CONNOR OUT TO CAL SHOTS IN BRO SHOW
CALLUM SMITH may be a new father but brother Connor has warned he’ll “nail him” to show who’s the daddy at Firhill today.
Airdrie striker Callum and Queen’s Park loanee Connor are set to face each other for the first time, having missed out on a match-up eight days ago.
Connor, 19, now on his fourth loan stint away from Hearts, checked in with Laurie Ellis’ side but was cup-tied for their SPFL Trust Trophy encounter, which his team-mates won on penalties.
But the stage is set for a sibling rivalry as Callum, who became a dad to Ollie four weeks ago, looks to make it back-to-back goals against the Spiders.
Connor laughed and said: “I’m going to nail him! We’re buzzing to play against each other, can’t wait.
“Every time I phone him he is always having to go because the bairn is greeting. We have never played against each other and this would be the perfect time to do it.
“We played with each other in boys’ club but we would have been young, maybe eight years old. Apart from that, no.
“Hopefully, touch wood, nothing happens to both of us and we can play.” Connor featured in two of Hearts’ Premier Sports Cup games but had to watch from the bench every week when the league action got under way.
And with one year left on his Tynecastle deal, he aims to waste no time in making an impression now he’s been reunited with ex-Jambo Lewis Moore and pal Calum Biggar.
He added: “I need to play this year or I won’t get a contract. I’ve been in at Hearts since I was six, so it’s a massive year for me.”
Airdrie are looking for back-to-back league wins to move up from eighth.
Player-assistant boss Scott Agnew said: “We let ourselves down against Montrose in the first league game but the performances against Dumbarton and Falkirk were very good.
“We’ve probably not got the points to show for that, so there is nothing downbeat about our club at the moment.”
Agnew, 34, swapped East Fife for the dual role under ex-team-mate Ian Murray. He added: “Myself and Ian pick the team and if I believe the team will be better without me in it I’m happy to do it. We’ll always pick the best team we believe can win the game.”