Airdrie United 2-1 Spartans: Spartans' hope washed away

Airdrie United 2

Di Giacomo 26; Lynch 43

Spartans 1

Malin 64

THERE are poor pitches and then there are paddy fields. This game was contested on a surface which started off looking like the former but by half-time resembled the latter. The fact they managed to survive without the aid of swim floats or at the very least wellies is the biggest surprise, the fact the referee forced them to finish the game at all is the biggest disgrace.

Passing on the deck became the mark of the insane, with lofted passes and dinks the only way to progress. Not a great spectacle and it made for a tough afternoon for everyone.

The sombreros, which have become the apparel of choice for fans of the non-league side, were out again but in soggy Airdrie they were as protection from the incessant downpour. Initially the head gear was snapped up by Spartans fans basking in the glory of the Scottish Cup shocks they have racked up in recent seasons, but those fans knew that extending the current run was a big ask.

So it proved. But come the end of the match, while Airdrie are the team in this afternoon's draw for the next round, Spartans are the side worthy of the plaudits, according to Airdrie manager Kenny Black. "They gave us a few uncomfortable moments in the second half in particular and I'm just happy to be in the next round."

The ambitious Edinburgh club, who were denied entry to the league set up in the summer, have already shown enough in this campaign to prove that only those who voted with self-interest in mind may have known what they were doing. First it was Annan Athletic, then Elgin City whose cup campaigns faltered at the hands of the underdogs. But they were Third Division sides. This was a big step up. Airdrie are the Challenge Cup champions and a First Division side, albeit one anchored at the foot of the table. But it wasn't their league status which gave them the biggest advantage, it was the fact they are full-time players up against the likes of surveyors, students and joiners and on a heavy pitch that was always likely to prove problematic the longer the match progressed. Airdrie were well briefed on the danger the non-league hopefuls could pose. Black knows the East of Scotland league and had warned his side not to underestimate their opponents.

But the home side had to weather a spritely start as Alex King broke free from the sodden midfield and threaded the ball through to Keith McLeod. If he had managed a better connection he would have been through one on one with Airdrie keeper Stephen Robertson but while he got a toe to the through ball it wasn't enough to control it, allowing the out-rushing keeper to collect.

There was no sense that Spartans were intimidated by their opponents' loftier status on or off the field. The away support, which was almost as big as the local contingent, sang "you're supposed to be at home". It was a dig at their lack of vocal backing as well as what was happening on the pitch.

But as the game settled into a pattern, Airdrie had more of the play and penned Spartans into their own half for long spells. Not that they converted that into many clear-cut chances. That was partly due to the conditions, which saw the ball often becoming plugged in the puddles, although both Steven McDougall and Joe Cradle will know that a bit more composure in front of goal could have seen them open the scoring sooner. McDougall flashed his shot across the face of goal in the 11th minute, while Cardle was leaning back when he fired over the bar four minutes later. Paul Di Giacomo was the next one to threaten but he was under pressure from the Spartans rearguard and he couldn't get proper purchase on his effort.

At the other end it was King who again linked up with McLeod but the striker's first touch let him down.

In the 26th minute the First Division side did finally make the breakthrough. Di Giacomo was the man on target and he could have added a second three minutes later but was denied by keeper Chris Flockhart. The conditions meant it was getting trickier for the goalies and that was underlined when Flockhart parried a Cardle effort in the 43rd minute but was unable to hold and Simon Lynch was first to react, tapping in from a couple of yards out.

It was a tough pill for the visitors to swallow so late in the half but while the home outfit seemed too relaxed as they embarked on the second half, the visitors got the kick up the backside their manager, Mike Lawson, said they needed. "I only gave them six and a half out of ten at half-time but in the second half they were magnificent, playing against a full-time team who resorted to wasting time in the bottom corner."

His half-time team talk was certainly rewarded with a superior performance after the break. In fact had it not been for the conditions, he may have been preparing for a replay. Several times the visitors gave their full-time opponents a scare as they took the game to them, pressurising them with determined running and accurate long balls. In fact, with a real show of heart and fight they out-contested their rivals and even out-played them at times.

The visitors got back into it with a goal from Gavin Malin in the 64th minute. Danny O'Donnell, who epitomised the desire in the team to take the game by the scruff of the neck, broke forward brilliantly and sent in a perfect delivery for Malin. The striker's shot found the target, Roberston failed to hold, and it trickled over the line.

It was just reward and it was almost honours even when the ball was again in the net. But even before McLeod's shot had crossed the line, the referee was signalling for a foul. It just wasn't to be.