Airdrie United 7 Dundee 0

Last updated : 11 March 2006 By Footymad Previewer
Airdrie United recorded their largest every victory with a 7-0 thrashing of Dundee at New Broomfield.

Airdrie have lost only once this season to Dundee and disappointingly that was in the cup after a replay!

Dundee fans will argue that this side today was in fact their reserve line up, with manager Allan Kernaghan making 11 changes from the team that beat Hamilton Accies in the cup on Thursday night.

However, in truth Airdrie can only play the team that is put out on the park and they simply destroyed the opposition.

Airdrie's first three goals all came on in a four-minute spell midway through the first half. The first had a touch of luck about it. A Kevin Barkey pass, intended for Brian McPhee, was badly executed and instead of reaching McPhee it rolled into the path of Willie McLaren, who ran into the box before blasting home.

The second, a minute later, was a penalty conceded by Graeme Law and executed perfectly by Gary Twigg.

Then McPhee produced a goal which must be a candidate for goal of the season. Drifting out to the right he seemed to be going nowhere. With a neat turn he looked up and lobbed the ball into the net from a unbelievably wide angle.

Airdrie were now scoring freely and Dundee were on the back foot. When they scored their fourth it came as Dundee failed on three occasions to clear their lines. Paul Lovering crossed into the box from wide on the left and Twigg rose above the stagnant Dundee defence to head into the net.

On the stroke of half-time McLaren scored a peach as he weaved his way into the box before shooting past the under siege keeper Scott Murray.

Most expected sweeping changes in the Dundee line-up for the start of the second half. However, apart from Craig O'Reilly coming on for the ineffective Scott Gates, Kernaghan left things as they were and Airdrie, not surprisingly picked up where they left off.

McLaren was in blistering form and after hitting the post and the bar he finally got his hat-trick. In truth the hard work was done by McPhee who ran from the halfway line to the edge of the box before setting up McLaren.

The young Airdrie hitman wasted no time and simply chipped over the advancing Murray.

The final goal came after two Airdrie subs combined to carve the defence open. David Dunn picked out Fraser Coyle who headed home from six yards.