Airdrieonians 1 Dunfermline 1

cinch League One: Mochrie and Allan start in place of Hamilton and Todd. Craig Wighton (58) 0-1: Calum Gallagher (62) 1-1: Kyle Benedictus red card (63): Kevin O’Hara red card (71): Dave Mackay (73) red card:

This was the third last league fixture for both sides. Happily Dunfermline had tied up the title the previous Saturday but the home team needed two more points from their remaining matches to secure a Championship play-off place. No club in League One had a better home record than Airdrieonians while Dunfermline’s away record was better than any team in the league either at home or away.

An appendix operation in midweek meant Matty Todd was out of the team, Chris Hamilton dropped to the bench to make way for Paul Allan and Chris Mochrie. Airdrieonians also made two changes from the side that started against Falkirk the previous week Rhys McCabe and Charlie Telfer replaced Aaron Taylor-Sinclair and Gabby McGill.

There was a sizeable away support at the Excelsior and the starting eleven went over to applaud their supporters after the warm up. The newly acclaimed League One champions entered the field through an Airdrieonians guard of honour and it was the home team that kick off. Kane Ritchie-Hosler made a strong early run assisted by a flick on by Craig Wighton but when he slipped the ball left for Lewis McCann the Pars man was blocked out before he could execute a shot.

There was drama of the comedy kind on three minutes though when McCann blocked keeper Josh Rae’s clearance. The ball came back off the crossbar and the keeper recovered to thwart the Pars striker yet again. Airdrie forced two corners on the right in sixth minute, Craig Watson heading the second over the crossbar. Two minutes further on and Telfer came close at the left post, the crossbar keeping the home side out this time.

After an impressive run by Ewan Otoo winning possession and beating off three men before advancing upfield at pace, McCann was able to square to Allan but egged on by the crowd the midfielder’s shot was blocked. The Fifers were playing some nice football and the Diamonds were finding possession hard to come by. It was 20th minute when Ritchie-Hosler crossed from the right to enable Mochrie a crack at goal but his effort went straight into the keeper’s hands.

Next a good run off the ball by McCann saw him returned the ball from Ritchie-Hosler by unfortunately Rae held again.

The match got bogged down a little in midfield before Joe Chalmers sent Josh Edwards down the left and his cross looked promising but Airdrie managed to clear. That was followed up by another Otoo run that tried to set up McCann but again the defence held out.

It was not all one way traffic with the home side putting Dunfermline under enough pressure to require some desperate defending. Wighton headed away a corner from the left before in 30th minute Deniz Mehmet had to turn a fierce shot from Callum Gallagher around his left hand post. The corner was not totally cleared and Telfer fired an acute angled attempt from 20 yards out into the sidenetting.

Play stopped in 38 minutes when Allan was cut down 25 yards out from the opposition goal. The physios came on and happily Paul was okay to continue. From the resultant free kick Chalmers shot was deflected on to the roof of the net and Dunfermline had their first corner of the afternoon. Otoo was unlucky to direct Chalmers delivery narrowly over the bar.

An Edwards - Chalmers - Edwards move won a 43rd minute corner. This time Allan delivered from the left but again Airdrie cleared. The home side had the final chances in time added on. Allan was penalised for a foul on Gallagher and McCabe’s shot from the setpiece was deflected for a corner on the right from which Callum Fordyce headed over.

The first half stats would show 66% Dunfermline possession but Airdrie had restricted the efforts on goal to just three and only one on target.

Half time: Airdrieonians 0 Dunfermline 0

Robbie Mahon started the second half in place of Paul Allan but it was the Diamonds who first came close with Mehmet pulling off a great save to deny Callum Smith. The pressure was maintained and another Smith shot was deflected off Comrie for a corner from which Fordyce sent the ball over the bar.

Airdrie came close and the Champions had the post to thank for keeping out Gallagher’s header after Frizzell and Telfer had combined in the lead up. McCann then went down holding his left ankle that he had injured in the first half in a challenge with the goalkeeper. Kevin O’Hara came on for McCann and within three minutes Dunfermline were ahead. It was his striking partner WIGHTON however who grabbed the chance chipping the ball over the advancing keeper. The chance came when the bal, was played from Benedictus through Mochrie to Chalmers and he lopped the ball forward for the goalscorer to wrong foot Fordyce and net. 0-1.

The 58th minute lead only lasted four minutes and it was a stormy five minutes as the Pars lost a goal and then their captain to a red card. The equaliser came from a corner on the right that GALLAGHER turned in at the far post. 1-1

Then within a minute Benedictus blocked Smith 20 yards out and was shown a straight red. Chris Hamilton came on as Craig Wighton was withdrawn before McCabe’s 65th minute free kick rounded the five man wall to be held by Mehmet low to his left. The heated atmosphere was further fuelled when O’Hara took out his man on the touchline in front of the tunnel. Another red card was shown by referee Greg Aitken and then to assistant manager Dave Mackay in the remonstrations after O’Hara’s dismissal.

Kyle Macdonald came on for Ritchie-Hosler and the nine men had their work cut out for them and the defending was deep as Airdrie piled forward. The away fans cheered every Mehmet save but possession was hard to keep. An 84th minute corner was wasted and the next wave of attacked headed clear.

Still the Diamonds threatened. With their keeper on the half way line they stuck another shot over the bar from an 87th minute corner from the left. Deniz Mehmet required the physios treatment as the match went into added time. Watson smashed a good chance over the bar. An 93rd minute effort went the same way, the match was seen out as a 1-1 draw and the Pars proud unbeaten run and away record goes on.

Yet another memorable visit to the Excelsior Stadium and the players and management celebrated in front of the travelling fans like it was a victory. A fine performance but what a second half.

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