AIRDRIE United took a confident first stride towards cementing their First Division status as they outplayed a poor Peterhead at Balmoor last night.
The Blue Toon were rarely a serious threat before a big home crowd, with Airdrie striking early i
n each half through John Baird and Scott McLaughlin.
Baird created a ninth-minute lead with a stunning left-foot strike. The former Montrose striker brought the ball down on his chest and found Paul Jarvie's top-right corner with a dipping 20-yard shot.
Peterhead thought they had levelled seconds after the interval when Stuart McKay leapt to meet Danny Moore's inswinging corner. His header seemed to be destined for the bottom corner but Stephen Robertson somehow clawed the ball off the line.
But just a minute later,
Airdrie doubled their lead. McLaughlin collected a pass 20 yards out and beat the unsighted Jarvie with a low side-foot shot.
The home side were shell-shocked although they wasted a great chance to get back into the match just before the hour. David Ross burst clear down the right and picked out the unmarked Danny Moore, but the Ross County youngster lacked composure and delayed his shot too long.
Peterhead: Jarvie, Donald, Smith, Mann, McDonald, Moore, Sharp (McVitie 77), Ross (Gunn 69), Bavidge, Anderson, McKay. Subs not used: Kozminski, Skinner, Kula.
Airdrie United: Robertson, McLachlan, Lovering, MacDonald, Donnelly, Smyth, Smith (Brown 86), McKenna, Di Giacomo (McDougall 75), Baird (Lynch 75), McLaughlin. Subs not used: Nixon, Hollin.
Attendance: 1,364. Referee: C MacKay.
