St Johnstone Vs Airdrie match preview.

By Chris Mac
November 4 2005

Airdrie go back on the road tomorrow to take on St Johnstone in Perth in what is becoming one of those games you look forward too. Not because we have any real rivalry with St Johnstone but because of the men in charge of both teams. Sandy Stewart Vs Owen Coyle the battle continues.

First Division
Preview For Saturday, 21st October 2005

Owen Coyle

Airdrie

St Johnstone

Sandy Stewart

With only three games being played in the first division this weekend, the fixture list is more or less top against bottom:-

Queen of South v Clyde,
St Johnstone v Airdrie Utd,
Stranraer v Ross County,

This could be a great chance to open up a eight point gap between ourselves and Stranraer in eighth.

Sandy Stewart has two main doubts going in to this match, Willie McLaren who was floored last week with a stomach bug and Gary Twigg who was stretchered off with an ankle injury in our one-nil win over Stranraer on the 22nd of October. Although out of plaster Twigg is not expected to feature for a week or two.

Travelling with the squad once again will be Graeme Holmes, a mid-fielder who has been released by Dundee United, Graeme was on loan at Dumbarton last season for eight games where he scored once.

Match Preview by Chris Mac

Referee: Mike McCurry

Airdrie Possible Line Up


	Robertson McKenna, McManus, McGowan, Lovering Barkey, Hardie McKeown, McDougall McPhee. Prunty,

Opponents News

It looks as though Kevin James has done his gaffer an injury in training, two broken toes may have ruled Owen Coyle out of pulling on his boots for this fixture.

The bigger question is, did Owen ever intend too? A game of psychology seems to have crept in to the pre-match banter between our two respective managers.

Both trying to figure out what and who the other manger will play. Having worked so closely this could be a match for the master tacticians.

St Johnstone are reporting a huge injury list, Mark Campbell, Jason Scotland, Neil Janczyk and Darren Sheridan are ruled out and Steven Anderson, Kieran McAnespie and Kevin Fotheringham are also doubts.

Airdrie V Head To Heads

	Airdrie United wins	draws	St Johnstone wins
League	3	2	0
FA Cup	0	2	0
Total	3	4	0

	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

Ref Review Mike McCurry

This Season	Games: 15 Yellow Cards: 32 Red Cards: 1
Last Season	Games: 33 Yellow Cards: 99 Red Cards: 5

Mike McCurry was last in charge of an Airdrie game when we faced Ross County earlier this season, we lost one - nil to a Steven McGarry goal.

There were no bookings in the match at all.

Prediction

These are always difficult ones to call, before Owen took over you would expect to go to Perth and be bored, a draw the most likely out come. Sandy though appreciates that our best game this season has been against St Johnstone and will make sure the lads know he would like a decent win.

So 3-1 to Airdrie and the run of wins win continue to three games unbeaten.