Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Red cards spark Rovers into life
Fisher & Co battle for a draw after setbacks
Airdrieonians.....2 Albion Rovers ....2
Captain Gary Fisher believes Albion Rovers having two men sent off gave them the “kick up the a**e” they needed as they fought for a point in the Monklands derby.
Midfielder Fisher equalised for the Coatbridge outfit – despite finishing the game with nine men. Fisher and Alan Trouten cancelled out goals from Airdrie’s Scott Stewart and David Brownlie.
Jason Marr and Scott McLaughlin both saw red for Rovers – but Fisher thinks it may have helped them at New Broomfield.
“Losing a couple of bodies is never great but when we were down to 10 we seemed to pull together a bit better as a team,” said the skipper.
“We were set up well – and that seemed to give us the kick up the a**e that we needed.
“It was tough and we were up against it, they put us under pressure. But it was a good result in the end.”
Tom Fry’s looping corner caused havoc in the visiting defence and the ball bobbled to the feet of Brownlie who prodded home from close range in 23 minutes.
Despite some sloppy play in the middle of the park, the Cliftonhill men got back into the game after some good hold-up play from Connor Shields.
The forward kept the ball on the flank and his cross was met by Trouten to knock past debuting keeper Kyle Gourlay in 35 minutes.
Just before half-time, Willis Furtado slipped Stewart into the box and the wing- back neatly put the ball past Graham Bowman from the tight angle.
After 55 minutes, Marr was shown a second yellow despite appearing to win the ball in a clash with Fry.
Although they were a man down, good work by Joao Victoria and Trouten set up Fisher who smashed the ball into the net in 65 minutes.
Then left-back McLaughlin received a second yellow for a pull on Furtado in injury time. There was still time for the Diamonds to win the game - but Furtado’s shot hit the woodwork.
Fisher added: “It was a bit dramatic at the end.”