Airdrie United v Stenhousemuir at New Broomfield Park, Airdrie on 30.10.10

Irn Bru Scottish Second Division            Att 848

Airdrie United 1 [Bain 73] Stenhousemuir 0

 

Stenhousemuir went into this game at Airdrie fielding the same starting eleven that had a morale boosting victory over Dumbarton the previous week. This match was always going to be a much tougher proposition though against a side that had gave the Warriors the run-around in the previous encounter between the teams.

 

The Warriors started promisingly though and Paul Quinn had an effort blocked for a corner in the 4^th minute of the game. Airdrie responded with a Tony Watt effort that flew over a couple of minutes later. The game ebbed and flowed and the home side should have taken the lead in the 17^th minute when Gary Muir picked out Ryan Wallace but with time and space he slid his effort wide of the post. The game moved to the other end of the field and Eddie Forrest had to take a timely tackle on Willie Lyle in the penalty box to avert the danger. The Warriors came close in the 24^th minute when an Andy Stirling effort from a Grant Anderson cross sneaked just the wrong side of the post. Despite both teams trying hard to get the opening goal neither keeper was really tested in the first period with a Watt effort straight at Chris McCluskey and a swerving effort by Stevie Murray comfortably saved by Mark Ridgers being the closest efforts to a goal being scored.

 

The second half saw Ridgers called into action five minutes after the restart diving at the feet of Quinn before the first non-regulation save was made by McCluskey to prevent a Ross Clark own goal after the midfielder had intercepted a cross but had sent the ball goalwards. In the 55^th minute Ridgers kept the scores level when he saved an Anderson effort on the right edge of the 18 yard box after the Warrior’s player had created an opening down the left flank and he was thwarted once again four minutes later when Ridgers saved an effort with his feet.

 

Apart from a well timed block by Gary Thom on Scott Sally the home side’s efforts were mainly long range ones with the pick of those being a Jamie Bain strike that McCluskey tipped over the bar.

 

Two minutes later the breakthrough came and it was through a stunning effort from Jamie Bain that deserved a far better stage than this. the goal, an overhead kick from the edge of the box that flew into the top corner, was a candidate for one of the best goals ever seen at the New Broomfield Park [Shyberry Excelsior]. As Warriors manager John Coughlin said he could have tried that a hundred times and not had the same result. Although the final strike was unstoppable he would have been unhappy though in now easily the ball had been lost in the initial build up as Stevie Murray lost the ball cheaply in midfield and as a consequence the Warriors were put on the back foot.

 

Bain almost struck a second in the 78^th minute when quick footwork created an opening and although his effort beat McCluskey it struck the base of the post. Airdrie came close again when a Ryan Wallace header was cleared off the line by Thom.

 

As long as there was only one goal in it there was still a chance of getting something out of the game and when substitutes Grant Plenderleith and Pat Scullion combined to create an opening in the closing seconds of the game it looked as if the Warriors may be rewarded for their efforts but Scullion’s effort was blocked and the game ended with Airdrie victorious

 

This defeat maintains the appalling record that Stenhousemuir have at Airdrie both at the original and current stadiums as the losing sequence now extends to 11 league games in a row. Indeed a solitary victory away back in 1938/39 season remains the only time that they have even had a share of the points.

Airdrie United – Ridgers, Bain, Lovering, Forrest [b68], Gibson, McFarlane [t], Johnston [Craig 62], Stevenson [b76], Wallace, Watt [b31][Sally 52], Muir [Donnelly 72].

Subs not used – Grant and Szpilczynski

 

Stenhousemuir – McCluskey, Lyle, Thom [b47], Gibb, Smith, I.Thomson [Scullion 85], Anderson, Clark [Motion 85], Quinn [b45][Plenderleith 80], Stirling and Murray.

Subs not used – Brown and Fusco

 

Referee – Charlie Richmond      

Assistants – Alan Newlands and Howard Wilkin