Robert Dalzell's photo gallery of the game. Remember Bob's photos are copyrighted.

Airdrie started the game looking every inch a team in the relegation zone. They were a disjointed outfit incapable of getting the ball in the danger zone and quite literally struggling to string two passes together. The passing game they had displayed all season seemed to be missing and there was no width. Berwick by contrast looked up for it and set about their task of disabling the struggling Diamonds rearguard.

The game was barely started when Murie and Connelly neatly carved up the out of position Paul Armstrong down Airdrie's left and Connelly's driven cross was expertly turned home by midfielder Gordon Forrest. Airdrie did respond in typically determined fashion as Lee Gardner chipped a ball into the far side of the box for Martin Glancy to chest down and rifle his shot home. Or so we thought. The wee striker managed to do the impossible and miss from an unmissable angle!! That almost looked to be even more costly when hapless defender Kenny Brannigan managed to sclaff another pathetic clearance to Berwick midfielder Smith whose move set up a chance for Gordon Connelly to rifle a shot at goal but this time 'the Doc' somehow managed to get back to clear off his own goal line. Brannigan would prove to be Airdrie's man of the match by a mile by misplacing his next touch and 'developing' a bad limp. His timely injury proved to be the catalyst for an Airdrie revival as Airdrie totally changed their shape and the outcome of the match. To that we've got to be thankful to Kenny B! David McGuire replaced him midway through the first half in a 442 formation;

Airdrie looked a completely new outfit. Although neither Docherty or McGowan are what you'd class commanding centre halfs, both guys punched their weight and read the game well. Most notably they distributed the ball well and in doing so transformed the team. Marvyn became our Nicky Butt too, protecting the central defence as Boyle and Armstrong tucked in. McGuire, Gardner and Glancy had a free reign to get forward to support the front two as the ball was being played long and accurate to the born again Ronald.

It took David McGuire all of five minutes to open Airdrie's account. He picked the ball up wide on the right, cut inside a couple of challenges and shot high past the Berwick keeper from the edge of the box for a well taken goal. The wee man looked mighty relieved to have ended his drought. Vareille looked to be enjoying playing as the supporting striker this week with Paul Ronald as the target man, and you could see 'Ronaldohno' try so hard to be a hit. I missed possibly his finest moment as he spun hit the post just on half time. Or maybe someones been pulling my leg. His second half performance would confirm it was no fluke.

The resurgant Diamonds continued to dominate in the second half and it was no surprise when David McGuire got his, and Airdrie's, second with a cross cum shot from the right sailed over the Berwick keeper. Most media outlets are suggesting Vareille got the goal but I'm sure it was in the back of the net before the Frenchman touched it. I managed to miss a Berwick penalty claim in the second half that I can't comment on but there were a couple of dodgy offside decisions against us to balance this up and Paul Ronald finished the game strongly with four excellent chances to score in the last five minutes. If the big man can keep up that effort the goals will come and he'd be a significant member of the team in the months to come. Berwick had sub. Neil Bennett sent off right at the death to complete a miserable day for them.

I was heartened by the performance after the big change in the first half. Sandy obviously made the right choice to stay on the sidelines reorganising the team and he looked the manager I know he will become. The tactics were very similar to what I hoped they'd be, see the match preview below, and the players thrived in that formation. Lets hope we can go on from this now and start climbing the table. We're now seventh but only five points behind second place. Raith won again and look title certs already but that second place really could be ours.