Scorers ~ Rovers : Stirling (8), McKenzie (62).

Airdrie : Coyle (3), Dunn (23), McManus (29, 80), Taylor (60).

Although the final result was undoubtedly a bit harsh on Rovers, old rivals Airdrie just deserved their win in this friendly purely because of their greater ability in the last quarter of the field. It was a disappointing outcome for the Cliftonhill side which played at least as well as it did against Hamilton Accies two nights before for a better outcome.

The Diamonds had a dream start to this one when with less than three minutes on the clock, wily old warhorse Owen Coyle flighted a beauty of a thirty-yard free-kick past the unsighted Chris Fahey in the home goal. Undaunted, Rovers rallied and drew level in the eighth minute when Jered Stirling showed that Coyle wasn’t the only one with dead-ball skills when from twenty-seven yards he smacked a cracker past Airdrie’s trialist ‘keeper. The visitors regained the advantage in the 23rd minute through Robert Dunn being on the spot to knock a Stuart McDonald cross into the net. Only six more minutes had elapsed when dreadful home defending gave Alan McManus plenty of time and space to side-foot Craig McPherson’s cross past Fahey, and Airdrie were cruising.

The second half was an evenly balanced affair until the 60th minute when from yet another free-kick, the ball broke kindly for Stuart Taylor whose overhead attempt Fahey managed to touch on to a post before it crept over the line. Two minutes later, Jamie McKenzie - who had an excellent match - crashed yet another free-kick into the net to reduce the leeway. Rovers then had a good spell and substitute Martin Harty crossed to Mark Booth at the near post but the midfielder’s flick just missed the target.

With ten minutes remaining, yet another Diamonds’ free-kick gave Alan McManus goal number five and apart from Rovers’ Martin Harty and Airdrie’s Robert Coulter managing to get themselves booked for a slight altercation, that was that.

Albion Rovers : Fahey (Shearer 68), Waldie (Tait 46), Bonar, Smith, Lumsden (Easton 46), Booth, Silvestro, McKenzie, McCormick (Harty 63), Carr (McKenna 46), Stirling (McLees 60).

Airdrieonians : Trialist, Armstrong (Trialist 57), McPherson, S McDonald, McManus, Stewart, Taylor, C McDonald (McAlpine 57), Coyle, Docherty (Coulter 67), Dunn.

Referee : I Brines.

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