Diamonds beats clubs in final hand
DALE CARRICK insisted playing pretty football was an afterthought as Airdrie kept their promotion push bang on track.
The striker buried the rebound after his penalty miss as the Diamonds beat play-off rivals East Fife 1-0.
Carrick’s 12th league goal this season preserved their four-point cushion in the play-off race as they bounced back from defeat on the road to Montrose.
The ex-Hearts hitman said: “I am delighted with my goal but I should have done better with the penalty initially. This season my aim was to add goals and assists to my game and I’ve done that.
“It was a battle for the majority of the game, there wasn’t a great deal of quality from either side. But it was all about getting three points on the board.
“I just want to keep getting on the scoresheet as much as I can, assist and do anything for the team in the last eight games.
“A play-off place is definitely achievable, I don’t see why not.”
Brett Long saved his 16th-minute spot-kick after East Fife captain Chris Higgins had wrestled Craig Thomson to the ground.
The ball fell kindly for Carrick to pass into an empty net before Scott Gallacher’s 65th-minute save stopped Scott Agnew levelling from close range.
East Fife finished with 10 men after midfielder Ross Davidson was sent off for a second yellow card deep into stoppage time.
His team-mate Aaron Dunsmore said: “We were the better team towards the end of the game. If we were a bit sharper in the final third we could have got either a draw or a win. If we’d got it back to 1-1 we would’ve won that game.
“The penalty looked soft from where I was but we have to try to cut these silly mistakes out.”
John Baird scored the clincher a minute after coming on as Raith beat Forfar 2-1 to remain top.
Falkirk still trail them by a single point as co-boss Lee Miller got his name on the scoresheet in their 3-0 win at home to Peterhead.
Craig Johnston netted twice as Montrose saw off bottom side Stranraer 4-1 to move back to within a point of the play-offs.
Sub John Rankin got his first goal since returning from nine months out injured as Clyde defeated Dumbarton 2-0.