Saintees Vs Diamonds match preview


By Chris Mac
March 3 2006

Arguably our best two players will be sitting on the bench tomorrow as Airdrie travel to Perth to take on St Johnstone in what could prove to be a very cold and wintry day.

Bells First Division
Preview For Saturday, 17th February 2006

St Johnstone

V

Airdrie

Owen Coyle


Last Result
1-2
1-0
1-3

Sandy Stewart

So Owen Coyle Vs Sandy Stewart once again, although Sandy is winning this season battle with two wins to one Owen has proved that he has more pulling power when it comes to snapping up our players!

Does that sound like I am holding a grudge, maybe I am but it's not Coyle or St Johnstone I should be having a shot at it is the stupid rules that allow other clubs to approach our players before their contracts are up that needs looked at.

Sandy travels North knowing that Alan McManus will be returning to the fold next week for our match on the 11th against Dundee. We are also with out top goal scorer Brian Prunty who picked up an injury when playing against Livingston in a friendly match. A tough game is ahead but it gives the Airdrie support, who have chosen to travel, a chance to watch Gary Twigg play a full match since his return from an ankle injury.

Could this be Airdrie's first win of 2006, lets hope so....

From Sandy's interview on L107 tonight:- The loss of the game V Ross County was down to poor defending and individual error, hopefully after looking at video replays these errors will be elimanated.

It was a good work out against Livi and a lot of the fringe players were given a full 90 minutes and did very well indeed.

No doubt that tomorrows match will be a hard game and they have a very good home record of late.

Stepehen McKeown has more than deserved his new cantract and Sandy is hoping to te or three or four players in the coming weeks.



Match Preview by Chris Mac

Referee: Stuart Dougal

Airdrie Possible Line Up

Robertson
 Docherty, McKenna ,McGowan, Lovering

McDougall,  McKeown, Holmes, McLaren
 McPhee. Twigg


Opponents News

Owen Coyle has only one player missing from his first team selections Simon Mensing is serving a three match suspension.

Will Hardie make it in to the first team tomorrow? Who knows and it will be interesting to see what the Airdrie fans response is to him, should he be celebrated as an ex-player who done us proud or as a Judas who thanked Sandy Stewart for the chance he took on him by signing a pre-contract with another team in the same league.



Airdrie V Head To Heads

 

    Airdrie United wins   draws   St Johnstone wins
League 4 2 1
FA Cup 0 2 0
Total 4 4 1

Past Results

    Airdrie (old) wins   draws   St Johnstone wins
League 35 28 33
FA Cup 4 0 1
League Cup 4 0 2
Total 43 28 36

 

Games: 14 Yellow Cards: 47 Red Cards: 2

Ref Review Stuart Dougal

This Season Games: 29 Yellow Cards: 86 Red Cards: 8
Last Season Games: 23 Yellow Cards: 80 Red Cards: 3

Stuart Dougal took charge of our last match against St Johnstone just before Christmas a 2-1 win to Airdrie that saw Mensing getting sent off and McPhee being yellow carded.

Previous to that he took charge of the 1 - 1 draw against Hamilton in Spetember of last year.


Prediction

Airdrie need a win to kick start 2006 could it be tomorrow. I predict a 2-1 win to St Johnstone