Airdrie 1-3 Raith Rovers: Scottish Cup replay

Thursday, 28 January 2010 17:59

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Rovers secure a date with the Dons after finishing off ailing Airdrie

By Will Lyon

Raith Rovers booked a money spinning clash with Aberdeen after an inspired replay win over Airdrie.

Goals from Kevin Smith, Gregory Tade and Johnny Russell guided Raith Rovers to the next round of the Scottish Cup.

The Kirkcaldy side comfortably defeated an Airdrie side that were boisterously booed off the park by their fans at New Broomfield.

The Rovers can now look forward to a cracking match against SPL big boys Aberdeen. Airdrie meanwhile, will be left to focus on a fight for survival in the First Division.

Both teams started the match well, but it was Airdrie who had the first chance after a short back pass from Mark Campbell allowed Airdrie’s Scott Gemmill to pounce on the ball, but he wasted the opportunity by shooting across the goal and out of play.

The game was much more evenly contested than the first half of the previous game between the two sides, but this time it was Rovers who broke the deadlock. On the 22nd minute, Allan Walker made a surging run in the Airdrie half and placed the ball right into Kevin Smith’s path and he fired the ball into the back of the net. Airdrie goalkeeper, Stephen Robertson will be disappointed with the goal as he looked to have it comfortably covered, but the ball squirmed under his body.

However, Airdrie were not going to let the Kirkcaldy side have it all easy. 7 minutes from the break, Laurie Ellis gave away a soft foul on the edge of the Rovers box and Scott McLaughlin flew in a perfect free kick onto the head of Robert Donnelly, who found the bottom corner of the net. There was absolutely nothing the Rovers keeper’ David McGurn could do, as it was inch perfect.

Airdrie looked to have evened the match for halftime; however, Russell had different ideas. He tore down the left hand side of the pitch on the 43rd minute and his cross to the back post of the Airdrie goal found Tade who acrobatically headed Rovers back into the lead.

The second half was a bit of a non event as Rovers sat back and let Airdrie do all the work. However, the Lanarkshire side didn’t have enough cutting edge and were starting to get frustrated.

On the 60th minute Tade fell on the ball and Marc Smyth proceeded to try and boot the ball from under the Frenchman. The referee controversially awarded a free kick to Airdrie and Raith’s Walker was so perturbed that he ran away with the ball.

Airdrie goalkeeper Robertson, annoyed at Walker, then came flying out of his box and gave the Rovers midfielder a shove. After the bizarre set of events Symth, Walker and Robertson received yellow cards, something Robertson would later regret.

As the two sides began to tire the play became very scrappy. Just 3 minutes from time Airdrie could have found the equaliser, but Gemmill’s weak shot was gratefully saved by McGurn.

In the last minute of regulation Rovers caught Airdrie on the counter attack with the constant menace of Russell. Robertson came out of the goal to meet him and both players appeared to collide as they lunged in with their feet. Referee Steven Nicholls pointed to the spot and gave Robertson his second yellow of the match. With Robertson’s dismissal it was McLaughlin that took over between the sticks, but Russell beat him from the spot to secure the win for Rovers.

Raith will now entertain Aberdeen at an all ticket, Starks Park in the 5th round of the Scottish Cup next Saturday. 

Airdrie United: Robertson, Storey, Smyth, Donnelly, Waddell, McLaughlin, Trouten (Smith 52), McDonald (Watt 68), McCann (Lagana), Baird, Gemmill. Subs Unused: Hollis, Nixon.
Booked: Robertson, Smyth, Smith. Sent Off: Robertson. Goal: Donnelly 39

Raith Rovers, McGurn, Wilson, Ellis, Campbell, Murray, Walker, Williamson, Ferry, Smith (Weir 69), Tade, Russell.
Booked: Murray, Walker. Subs Unused: O’Connor, Hill, Smith, Sloan. Goals:  Smith 24, Tade 45, Russell (Pen) 90.

Attendance: 852
Referee: Steven Nicholls