Airdrie United Football
Club
Match Reports
Airdrie United (1) vs. St Johnstone (0)
10th August 2004
New Broomfield
Once again a second half goal
sealed the result in this game unlike Queen of the South last week it
was Airdrie United and our fans that would come away from this game
smiling.
Was it the Sun, Rose Ballantyne raising the Bells Second Division Championship
flag or the start of a new league season but the Airdrie United fans
seemed in buoyant mood, even after a exit from the Challenge Cup last
week to Queen of the South. From the start of our game with St Johnstone
it became evident that last weeks game had maybe given the team a shock
at the pace the 1st division is played at. The first half was a battle
of the midfields, sometimes a war of attrition as neither team found
a way to break the other down. A Paul Lovering cross that Owen Coyle
tried to volley in to the back of the net was the only real chance opportunity
Airdrie United had, when Owen missed the ball fell to Allan Gow whose
pass found Mark Roberts in resulting shot spun wide.
The second half and Airdrie United seem to come out in a more positive
mood, Mark Roberts seemed to take it upon himself to play a kind of
free role having stuck rigidly to his position on the left wing, he
began to wander in to the centre of the attack and was even found on
the right wing on occasion, whether a match plan was being hatch we
don't know but it seemed to put the St Johnstone defence on the back
foot. With the defence holding the ball up and looking for passes throughout
the game Airdrie United were managing to keep possession for long periods
of the game, Alan Gow was making run after run in to the penalty box
but to no avail. Then 5 minutes from the end of the game Alan Gow with
a run down the near side crosses the ball in to the far post, the two
defenders marking Owen Coyle followed him and the few seconds of disappointment
when Coyle missed the header was followed by jubilation as Jerome Varielle
snuck in behind the defence and volleyed the ball in to the back of
the net. 1-0 Airdrie United and the crowd went wild, now was the time
for cool heads and experience to take over. For the last three or four
minutes of the game Airdrie United played possession football holding
the ball whenever possible taking the ball in to the corners and just
making sure they kept the ball.
Our first points on the board the game ended Airdrie United (1) Vs.
St Johnstone (0)
Attendance:
- 2365
Match pictures supplied by Robert
Dalzell
50/50 Draw Number was:
Next Game: - Home to East Fife on Tue 10th August at
7:30p.m
