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ROSS COUNTY 0; Airdrie 1 |
As is often the way in football, Owen Coyle returned to haunt Ross County - scoring the winner at a venue which proved a barren hunting ground while he donned the Dingwall club’s blue.
The well-travelled Irishman then became something of a spectator as the home side turned in perhaps their best performance of the season, only to leave the field pointless and dejected.
Coyle’s poaching instincts saw him prance into the six-yard box and nod past another former Premiership-level performer, Tony Bullock, in the County goal, but it was downhill from then on in for Airdrie in every aspect bar the result.
Apart from the loss of the goal, County were producing decent enough football with John McQuade and Karim Boukraa looking particularly inventive in sweeping bursts forward.
McQuade might have grabbed an equaliser in 21 minutes had he not taken an extra touch, allowing Allan Ferguson to regain composure, as the ball broke to the edge of the box. There was now a directness about County’s play that had been sorely lacking in recent outings, and Airdrie’s tightly-packed defence was proving no guarantee of safety.
Steve Hislop, signed from East Stirling in the summer, was desperately unlucky not to break his league duck with a header just over in 34 minutes after sustained home pressure.
County maintained the upper hand with Hugh Robertson just unable to execute a lob of keeper Ferguson in 51 minutes, as he broke through under the close scrutiny of an Airdrie defender.
With Martin Prest joining Boukraa in a three-man attack, though, County had two gifted and unpredictable players leading the recovery mission.
Airdrie looked rattled as the home side pressed, and Robertson’s measured free-kick swung just left of target on the hour-mark after Steven Ferguson tumbled 22 yards out.
Hislop squandered a glorious chance to level when he missed with a free header in 69 minutes, and the striker paid the price by being substituted a couple of minutes later. By now, however, County were clearly running out of attacking ideas, and Airdrie held on.
Ross County: Bullock; Parry, Maxwell, Webb, Hastings, McCormick, Ferguson, McQuade (Prest, h-t), Robertson, Hislop (Bone, 71) and Boukraa. Unused Subs: Gonet (gk), Irvine and Cowie.
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Airdrie 1; ROSS COUNTY 1 |
Maybe the accolades heaped on Airdrie this season are beginning to alter the team’s psyche, but either way they had to hang on during a grim first half before Owen Coyle preserved their unbeaten league run with his 15th goal of the season ten minutes into the second period.
If any team in this division deserve an off day, especially one where they still come out with a point, then it is Airdrie, but they looked a ragged outfit in spells. For much of the first half, the only fireworks were the those supplied by the Lanarkshire youth skulking outside the main stand and sending cheap rockets to their unimpressive conclusion.
Airdrie, oddly befitting a side who had only just taken the first collective Player of the Month award in years, were flat and devoid of ideas, and the midfield as a whole contributed only a string of half-hearted misplaced passes.
If Coyle and Mark Roberts spent the majority of the first period marooned in the County half, their opposite numbers were only marginally more involved. Home goalkeeper Allan Ferguson got his first significant touch seven minutes in when he gathered Steve Hislop’s trundling effort, and then had to be off his line smartly shortly afterwards to hoof Sandy Stewart’s under-hit pass-back away from the same player.
The home side’s best move of the half came from the left, and though Stuart Taylor’s cross was perfectly measured, the attendance of Sean Webb was enough to deter the lurking Coyle.
There was little complaint, then, when County took the lead just before the half-hour with an exceptional goal. HISLOP, with four goals in his past three games, was always going to be the chief danger to the home defence, but few could have expected him to juggle the ball over half the backline before lifting an exquisite lob beyond the exposed goalkeeper from the edge of the box.
Ferguson might have been beaten then but, at the other end, Tony Bullock seemed lucky to stay on the park at all soon after. As the ball swung across the edge of his box, the ex-Barnsley man rushed to clear, seemed to misjudge its flight and quite clearly handled a yard or two outside the area, but referee Rowbotham appeared to miss the incident.
The home side, possibly anticipating a less-than-complimentary half-time appraisal from Ian McCall, began to look slightly more interested as the break approached, but all they could muster in front of goal was a lame John Henry shot that went past the post.
There might have been some degree of devilment involved, but the DJ’s choice of Something Better Change must certainly have mirrored what the majority of the crowd were thinking and, sure enough, with the introduction of Lee Gardner and Tony Smith for Henry and Taylor, the Diamonds looked a more attractive proposition.
The visitors were lucky to get the ball over the halfway line as Airdrie finally started to look a team worthy of the praise they have garnered since the opening day of the season. Smith, in particular, looked like a player with a point to prove.
Having returned to the club after a move to Dundee United failed to produce anything of note, the little midfielder has struggled to win back the fans, but he had the County rearguard in tatters as he took up his place wide on the left.
It was Smith who set up Roberts minutes into the second half, but the striker’s decision to shoot rather than find any of three team-mates in the box was rash.
Airdrie finally got the goal their pressure merited when Coyle prodded Kevin James’s awkward ball home from a yard or so.
It was strange then to watch Airdrie press without ever looking likely to score again. Though the visitors only once registered a shot on target in the second period, Airdrie’s forced reliance on efforts from distance was to bring no reward.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, Hastings, Maxwell, Irvine, Webb, Cowie, Ferguson (MacDonald, 58; S McKay, 90), Gethins (Tarrant, 58), Hislop and Robertson. Subs: Bone and Gonzalez (gk).
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Airdrie 0; ROSS COUNTY 2 |
Airdrie's recent collapse of form and a failure to exploit weaker opponents may ultimately be the factors which cost them promotion to the Premier League. Of course, much lies ahead including a home clash with Partick Thistle in April, but their cause was not helped yesterday as they lost to bottom of the table Ross County.
Ian McCall's side started with a makeshift back four, a trialist replacing the injured Craig McPherson at left back, while Kevin James was missing after suffering a horrendous injury at Arbroath two weeks ago.
County, languishing in the relegation zone, sought to exploit Airdrie's defensive fragility and came close in 13 minutes. Richard Hastings slipped a through-ball into the path of Alex Bone. Bone's shot was bang on target, but keeper Neil Bennett was in a fine position to block and clear the shot.
County threatened again minutes later after Steve Hislop found Bone in the box. Again Bone was on target but once again Bennett was up to the challenge and saved brilliantly.
The visitors were further frustrated when they were forced into an early substitution, Cedric Anselin making way for David Lilley.
In a role reversal of an earlier attack, Bone passed to Hislop who turned and shot. His effort was only partially blocked by Bennett and the loose ball looped high and floated towards the empty net. Sandy Stewart though had back-tracked and with a spectacular scissors kick managed to clear his line.
County looked to be enjoying the challenge of playing the promotion contenders and as the break approached their confidence grew.
In contrast, Airdrie's performance was lacklustre and at half time Stuart Taylor was introduced in favour of the ineffective Jerome Vareille to add a bit of grit to Airdrie's attack. The move almost paid immediate dividends when Taylor burst into the County box and rifled a 16-yard shot which sailed just wide of the Tony Bullock's right-hand post.
Minutes later Airdrie were pushing forward again, top scorer Owen Coyle latching onto a Paul Armstrong cross, but the former Dunfermline striker, normally so dependable, shot wide.
However, on the hour mark, County delivered a devastating blow to the Diamonds' promotion campaign. Hislop carved space on the right side and held up play cleverly until Hugh ROBERTSON arrived.
He stepped into the path of Hislop's clipped pass and unleashed a thunderous shot that had the back of Airdrie's net bulging with the force.
The silence was deafening and the shouts of horror clearly audible as the home players looked around each other for someone to blame.
They didn't have to look hard after the second goal 12 minutes later.
Stewart squared to Allan McManus. As he attempted to trap the ball, he slipped on the wet surface and the ball popped upwards. BONE was first to react and rounded the fallen McManus before shooting underneath the advancing Bennett.
Airdrie's task was now a hopeless one and the loss of spirit and self-belief was apparent for all to see. For the final minutes they could only keep County at bay and prevent a disaster becoming a humiliation.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, Maxwell, Irvine, Hastings, Ferguson, Gilbert, Anselin (Lilley, 32), Robertson, Bone ,and Hislop (Gethins, 66). Unused Subs: Gonzalez (gk), McCormick and Boukraa.
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ROSS COUNTY 4; Airdrie 1 |
Airdrie's championship title bid suffered meltdown last night as the First Division crisis club succumbed to Ross County’s sixth win in ten unbeaten games.
Victory after a blistering second-half display hoisted the Dingwall team into third place in the table, but it was a depressing night for Ian McCall’s men, who now appear unlikely to catch Partick Thistle.
Airdrie were over-run by the end, although the depths of their problems were apparent even before a ball was kicked. Supporters had to fork out for team’s bus trip north and McCall was able to name only two proper substitutes, listing himself as an emergency third.
After an untidy opening, the first half was to end in high drama. Airdrie took the lead controversially in 42 minutes when the referee ordered an Owen Coyle free-kick to be re-taken. Mark Roberts took his turn from 20 yards and goalkeeper Tony Bullock could only parry the ball into the roof of his net as it caught the breeze.
Within three minutes, County were level. Steven Docherty handled in the box under pressure and Alex BONE swept home the spot-kick.
Only Bullock’s sharp reflexes saved County in 51 minutes, when he touched a Coyle shot on to the post.
The County keeper managed an even better save in 57 minutes from a Kevin James header, but within a minute the home side were ahead.
Ian Maxwell threaded Mark McCORMICK clean through, and he kept his nerve as he rounded the goalkeeper and calmly stroked the ball home.
County were cruising in 68 minutes when concerted pressure led to the third. Steve Ferguson’s header into the box set up Brian IRVINE for a deflected, close-range volley.
It was all over for Airdrie in 81 minutes as McCORMICK let rip with a sensational finish from 30 yards into the roof of the net.
McCall was sent to the stand late on for comments made to the stand-side linesman.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, Maxwell, Irvine, Canning, Gilbert, Ferguson, Robertson, Hastings, Bone (Gethins, 81) and McCormick (Trialist, 87). Subs not used: Fridge (gk),Cowie and Boukraa.
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