Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
PURE METTLE Byrne up for a title tilt after gutsy win over Binos
Striker Declan Byrne reckons Albion Rovers showed their steel for a League Two title fight in the win over Stirling.
The Cliftonhill outfit enjoy a free Saturday this weekend following a hard-fought win over the Binos – which saw the visitors end the game with nine men and Sean Fagan shown a red for Rovers.
However Byrne, who scored a penalty last weekend, believes the clash is a game they would have lost last season as they slumped to a relegation dogfight with Berwick Rangers.
After five games, the Coatbridge outfit sit six points off league leaders Cove Rangers.
The 23-year-old forward said they showed that they are geared up for a battle at the top of the division with their win over Stirling.
“When you are playing a team who go down to 10 men, or nine men, it’s a lot tougher than you think,” the forward told the Advertiser.
“We played well enough and got the three points when we got the ball into wide areas. It was a real battle, and the boys won that battle.
“It’s a game we would have probably lost last season, but it’s a totally different place from last season.
“We’re stronger and have better personnel and a better dressing room. That does add a bit of pressure because more is expected of us but we just need to keep the momentum up from the early season.
“It’s a really tight division this season, there isn’t anything between the teams so far. Cove are top and have a big budget but it’s not like they have pulled away.
“You look at Cove and they have a small gap at the top, but we went toe-to-toe with them in the 4-4 draw. We should have beat them, and to me they just punted long balls forward. We’ve also worry that the club seem to be going the same way again.”
He went on:“It’s not easy to win a cup and there is no doubt Airdrie are a club who should be looking to win it.” went up against the other ‘big boys’ in the division like Edinburgh City in the Betfred Cup and Annan in the league and haven’t lost.
“There are games where we haven’t been brilliant for the 90 minutes, and have won or got a point. To me that’s a good sign.
“We can use this break to regroup, because we have let ourselves down a couple of times when we should have won games.”
Despite a quiet weekend, Kevin Harper still hopes to be busy in the transfer market in the coming days.
“We expect to add another one after the deadline has passed,” said Harper. Ricky Ric Burns is set to return to action act against Lee Selby – but has been denied his Glasgow homecoming ho after a organisers org couldn’t find a venue ven for the clash.
Manager M Alex Morrison told the Advertiser that plans had been bee in place to have the bout at t the top of the card in either the Hydro or at the Emirates Arena. Are
The T lightweight bout will now take place at the O2 Arena in London on October 26.
The Celtic clash will be a card that will also see Derek Chisora fight Joseph Parker and Scot Josh Taylor battle Regis Prograis.
The former three-weight world champion had been set to face Jorge Linares at the SSE Hydro with the winner facing Vasyl Lomachenko for the WBA lightweight title.
However, manager Morrison previously revealed that the Venezuelan had now taken another fight stating that it had “fell through”.
He said“it doesn’t make any difference”to the 36-year-old where they fight and is confident he’ll secure the win.
Morrison said:“We couldn’t get a venue for the Glasgow fight on the day we wanted, but this takes the pressure off Ricky to sell tickets.
“We couldn’t get the hometown venue, but he’s happy to go down there and I’m confident he’ll win it.”
Morrison says he has no fear of ring-rust for his boxer – who has been out of action since the win over Scott Cardle at the Manchester Arena in November 2018.
“He has been in sparring and getting ready for a while now,” he continued.“He is fit and ready to go. He might not have the chance for too many more fights at the age he is so we’re glad to get this one sorted.”