AS Airdrie 5-0Forest
By Neil Brown
November 5 2006
AS AIRDRIE 5 FOREST 0
Airdrie made it two wins in a row with a 5-0 victory which on the balance of play was harsh on the visitors from Clydebank. Airdrie deserved to win but there wasn’t five goals in the game as the away keeper didn’t have a save to make. Airdrie instead took what chances came their way and scored 5 goals from about 7 good opportunities.
Three changes to the team saw Rowan and Morrison, through work, and Cooper, due to injury, drop out and Hendrie, Kenny Pardoe and Khorasani coming in to replace them as Airdrie stuck to the 4-4-2 formation that worked so well last week.
For the first 15minutes there was only one team in it as the visitors dominated the proceedings, good play from Forest saw Airdrie all over the place and unable to get their foot on the ball, indeed it was nearly 20 minutes before Airdrie played their first real bit of football with a 5 pass move which saw the defender make a good clearance but as the half went on Airdrie started to get on top in midfield and Kenny Pardoe on the right side was getting plenty of the ball and a lovely through ball nearly found Thomson who just failed to get on the end of it. After 30 minutes Airdrie took the lead from a well-worked move from a corner. Kenny Pardoe flighted a good ball to the back post where Capaldi had lost his man and his knock down across the goal found Neil Pardoe to sweep the ball into the net. Five minutes later Neil Pardoe almost made it two with a similar chance but the Forest defence got a good block on it and they managed to clear their lines. Kenny Pardoe, who was having a good half, came close when his effort from 20 yards just missed the back post then Thomson burst past two men only to slip at the last moment. Forest nearly equalized close to half time when a wicked free kick from their left was swung toward the back corner and Hendrie in goal had to look sharp to touch the ball round the post.
The first 15 minutes of the second half were quite subdued as both teams struggled to get anything going. Forest probably had the better of it but Airdrie’s defence, With Stewart marshalling them well in place of Cooper stood firm and just like the first goal Airdrie’s second came from their first real attack in the second half, good play from the middle of the park released Kenny Pardoe through the middle and as the keeper came out rather hesitantly Airdrie’s leading scorer managed to get enough on the ball to poke it under his body into the net this was the cue for a 10 minute spell which saw the Forest keeper and defence have a bad spell and in which Airdrie took advantage of with a further two goals to wrap up the points. However just before this Airdrie made their first substitution with Clark coming on for the injured Burton who had twisted his knee. The third goal arrived when Capaldi got on the end of a Hendrie clearance to run on and finish with a strike under the keeper then Edgar curled the fourth into the net following a weak clearance from the away defence. With 18 minutes to go Airdrie made a further two changes with Khorasani and Thomson off to be replaced by Gray and Scott Graham. Four nil with 15 minutes to go saw Forest commit men into attack which in turn was leaving Airdrie’s forwards man for man marking at the back and from a quick break Gray, with fine play down the left, ran into the box and despite a strong challenge managed to pass the ball to Capaldi who made no mistake from six yards. Capaldi then missed a chance for his hat trick when he delayed his shot with the keeper on the ground.
Team
N.Pardoe Stewart Burton R.Graham
K.Pardoe Edgar Smith Khorasani
Thomson Capaldi
Gray for Thomson (73)
S Graham for Khorasani (73)
Cooper and Arbuckle (unused)