better meddle...

wi' the de'il than the bairns o' fa'kirk

Match Report

Saturday, 14th September, 2024






by Paul Thomson

Diamonds bombarded by Bairns as they suffer third league defeat

It was a day to forget for the Diamonds as John McGlynn's men ran out worthy winners

Airdrie fell to their third defeat in their last four Championship games after a moment of magic from Dylan Tait helped earn all three points for high-flying Falkirk.

The Diamonds were under the cosh for most of the match and it took some desperate defending to keep the Bairns at bay until Tait rifled home the opener in 72 minutes. Sean Mackie then added a second seven minutes later to keep the visitors' 100 per cent start to the campaign intact.

It would have been more if not for some fine saves from Airdrie No.1 Murray Johnson and, in particular, a first-half clearance off the line by Chris Mochrie.

However, Falkirk were worthy winners and will be relieved they aren't ruing their finishing after Alfredo Agyman and Calvin Miller could easily have had a hat-trick apiece.

It means Airdrie's last win came on the opening day in a 1-0 triumph at home to Raith Rovers on August 3, leaving them eighth in the table, one point off bottom spot.

There was an early injury for Falkirk as Liam Henderson suffered a nasty head knock when a corner came into the box in the third minute, but he was able to continue after some treatment on the pitch.

In seven minutes Airdrie goalkeeper Murray Johnson produced a tremendous fingertip save to touch Ross MacIver's header from Brad Spencer's delivery onto the post, and deny the Bairns an early lead.

Airdrie got their first clear sight at goal in 11 minutes when Gavin Gallagher swung a cross deep to the back post and Sam Graham powered a header into the side netting from close-range.

In 24 minutes neat work from Adam Frizzell allowed him to slip Ben Wilson into the box but he couldn't get the ball out of his feet quickly enough to trouble Nicky Hogarth in the Falkirk goal with a weak strike he could only skew wide.

Another piece of neat link-up play saw Airdrie get their first effort on target in 26 minutes. The Diamonds broke upfield from a Falkirk attack and when Ben Wilson cut inside and crossed for Chris Mochrie, his lay off fell for Gavin Gallagher but his header from 12 yards out didn't have the power or accuracy to get past Hogarth.

The hosts kept up the pressure and a mazy run by Chris Mochrie almost ended in a fine solo goal before a perfectly-timed tackle into the box stopped him in his tracks.

As half-time approached, Falkirk really found themselves in the ascendancy and were unfortunate not to find the lead before the break. Alfredo Agyeman also showed some neat feat and tricks down the other end, but he blazed his strike over the bar after creating room on the edge of the box for a pop at goal.

The Bairns were a whisker away from taking the lead in 37 minutes as a cross to the edge of the box found Agyeman and his powerful, precise header was destined for the bottom corner until the boot of Mochrie hoofed it off the line, and Airdrie escaped.

Moments later, again, Agyeman went close when he charged into the box and arrowed an angled strike millimetres past the far post, with Johnson beaten.

In first half-stoppage time Calvin Miller looked set to break the deadlock when Sean Mackie sent him through one-on-one with Johnson, but the Airdrie goalie stood up well and got a strong hadn to his strike to bat it away, and Airdrie went in level at the break.

Falkirk's Calvin Miller should have scored at the end of the first half

History repeated itself in 52 minutes as Miller was again denied by Johnson. This time, the Bairns striker's blistering pace took him into the box past Graham and Johnson got a tough to deflect it behind for a corner, but Miller really should have scored.

Lady Luck really seemed to be on Airdrie's side as, just seconds later, Johnson's attempt to clear the ball was charged down by McIver but it hit the post and bounced back into the grateful hands of Johnson.

The onslaught continued, though, and some desperate defending from Airdrie was required to block another three attempts on goal in the space of a few dangerous minutes that they somhow survived.

Airdrie were all over the place at this stage and Falkirk kept knocking at the door, but chance after chance was passed up, as well as a Brad Spencer corner hitting the crossbar.

The hosts knew they still could pose a threat and Ben Wilson almost gave Airdrie what would have been a shock lead in 69 minutes when he latched on to Frizzell's through ball, only to be denied by a good stop from Hogarth.

It was going to take something special for Falkirk to break the deadlock and that's exactly what they found in 72 minutes. After Johnson had saved a thumping strike from Sean Mackie, the ball came all the way out to the edge of the box for Tait to rifle a sizzling strike into the top corner - and this time Johnson could do nothing about it.

Seven minutes later Mackie sealed it when he got in down the left and fired past Johnson.

Airdrie now travel to Morton next weekend needing to get points on the board.

AIRDRIE: Johnson, Badley-Morgan, MacDonald, Hancock, Graham, Frizzell, Mochrie (Aiken 80), Agyemang, Gallagher (Armstrong 54), Wilson, Reid (McGregor 54).

Scorers:

Bookings: Graham, Frizzell, Hancock, Spencer

Subs not used: Wright, Taylor-Sinclair, Watson, Bruce, McGrattan, Cooper.

FALKIRK: Hogarth, Henderson, Adams, Mackie, Donaldson, Oliver (Ross 74), Agyeman, Miller (McKenna 82), Spencer, Tait (Yeats 89), MacIver.

Scorers: Tait 72, Mackie 79

Bookings: Mackie, Agyeman, Tait

Subs not used: Hayward, McCann, Shanley, Ross, McCafferty, McCrone.