Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Hearts hoodoo ended by Diamond drubbing
Five-star Jambos run riot in Tynescatle win
Airdrie fans had become used to leaving the capital with a win as they held a hoodoo over Hearts.
With three Scottish Cup victories over the Jambos back in the nineties, the travelling 1700 New Broomfield faithful were hoping for a flashback to former glories.
However, as the five-star hosts ran riot with goals from Lewis Moore, Sean Clare, Steven Naismith, Euan Henderson and Craig Halkett the difference from the last decade was clear.
Despite their struggles in the top flight, the winter break looks to have worked wonders for Daniel Stendel’s side.
That became obvious to the League One title challengers almost immediately.
Airdrie fell behind in the opening seven minutes as Moore found space in the box and his low cross missed everyone to find the bottom corner.
The Diamonds were relying on set-pieces to carve out chances and came close as Leon McCann’s near post corner was flicked goalwards by Paul McKay. However, it the scuffed backheel went just past the post.
Speedy Callum Smith offered another outlet down the right flank and his cross cannoned off of John Souttar but dribbled to the gloves of Joel Pereira before Calum Gallagher could latch on to the loose ball.
Naismith misses a golden opportunity to double the lead just before half time. Conor Washington sprung the offside trap and chipped the ball over David Hutton, before squaring the hall and Naismith blazed the
ball still At over half-time, optimism the bar. there that was the underdogs might have their day again but an inch-perfect Clare volley knocked the stuffing out of the plucky visitors.
A i rd r i e’s best opportunities were coming from Smith on the counter-attack, and when
Leon McCann found the wide man he came close to pulling one back. However, after cutting in he got his angles wrong with the shot.
Sub Ben Gartuccio then strode easily into the box early from the left and found Naismith who made no mistake from a yard out.
Smith continued to cause the hosts problems with his pace and set up sub Craig Thomson inside the box, but his shot went straight into the arms of
Pereira.
It was four moments later after 72 minutes as
Henderson prodded the ball in from almost under crossbar after good work by skipper Naismith pass.
Hearts added a fifth late on to complete the rout as Jamie Walker’s corner found an unmarked
Halkett.
Boss Ian Murray felt that the early opener and second straight after the break defined the afternoon.
He said: “We knew
Hearts were going to try and come out and get the second goal after half-time because if we were in that position we would have went for the second goal.
“We conceded in both halves far too early and never really gave ourselves a shot at it.
“Seven minutes in we are losing a goal from a sloppy, sloppy corner.
“We prepared the players all week for that.
At some point the players have to take responsibility for the organisation. That’s where my disappointment comes.
“In terms of our commitment , and our tackling and our aggression towards the match we have no complaints at all.”