AS Airdrie 4-1 Blairdardie

By N.Brown
March 22 2010

AS Airdrie 4-1 Blairdardie

Airdrie advanced to the 3^rd Round of the Strathclyde cup with a comfortable win at home to Blairdardie. Several changes saw Kenny Pardoe, Stuart Smith, Gordon Cooper, Matt Brown & Andy Clark in the starting line up after the last round. Airdrie took an early lead when Kenny Pardoe rose unmarked in the box to head home Neil Pardoe’s excellent cross ball after just 13 minutes. It should have been two 10 minutes later as Shaw went on a cross-field run and from the byline Lindsay put his cutback wide.  After 35 minutes Airdrie did make it two as Shaw again made a similar run in behind the defence and his cutback fell for Clark who’s goal bound effort was well saved by the keeper, However from the resultant corner Kenny Pardoe returned the compliment as his near post corner was flicked home By Neil Pardoe (or on the volley as he told his Da) As half time approached Airdrie all but killed the tie off, Blairdardie failed to clear there lines and Airdrie got a lucky break as the ball cannoned off Neil Pardoe’s arm Shaw was quickest to react and he waltzed past the last man rounded the keeper and tapped home a third on 44 minutes A truly bizarre second half then ensued, the game was following a similar pattern and Blairdardie made a sub early on and he made an instant impact, a suspicion of offside but he got the benefit of the doubt and made his way into the box and slid a tidy finish just past Rowan’s reach. Airdrie replaced Brown with Edgar on 55 minutes and as they prepared Gray to come on at the hour mark the game took a turn for the worse, Blairdardie’s no 4 crudely took Lindsay out of the game, The Airdrie player none too happy with the tackle had a few choice words to say and the offender then planted a head butt square on Lindsay’s face, The ref tried to restore order as both sets of players jostled with each other the goals corer decided to engage his pugilistic skills taking on all comers! However the referee missed this artful display as he dealt with the original offender, a red card rightly brandished. Play resumed and Airdrie got Gray on for Clark only for 15 minutes play to have disappeared, Airdrie knocked the ball around for the last stages and a late corner saw a short one from Kenny to Neil Pardoe and the latter struck a curling effort off the post, the ball falling a yard out for Edgar to tap over the line for a fourth Goal. 

A game Airdrie never really got into came and went second half especially odd, a good contest ruined as at that point the away side had just gave themselves a small lifeline. It would be completely wrong to blame Blairdardie for the actions of two players as the twelve other players involved were full of endeavor and commitment to there teams cause playing the game in the correct manner, the number nine caused us plenty problems and the defensive pairing dealt well with Airdrie’s attacks. A win though that sees Airdrie through to the third round where a stern test away to SCYP awaits.

Rowan

McCall Cooper Graham N.Pardoe

M.Brown Smith Lindsay Shaw

K.Pardoe Clark

Edgar for Brown (55)

Gray for Clark (75)

Brady

Slevin

MOM: Neil Pardoe