Friendly report:- Dumbarton1 -Vs - 1 Airdrie

By Chris Mac
July 30 2005

In a closed door friendly in Dumbarton a poor Airdrie team never got out of second gear. We seemed bereft of ideas and play after play broke down before the attack had a chance to take form.

Starting Line up

Hollis
Coyle, mcManus, McGowan,Lovering
McPhee, Docherty, Dunn, McLaren

Twigg, Roberts 

 

 

Airdrie came close to opening the scoring on fifteen minutes when Roberts played McLaren through, his shot went in to the side netting. The game was turning in to a mid-field battle, with out the actual battle. On the half hour mark Gary Twigg passed to Brian McPhee on the wing. His cross found Willie McLaren whose header was cleared by the Dumbarton defence. The ball fell to David Dunn and his shot flew by the far post. Dumbarton had their biggest chance to open the scoring when the broke through the centre of the Airdrie defence a last ditch tackle by Neil McGowan stopped them in their tracks.

It was nil-nil at the end of the first half and Sandy made a few changes for the second half. McKenna came in to play for Alan McManus, Stephen McKeown replaced David Dunn, and Steven McDougal came on for Brian McPhee.

I find it difficult to say this but the defence was a shambles for most of this match; we have seemed more organised with a back four of Coyle, McManus, McKenna and McGowan. Whether Paul Lovering is just not match fit yet he seemed very much off the pace and left us exposed. Winning headers and playing balls forward Paul still seems as capable as always but something seemed missing.

It was through one of these defensive lapses that Dumbarton opened the scoring. After 10 minutes of the second half Dumbarton’s Kevin MacDonald played the ball across the goal and John Dillon fired in the first goal of the match.

It took until the final minutes of the game for Airdrie to get the equaliser, a cross from David Dunn found Brain McPhee surrounded by players he fought his way through and managed to score.

There were several other changes made through the second half that I actually lost track of who went on and off.

 

I will also mention that if this had been a full match Dumbarton would have found themselves down to nine men. One when McDougal went through three players and the third swiped his legs away from him.

The second was a foul on Neil McGowan, who may have been booked in a serious game for kicking the ball against the players back, but the Dumbarton Huk faced up to Neil and if the ref was not on hand this could have ended in a booking or sending off.