Airdrie (4) v. Dundee (0): 29/10/05

AIRDRIE UTD

Dundee

FIRST HALFWhat can you say about the whirlwind start? Brian McPhee ensured that David McKinney would need to seriously shorten his Jackanory type ‘commentary’ on Football First tomorrow with a goal timed at only 16 seconds. A prod from Prunty was chased by McPhee who nicked the ball past Mann before giving Soutar no chance in the Dundee goal. One nil up and Dundee’s first touch is from the re-start! Stephen MacDougall’s presence on the left wing ensured that Dundee didn’t get a chance to settle down and fight back. The youngster dazzled Dundee’s defence with a scorching run, he looked up, pulled the ball back, but carelessness on the edge of the box let the early chance to double up slip. Airdrie did double the lead midway through the half. Bryan Prunty had Soutar scrambling to tip a stunning shot round his post. From the inswing corner by MacDougall, the ball was played back across goal for McPhee to leap magnificently to power home emphatically from close range.

MATCH UP Both sides thankfully adopted a 442 formation for this one. Lovering slipped back into the side, hopefully for a good run now, at left back, with the other three moving across one. Barkey was on the right of the midfield four, a move that had me wondering if it would work, with McKeown and Hardie in a more conventional midfield set up that seemed to work for both of them. Dundee made a quick substitution midway through the first half to allow Brady to mark MacDougall a lot tighter. Airdrie didn’t really lose any battles across the park. The midfield, possibly Dundee’s strongest area was a no-contest. Alan McManus was superbly abetted by his three defensive colleagues and was never threatened to the point it took Dundee a full 73 minutes to get a shot on target. Barkey defended well on the right flank and MacDougall simply terrorised them on the left. The main contribution was from McPhee who simply destroyed Bobby Mann for pace, time and again.

SECOND HALFAirdrie seemed keen to just get by in second gear but eventually they just oozed past Dundee who hardly made a fist of it. MacDougall had an outstanding chance to out do Alan Gow by racing from the halfway line, zipping through the Dundee defence but an outstanding save from Soutar, Dundee’s best performer, denied young Stephen his goal of the season contender. McPhee did make Dundee suffer more though. A cross from the right was palmed away by slumbering defender Mann, who went unpunished despite and earlier yellow for his second bookable offence (that’s three in total btw), and Stephen McKeown stroked home the spot kick. McPhee wasn’t finished either. Now partnered by Hardie up front after Docherty replace Prunty, he set up Hardie with a pinpoint through ball for the midfielder cum striker stylishly finish.

GOING FORWARD What a confidence booster ahead of next week’s visit to St. Johnstone. The Perth side were beaten 2-1 by Ross County today so Airdrie will surely be looking to cause another upset. There wasn’t a bad performance in the Airdrie side, the most notable being the return to the starting line-up by Brian McPhee. Hardie too looks to be finally coming into form after a month of playing half fit. It’s been difficult for us fans to watch but hopefully we’ll be better off for it during the winter if this form was anything to go by. Where will McLaren fit in when he’s back? On this evidence he’ll need to wait for a chance. Same goes for Docherty and Dunn. Well done Sandy Stewart for pleasantly catching us all by surprise and ENTERTAINING us with an all out assault of direct play.