By N.Brown
October 19 2008

Calderbank 4-3 AS Airdrie

Airdrie missed out on a progression to the third round by a narow margin. The tie went ahead at the third time of asking on an excellent surface. it was Calderbank who settled first with Airdrie having a sluggish start. Andy Slevin was volunteered to go between the sticks in Rowans continued abscence Scott and Cooper replaced R.Graham and Stewart from the last outing. Calderbank took the lead when a poor goal kick landed straight to an opponent who found the striker with loads of space and he tucked the ball away with ease. Airdrie's task worsened when slack play from Smith allowed calderbanks pacey frontman the chance to bear in on goal, He cut inside the defence and stroked the ball low past Slevin. Airdrie were looking ragged and not playing well at all. To make matters worse Shaw had to limp out the game early with a knee knock picked up while trying to prod home a spilled shot. Torrens replaced shaw to partner Kenny Pardoe. With Half time approaching Airdrie finally began to play there own way with Lindsay storking a superb pass through the Calderbank defence and found Scott's well timed run, Scott rounded the keeper and slotted the ball into the empty net to give Airdrie a foot back in the door, The door was kicked in a few minutes later with Calderbank rattled the keeper again spilled a shot and Torrens was quickly onto ittaking of the toes of the covering defender round the desp[airing keeper and levelled the game at 2-2 right on half time.

Much better start to the second half from Airdrie and a balanced game was on, play swung from end to end but it was Calderbank who regained the lead on a counter attack with a quick break down the right the winger had two men in the middle to find, his centre was cut out by a desperate last ditch tackle by Scot graham but the ball unfortuneately only found the back of the net. Airdrie roared back though and should have levelled with a quick free quick. Kenny pardoe found Edgar who squared for the unmarked neil pardoe who slid a ball across the box however Torrens couldn't get on the end of it. Torrens was causing all sorts of problems and The calderbank defence had to resort to some questionable tactics to stop him. Not to be outdone Torrens plugged away and firstly he crashed a 20 yard effort from nothing off the bar minutes later he got his reward and Airdrie's equaliser when his pace got him away from the last man and he lobbed the outrushing keeper from 20 yards to level the game once again. with a replay looming both sides went for the winner and it was Calderbank who got it. After a few set pieces airdrie semmed to have cleared the danger however when the ball came back in it fell for one of two players who were at least a yard offside(we'll give the benefit of doubt to the ref who must have been unsighted to miss it) he clipped a shot past slevin and it just sneaked in at the back post for what proved to be the winner.

A good game in the end but for the first 30 minutes Airdrie were nowhere near there best and in the Scottish Cup you cant gift chances to the opponents. That said the recovery and attitude shown from when we went two down was first class. a chance to redeem ourselves in the national competitions comes quickly next week with an away tie at bannerman in the WoS Cup a competition we did well in last year.

MOM Torrens

Team

Slevin

S.Graham Cooper Clark

Scott Smith Lindsay Edgar N.Pardoe

K.Pardoe Shaw

Subs

Torrens for Shaw (35)

M.Brown for Scott (65)

Burton for Linsay (75)