Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Diamonds send a title message
AIRDRIEONIANS .................................... 4 MONTROSE ............................................. 1
Brody Paterson says League One title challengers Airdrie have sent a message to leaders Cove Rangers with their emphatic win over third-place Montrose.
The Diamonds blew Montrose away on Saturday and Paterson says there is now a strong belief in the New Broomfield dressing room that they can go all the way and lift silverware at the end of this season.
Paterson played a key role in the 4-1 home win over Stewart Petrie’s side on Saturday, setting up a third goal for substitute Craig Watson. Calum Gallagher netted a double in the win, with Adam Frizzell netting the fourth, atoning for conceding a first-half penalty that gave Montrose a life-line.
And Paterson said: “It was an important result. We knew what was on the line. We knew how close Montrose were to us in the league, and what a win would do for us.
“I thought it was a thoroughly deserved win.
“Not many teams go and take four off Montrose, so if that sends a message then that sends a message, and I’m really proud of the boys.
“It shows what this squad is all about, and what we can do.
“It’s a brilliant mood in the dressing room, everybody’s really positive, and we all have that belief that we can go all the way and win the league.
“Hopefully we’re showing that on the park.”
Left-back Paterson, 20, who joined the club on loan from Celtic last month and has slotted into the role well, says it was a bonus to see that leaders Cove had drawn 0-0 with Queen’s Park.
Those results set up another huge game this weekend at Peterhead.
Paterson added: “We’ve just got to keep getting the wins and hope other results go our way.
“So when we went back into the dressing room and found that out it was a good feeling.
“But we’ve just got to keep that going and focus on ourselves.
“It will be some journey up to Peterhead, and it will be the first time
I’ve been up there, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Manager Ian Murray was delighted with his side’s display and is impressed with how his squad has kept improving.
He said: “It was vital to increase the gap over Montrose, that’s all that we could influence there.
“I said to the players all week that the most important thing was creating a gap on third place.
“What else happens elsewhere, happens.
“There will be loads going on in the next 11 games; the league is now beginning to be affected because everybody’s catching up on games.
“It’s starting to sort itself out and the top two and Montrose have hung in there really well. We’ve had to because Cove have been on such a great run.
“There’s a long way to go, we all have to play each other again, and there are some very hard matches towards the end of the season, so strange things happen.
“One of the most pleasing things for me was the difference in our performance from the first game of the season until now.
“It’s a completely different team and I think people forget that we’ve got 16 players out of 22 who are new to this football club.”