Ladbrokes League 1, Bayview Stadium, Saturday 29th October 2016

East Fife 0 - 1 Airdrieonians (Ryan 10’)

Man of the Match: Kevin Smith

East Fife XI: Hurst, Mercer (McManus 85’), Slattery, Kane, Page, Brown (Wallace 78’), Insall, Smith, Wilkie (Lamont 64’), Naysmith

Subs Not Used: Goodfellow Booked: Kane Dismissed: Page

Airdrieonians XI: Ferguson, Stewart (McIntosh 45’), Boateng, Gorman, MacDonald, Conroy, Brown, Fitzpatrick, Ryan (Leighton 90’), Leitch, I Russell

Subs Not Used: Kerr, Cairns, Scullion, McLaughlin, C Russell Booked: Stewart, Fitzpatrick, Boateng, I Russell Dismissed: McIntosh

Referee: Gavin Ross Attendance: 706

East Fife welcomed Airdrieonians to Bayview but it was the visitors who left with all three points courtesy of a 10th minute Andy Ryan strike. East Fife made one change to the team that drew with Stranraer last Saturday with Jamie Insall replacing Tony Wallace.

Airdrieonians had their first chance of the match with 2 minutes on the clock. Andy Ryan latched onto a long ball from Jack Leitch and skipped past Jason Kerr but his cross was cut out by Mark Hurst with Adam Brown waiting to pounce. Jamie Insall did have the ball in the net for the home side but the whistle was blown for a foul on Scott Stewart by Chris Kane from a Kevin Smith corner. The visitor’s early pressure paid off when they took the lead on 10 minutes when Ryan snuck in between Kerr and Hurst to tap home following a flick on by Joe Gorman.

Adam Brown was afforded a great opportunity to double the lead 5 minutes later but his tame shot was straight at Hurst. East Fife started to grow into the game and a well worked free kick presented Ross Brown with a sight at goal but he could only fire over the bar. The last chance of the first half fell to Iain Russel but his shot from the left-hand side of the box was never going to trouble Hurst.

East Fife looked a better side of the break but it was Airdrie who should have added to their lead on the hour mark when Jack Leitch lost his marker but headed wide from 6 yards from a cross from Andy Ryan. Jonathan Page felt hard done by to be shown a yellow card for a foul on Andy Ryan but then picked up a second booking within a matter of seconds for making his feelings known to referee Gavin Ross. Replays show Page had every right to feel aggrieved with the first booking as it looked like a foul against him but he could have no complaints about the second.

Both side were down to 10-men on 83 minutes when Sean McIntosh was adjudged to have committed a last-man foul on Kevin Smith and was dismissed by referee Ross. Replays again showing that McIntosh was unlucky to see red with Boateng back covering. Kevin Smith rattled the post from the resulting free kick with Rohan Ferguson well beaten as East Fife pushed for an equaliser. Smith went close again 4 minutes from time following a one-two with Tony Wallace but was unable to find space for a shot and Ferguson was able to collect. Ferguson was again on-hand to keep out Jason Kerr’s 20-yard strike in the final minute.

After the match Manager Gary Naysmith spoke to EFTV:

“I thought in the first half they were the team in the ascendency and I thought in the second half the players had a real go and I defiantly think that we deserved to take something from the game. They had a couple of chances on the break in the second half but I thought the boys effort and commitment was top drawer. I feel for them just now because it isn’t going for them. Sometimes when you’re getting beat the fans can accuse you of not trying but they lads can’t give anymore. We’ve just got to keep working hard and try and work through it and it will eventually turn. There’s no need to panic, in the last four games I would say the only one I’ve been disappointed in has been the Queen’s Park game. I didn’t think we were too bad against Stenny here, last week I thought we did ok and I thought we were fine today but as people keep telling me, it is a results business and at the moment we’re not getting the results but it isn’t through a lack of desire or effort or commitment and I’m sure if the players keep trying and putting in that effort the results will eventually come.”