Airdrie v Hamilton Playoff Final 1st leg

['WellDel]

1 hour ago, Cosmic Joe said:

A wee bit of a lack of imagination in club colours over Lanarkshire way. 

Two clubs in red and white and two almost identical, red and yellow and claret and Amber. I'm not even sure Clyde count - but white and red. 

Fife have black and gold, black and white, navy and white and maroon and white. 

Angus has sky blue and white, blue and white, maroon and white. 

 

 

Janny's off

We'll settle for worse strip diversity, but better at fitba. Thanks.

[Diamonds are Forever]

9 minutes ago, Mr November said:

A good win marred by Watson’s stupidity at the end. Hamilton started better and looked stronger physically but I thought we came into the game a bit more. The first goal was always going to be key and I felt Hamilton fell out the game after that. They got weaker with every sub too and never really looked like scoring. 

Airdrie weren’t at their best but I’ll take the win. We panicked a bit in the final third and rushed things when we didn’t need to. Watson is the weakest of our back four but possibly the hardest to replace in terms of position, physicality and strength. I like him but he is prone to stupid mistakes and that could be a very costly one tonight. Absolutely no need for it. 

All to play for on Saturday now. It’s great to be going there with an advantage but I can’t say I’m fully confident.

 

Such a stupid booking, obviously Smith was looking for it but that's what makes it so stupid, as soon as you put your hand on his shoulder you know he is going down and it's a booking. As you say it's just an awkward sending-off because it means reorganising the back four. It is frustrating that we keep shooting ourselves in the foot with red cards, we don't seem to learn.

It's a 'level par' scoreline really, winning your home game by the smallest margin is the least you'd be looking for. However Hamilton do struggle to score goals (a crazy spell against horrific Alloa defending aside) so hopefully it puts us in more control of the tie.

[CHEMOMAN]

If you had to pick one defender to lose for the 2nd leg you would've picked Janny. A very soft 2nd yellow. We've got options though so it doesn't concern me too much. Accies looked sharper than us 1st half. They also looked fairly solid in defence which isn't that surprising as they've had plenty of defensive practice all season. They offered nothing up top all game though and fell away in the 2nd half, especially after we got our goal. All to play for on Saturday, it's going to be nervy but I think we'll do it!

 

[Diamonds are Forever]

1 minute ago, CHEMOMAN said:

If you had to pick one defender to lose for the 2nd leg you would've picked Janny. A very soft 2nd yellow. We've got options though so it doesn't concern me too much. Accies looked sharper than us 1st half. They also looked fairly solid in defence which isn't that surprising as they've had plenty of defensive practice all season. They offered nothing up top all game though and fell away in the 2nd half, especially after we got our goal. All to play for on Saturday, it's going to be nervy but I think we'll do it!

 

 

As much as I think he's been great, ATS is an easier player to be without because McCabe slots back there and there's no disruption, as we saw on Saturday. Watson individually isn't a massive miss but we have no other right backs (if we say that Ballantyne is now our left) so it means moving players about.

It shouldn't be an issue, but it's an unnecessary headache for McCabe to have now.

[Diamond1924]

Thought we were really poor tonight and looked quite panicked at times. Hamilton were more composed in the first half but didn’t really cause us much bother. 

Overall a dull affair. Just hope we turn up on Saturday.

oh and… that referee was absolutely shocking. 

Edited May 17, 2023 by Diamond1924

[Bert Raccoon]

2 hours ago, Zen Archer (Raconteur) said:

Stewards assemble to prevent @Bert Raccoon streaking on the park to get the game stopped.

Saving myself for Saturday .

 

As for the game, meh. If we could finish we'd be well out the way and wouldn't be in this position in the first place. Ridiculous how many dangerous free kicks and corners we had and did absolutely f**k all. Not over but a massive effort required Saturday and not sure our team is up to it 

[Ye Olde Hamiltonian]

I felt Rankin gave Airdrie the initiative by moving to one man  up front start of the second half as it allowed the ball to move quickly against us.

Subs were a bit meh and if you are going to bring Tiehi on,you give him more time and put balls in the box for him.

As for Airdrie,they should be looking for the first goal Saturday as our powder puff strikers won't score 3.

However,if we score first  I would be very confident of getting the job done.

All to play for and  a big,big performance needed for sure.

 

 

[DUAFC]

1 hour ago, Dirty Sanchez said:

Spotted a Portuguese lad in the crowd with a Sporting Lisbon phone case.

You need to get yourself a boyfriend  / girlfriend  (delete,  or not as appropriate)

[19QOS19]

2 hours ago, Skyline Drifter said:

You were right the first time. Far too much was made of it. It's showing its age now and needs replaced.

I think you're the only one who has in any way defended it. It was an awful pitch long before the last couple of seasons. That it passed every inspection etc. says more about the standards required than it does about that surface. 

[Daddy Cheeze]

As one nil shitfests go I've sat through worse 90 minutes.Both teams having a go,both teams with periods on top,both teams at least a yard off it from middle to front.

Would happily trade a kidney for the same again on Saturday.

 

[Chapelhall chap]

Overall an even game and I'll take that win as the basis for a better performance on Saturday.

I believe that's the first home win in a playoff final so I remain relaxed.

Thought the Ref was honking bit some of our players have to be a but braver in Hamilton. Connor Smith was a threat so our right back will need to be more astute than Janny.

Might watch the recording tomorrow.

 

Edited May 17, 2023 by Chapelhall chap
Spelling

[Mr November]

7 minutes ago, Ye Olde Hamiltonian said:

I felt Rankin gave Airdrie the initiative by moving to one man  up front start of the second half as it allowed the ball to move quickly against us.

Subs were a bit meh and if you are going to bring Tiehi on,you give him more time and put balls in the box for him.

As for Airdrie,they should be looking for the first goal Saturday as our powder puff strikers won't score 3.

However,if we score first  I would be very confident of getting the job done.

All to play for and  a big,big performance needed for sure.

 

 

Yeah, I felt Hamilton got weaker with every change they made. Is that a common thing under Rankin or just an issue tonight?

[Ye Olde Hamiltonian]

4 minutes ago, Mr November said:

Yeah, I felt Hamilton got weaker with every change they made. Is that a common thing under Rankin or just an issue tonight?

Very common which is why we are where we are.

[DUAFC]

Airdrie are bang average,  should still probably have enough about them to flush the unflushable. 

[Glenmavis Diamond]

1 hour ago, ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds said:

Dycey at right back and McCabe at centre half for me with McMaster coming in for the second leg. No offence to Euan Deveney or Lachie Byrd but they haven’t played enough to come in for a game of this magnitude.

Could obviously go for ATS at left back with Ballantyne coming over to the right but I’m not sure he’s got the legs to play there anymore and defend against a winger.

So in the biggest game of our season you'd move our best CB to RB, a position he's not played in at all this season, also moving McCabe into defence, so losing height? No thanks. 

It'll be Cammy to RB and Devenny in to LB. 

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds]

15 minutes ago, Glenmavis Diamond said:

So in the biggest game of our season you'd move our best CB to RB, a position he's not played in at all this season, also moving McCabe into defence, so losing height? No thanks. 

It'll be Cammy to RB and Devenny in to LB. 

When you put it like that it does sound a bit crazy I'll admit. I don't like it but I'm not convinced at all by Deveney defensively, especially when he hasn't played much recently other than brief cameos. Fordyce has played right back before and I'd have no worries about him playing there again, other than the fact he would be missed at centre half. I don't think McCabe and ATS have ever played together at centre half but on individual levels both are comfortable there (although that has been next to Fordyce).

For me the main alternative to that would be ATS at left back with Ballantyne over to the right and McCabe dropping back into defence. I think some version of those four has to be the defence that starts on Saturday.

[Passionate]

1 hour ago, ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds said:

When you put it like that it does sound a bit crazy I'll admit. I don't like it but I'm not convinced at all by Deveney defensively, especially when he hasn't played much recently other than brief cameos. Fordyce has played right back before and I'd have no worries about him playing there again, other than the fact he would be missed at centre half. I don't think McCabe and ATS have ever played together at centre half but on individual levels both are comfortable there (although that has been next to Fordyce).

For me the main alternative to that would be ATS at left back with Ballantyne over to the right and McCabe dropping back into defence. I think some version of those four has to be the defence that starts on Saturday.

Big question canATS go again in a couple of days, he is still apparently nursing a hammy,    he played last midweek,  was on the bench , but not stripped on saturday,  but back again tonight,  hope he makes it,   a few players are looking a bit leggy, only to be expected , most other players are spending there second week on the beach...

 

first time in our playoff history hat we go into the second leg of a final with an advantage,  never happened before..

[Scott Power]

Can't wait til Clyde are the number 1 team at New Douglas Park.

[Heaton]

Didn't see the game but sounds like the game itself or being on TV caused some nerves and impacted the Airdrie performance. 

Hopefully having played Accies now and have a goal lead, those nerves will be gone and the players know they can likely get this done by scoring first in the 2nd leg. 

Is the 2nd leg on the telly?

[AJ77]

44 minutes ago, Heaton said:

Didn't see the game but sounds like the game itself or being on TV caused some nerves and impacted the Airdrie performance. 

Hopefully having played Accies now and have a goal lead, those nerves will be gone and the players know they can likely get this done by scoring first in the 2nd leg. 

Is the 2nd leg on the telly?

Yes on BBC Alba again, 5:15 ko on Saturday