to be worthy of a straight red card by referee David Lowe.

This definitely riled the visitors and thereafter they had their best spell of the game with Joao Victoria’s cross being met by Sean Crighton whose header struck the bar and the rebound was cleared off the line before being eventually cleared for a corner which was once again met by Crighton and this time his header was cleared off the line by Mark McGuigan.

Airdrie suffered another self inflicted blow in the 20th minute when Darryl Duffy limped off the field after being injured in a tackle with Jesus Tena. To make things worse for the striker he was cautioned for the tackle as he left the pitch. Despite having a man advantage Stenhousemuir were struggling to make inroads towards the Airdrie goal and it took until the 27th minute for David Hutton to be called into action when he made a brave save at the feet of O’Hara after he had been played in by Kieran Gibbons. The following corner saw a cleaver back-heel by Tena to O’Hara but his first time effort was once again saved. Towards the end of the half Hutton was required to make a top class save after an Airdrie player almost diverted a corner into his own net and this was quickly followed by a more routine stop from a Conner Duthie drive.

These saves had kept Airdrie in the game and they took full advantage by taking the lead in the 42nd minute when a pinpoint cross by Kieran MacDonald picked out Ryan Conroy and his header was steered into the top corner. In the 45th minute though Stenhousemuir drew level. Cook picked up a pass from Tena at the centre circle and ran towards goal before firing in a shot which the unfortunate Crighton turned into his own net.

That equaliser should have been the forebearer of better things for the home side and they came close once again in the 51st minute when Hutton brought off another fine save this time from Gibbons. Four minutes later Airdrie took the lead once more after poor defending was punished when a loose ball found its way to Conroy and he took full advantage to fire the ball into the net. O’Hara then had another shot tipped round the post before Seb Ross on his return to the team after injury created an opening with good footwork but his final pass failed to pick out anyone in the box. Leighton McIntosh had to leave the field with an ear injury in 74 minute but that didn’t hinder them too much and in the 80th minute Graeme Smith was forced into action to deny Dale Carrick who had created an opening with a strong run.

In the last couple of minutes Bobby Vaughan shot wide from close range and Colin McMenamin was denied by Hutton who once again brought off a top class save to ensure the points went west.