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Date: Saturday 27th Jan 2001, 3.00pm Venue: New Broomfield Park aka The  Shyberry Excelsior Stadium. Home fans in West (main) stand, Toon fans opposite and stands behind each goal deserted.  Conditions: Sunshine initially, temperature dropping as darkness approached.

Airdrie	1 - 0	Newcastle United
Half time:	1 - 0
Score Sheet:
Jesus San Juan 6		No scorer
	Teams
Javier Sanchez Broto Paul Armstrong Austin McCann Darren Brady  Eddie Forrest  Miguel Alfonso  Fabrice Moreau Jesus Sanjuan Tero Pilvi Martin Prest David Fernandez	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11	Phil Pringle Brian Kerr Olivier Bernard Ryan McGuffie David Beharall Stuart Green Mark Boyd Jamie McClen Jamie Coppinger Pablo Bonvin Colin McMenamin
Substitutes:
AN Other for McCann (46) Taylor for Forrest (46) Salva Capin for Moreau (46) John Elliott for Prest (60) David McGuire for Fernandez (64) AN Other for Armstrong (77)		Pedro Dimas for McMenamin (55)
Subs not used:
		None named
Bookings:
none		none
Referee: tbc
Attendance: 2,571 (just less than 400 supporting Newcastle)

6 mins. Fabrice Moreau was allowed to run onto Armstrong's through ball and evade Bernard with ease down the Airdrie right, almost at the corner flag. He swung over a deep cross into the area to where Jesus Sanjuan was ideally placed to head back past a stationary Pringle from 10 yards  0-1

Half time: Airdrie 1 Newcastle 0

Full time: Airdrie 1 Newcastle 0

Coach Tommy Craig said: 

2 mins The first shot of the game, a Stuart Green range-finder, wide of the post.

4 mins Greeny again - this time forcing the goalkeeper into a save.

6 mins Airdrie score (see above)

6 mins Almost an instant response from United, as they swept upfield and Bonvin's strong shot was well claimed by the keeper.

12 mins Another wakeup call for Pringle in the Newcastle goal, as Pilvi placed his header from a right wing Moreau cross on to the roof of the net.

27 mins Boyd crossed from the right after good work from Kerr and Coppinger had worked an opening. McGuffie was well placed to get his header in, but placed it in the arms of 'keeper Broto.

28 mins More good work from Moreau, who set McCann away down the right and his cross was knocked down by Brady for Sanjuan to blast narrowly over the bar.

34 mins United again moved forward down the right through Kerr and Coppinger, exchanging passes with McClen. Coppinger received the return ball and played in Bonvin. Unlike the reserve game last week against Man City however, Bonvin put his shot wide from a similar position.

40 mins A rare foray down the Newcastle left saw McClen find the advancing Bonvin, who crossed low for McMenamin. However, he totally failed to connect with the pass and the danger was cleared.    

47 mins The home side almost began the second half in similar style to the first, with Pilvi heading wide from a Fernandez cross.

50 mins Another glaring miss from Airdrie, as Fernandez pulled his shot wide of the United goal after latching on to a defence-splitting pass from Pilvi.

61 mins Pringle made a confident claim as another cross by Fernandez from the left threatened to upset the United defence.

72 mins The nearest United had come to a goal so far was this 20 yard shot from Boyd, seeming to catch the keeper unawares. However, he scrambled across to the other side of his goal to fist the shot round the post.

80 mins Coppinger broke through for an one-on-one with the keeper from 15 yards, but Broto was able to come off his line and smother the danger.

81 mins The persistence of Kerr saw United break down the right and when his cross was floated to the back post, Green shot quickly but couldn't keep the effort from ballooning over the crossbar.

82 mins More danger from United as Boyd and Coppinger again made progress down the right, before the latter whipped a dangerous ball into the Airidrie area. In amongst the confusion, Bonvin missed his shot and Dimas saw his blocked by a defender.

84 mins Another chance went begging for the visitors after Bonvin had run into space down the left and slipped the ball through to the unmarked Dimas. He inexplicably chose to cross in preference to shooting from a good position and the chance was gone.

85 mins Two penalty claims in the same incident as an Airdrie hand appeared to divert a Green shot from close range, and then some barging amongst the players saw a United attacker tumble. The referee waved away any claims however.

86 mins United's final chance was an ambitious Kerr effort from long range that slid just past the post.   

Not even friendly matches provide a refuge for Tommy Craig and his troops, who now have this routine well-rehearsed.

Undoubtedly a team containing some talented individuals, unfortunately our reserve side have simply forgotten how to put the ball in the back of the old onion bag, and any hopes of a morale-boosting victory had disappeared in the opening ten minutes. By then the home side were a goal up and it was obvious that Coppinger was being played in an unfamiliar withdrawn midfield role.

Airdrie obviously had a point to prove and were more tenacious throughout, an attitude that resulted in their creating a succession of chances that should have brought at least one further goal.

A late flurry from United in the last ten minutes failed to secure an equaliser and also failed to dim memories of a generally poor team performance. While United could once again point at their altered personnel, the only team that got any benefit from this game were the Scottish hosts. Neither the Newcastle coach or regular reserve watchers learned anything that they didn't know already.

PS - One nice gesture - although they lost, the Newcastle lads at least acknowledged the presence of the travelling fans at the final whistle.

PPS - Songs of the day from the toon choir (K.Barrett, The Chap, Fink and a few others.)

"Braveheart, Braveheart give us a song"
"There's only one Rabbie Burns"

And something about an Airdrie onion having haggis for his tea.

Drink had obviously been taken.

Thanks to the people we met at Airdrie, especially in the stadium bar after the game. A nice bunch of genuine football supporters, including one Lanarkshire exile who'd come down from Aberdeen for the game!  

Biffa

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