By Neil Brown
April 21 2010

SCYP 3-2 AS Airdrie

Airdrie lost this Strathclyde 3rd round tie after a highly competitive game at Greenfields.

The opening 15 minutes saw the home side on top but were restricted to a couple of long-range efforts which didn’t trouble Rowan. Airdrie’s best chance in the early stages fell to Ally gray who was clean through only for a last ditch challenge to take the sting out his shot and the keeper took it easily. SCYP grabbed a lead after 17 minutes when a near post corner was headed home unchallenged by Anderson. Airdrie responded immediately Gray Picked up possession and fed Shaw down the right channel his cutback found Kenny Pardoe at the edge of the box but he fired over the top. Airdrie got the equalizer on 25 minutes as Rowan collected a corner he set Robertson off from the edge of his own area, the defender carried the ball to halfway before squaring for Capaldi who found Kenny Pardoe in the middle of the park, Pardoe clipped a lovely through ball for Lindsay’s well timed run in to the box, a defender got across to block Lindsay’s first effort but was unable to stop Lindsay shifting the ball and cracking a shot into the top corner. Airdrie then suffered a huge blow when Smith limped out the game on 30 Minutes with a muscle strain, Brady replacing the captain.

 Second half Airdrie started the better team and Kenny Pardoe had a good effort just over after 48 minutes. At the other end Rowan had to be sharp to parry away an Anderson header at the back post. Airdrie were on top at this point and Kenny Pardoe again tested the keeper who just got a hand to his 25 yard shot turning it away for a corner. SCYP took the lead again on 66 minutes as Hughes made a run through the middle his pass saw the Airdrie defence step up catching both strikers offside however Hughes smartly chased his own pass and had a run through on goal, Rowan got a leg to the shot but it found the bottom corner. Again Airdrie hit back instantly from a corner a poor defensive header saw the ball drop to Brady six yards out but a defender managed to block it away for another corner. Airdrie took a gamble  on 75 minutes and threw Hetherington on for Capaldi and pushed Shaw up with the two strikers. It paid off immediately as Shaw’s pace got on the end of another Pardoe pass and he stroked the ball past the keeper for 2-2. As the game drifted to wards penalty’s both sides still had a go for the winner gray just off target with a right foot volley after good work from Brady. SCYP hit the killer blow two minutes from time a corner was only half cleared and from the second ball in a home player found space at the back post to hit a neat side foot finish back across Rowan. 

A harsh one to take after a great effort, a draw would probably have been a more accurate result with the lottery of penalty’s deciding the tie but it was not to be and silverware drams are over for this season at least.

Rowan

Mccall Edgar Robertson N.Pardoe

Shaw Lindsay Smith Capaldi

Gray K.Pardoe

Brady for Smith (30)

Hetherington for Capaldi (75)