Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Airdrie curse can break Hearts again
MARK PIRIE
Former Airdrie forward Alan Lawrence hopes to see Hearts’ Diamonds hoodoo come back to haunt them in the Scottish Cup.
Ex-Broomfield favourite and Jambo Lawrence was part of the side who defeated the capital side in Scottish Cup semi-finals.
However, the men from Monklands had the number of their Edinburgh counterparts – only losing twice to them across the whole decade.
Self- confessed “Airdrie man” Lawrence doesn’t have any qualms about his beloved side putting out one of his former teams.
In fact, he hopes to see the fear factor created under ex-boss Alex MacDonald come back to Tynecastle this weekend.
The 57-year-old there must be big improvements under new boss Daniel Stendel if the Premiership strugglers are to secure a spot in the next round.
“We had a really good squad and Alex MacDonald brought in a bit more experience with him from Hearts,” he told the Advertiser.
“We had a really good bunch of lads. We didn’t have any superstars but had a really good group.
“That’s what impresses me about the present day Airdrie team. They look more like a squad now.
“They’ve got a good strength in depth and it it’s s not surprising that they have kicked on.
He went on: “In the early nineties, I don’t know what it was, but we seemed to pull out results.
“We maybe knew what they were all about because of Alex MacDonald. He knew their faults and habits and we used that information to the best of our ability.
“When we went to play Hearts we always thought they would be more worried that us. They would be the favourites.
“If “Ifwelostthegame, we lost the game, or the thecupsemicup semifinals, it would have just been expected.
“There was a bit of a fear factor from the Hearts boys. What Alex told us to do always seemed to work on the day.
“Hearts are in the Premiership. They aren’t doing very well. I’ve seen them a few times this season at Tynecastle and I haven’t been impressed at all.
“I think Airdrie go there and have a great chance.
“In the nineties, we were a bogey side for them and especially when it came to the Scottish Cup.
“Our record over them in the Scottish Cup is decent and Airdrie are the form team just now out of those two teams.
“I’m sure they will be going there full of confidence.
“You got to Airdrie and you win those games and as a player that’s when you start to get noticed.
“As a player you need to be of the mind-set that if you make a good impression against a top team.
“If you want to make yourself a better player, what a better place than to show you can compete at that level.
“In the nineties we had the mentality that we might not win every game, but we were going to give our all.
“You need to be mentally strong. The biggest thing will be to go and enjoy the atmosphere. You take about Parkhead, Ibrox, but there is no better atmosphere than when Tynecastle is full.
“Airdrie will have a good support as well.The boys need to do it all together. If they stick together then hopefully the can catch Hearts on a bad day.”