AS Airdrie 2-3 Blochairn Star

By Neil Brown
January 13 2009

AS Airdrie 2-3 Blochairn Star

Airdrie lost at home to the current champions at Airdrie Academy HS. Goals from K.Pardoe and Gray not enough to take anything from the game.

With keeper Rowan injured late in the week Ross Graham was once again asked to take up the keepers position, Capaldi also came in for his first start this season.

Blochairn started brightly and took the game to the home team with some nice football. Hughes looking his usual dangerous self was well contained by Scott probably his hardest task to date. Airdrie were reduced to the odd counter attack Lindsay firing a couple of efforts wide of the Blochairn goal. As the game drifted towards half time Airdrie took the lead, Good play from Capaldi down the right ended with an excellent cross which found Lindsay unmarked, his planted header was well saved by the Star keeper but Kenny Pardoe was on hand to pick up the pieces and slot past two defenders on the line.

Half Time 1-0

Second half began much the same as the first with Blochairn looking to get back in the game as soon as possible and Airdrie hitting on the break, the turning point came midway through the half as Gray raced away from the defence the keeper was in no mans land, however with K.pardoe clean through the middle Gray keopt his head down and attempted to shoot from a wide angle, almost immediately Blochairn broke up there left side and a deep cross was met by the unmarked Henderson who made no mistake from 5 yards. Soon after the away side grabbed a second, I would describe the action but was preparing a sub at the time but by all accounts the goal scorer ( Hughes) knew as much about it as me! the ball coming off him from a corner kick!. Airdrie made a triple sustitution as recent knocks took there toll on .Pardoe and Scott, Capaldi was also replaced a lack of pitch time leaving him a bit jaded.Burton Brown and Brady going on in straight swaps. However Airdrie delivered there own killer blow when they made a complete hash of a free kick deep inside there own half which Hughes pounced on, R.Graham in the Airdrie goal  tried to send the striker wide but Hughes somehow managed to get the cross/shot over which trickled over the line at the back post. Hard on Graham to concede three after pulling off some superb stops throughout the game. Blochairn became a bit complacent in the last ten minutes think Job done but as we do Airdrie kept plugging away and as Gray was brought down wide on the right, having once again escaped the defence, It was he who popped up to prod the cross home to set up a tense final few minutes. Airdrie tried but could not fashion one last chance and Blochairn took the points home.

Full time 2-3

A disappoining outcome as we looked in controll till midway through the second half but it was always likely we needed to grab another goal and so it proved. Another tough one this coming Saturday as we travel to Shettleston to face NC United who have made a good start to first division life, for us we must start picking up points again to get up into the top half of the league.

MOM Stuart Smith - Tireless effort

R.Graham

S.Graham Cooper Scott N.Pardoe

Capaldi Smith Edgar Lindsay

Gray K.Pardoe

Burton for Scott (70)

Brown for Capaldi (70)

Brady for K.Pardoe (70)