Diamonds deserved to take a point

AIRDRIEONIANS.....................................1 QUEEN’S PARK........................................1

Andy Mcgilvray at New Broomfield

Airdrie boss Rhys Mccabe says a point is the least his side deserved after battling back to draw with Queen’s Park.

Dom Thomas pounced on uncertainty in the Airdrie box to rifle his side into a 13th-minute lead at New Broomfield.

Mason Hancock went on a run and smashed a shot past Calum Ferrie to level in 63 minutes, two minutes after climbing off the bench.

Airdrie had further chances to score, but Ruari Paton headed narrowly wide of an empty goal in 74 minutes, and Danny Wilson headed a Stuart Mckinstry corner off the right post with 10 minutes left.

Mccabe was delighted with the response from his side in the second half, and reckons on another day they would have walked away with all three points.

He said:“it might work out to be a good point, I don‘t know.

“We’re obviously frustrated – we’d like to win every game – but considering the first half, and being a goal down, we’re delighted to come away with a point.

“I think, on the balance of the game, a draw is probably fair.

“In the first half it took us a wee while to get going, which could be down to tiredness, with Saturday-tuesday schedules, but in the second half we responded very well, freshened it up, got some good substitutions on, and I thought if any team was going to win that, it looked like it was going to be us.

“It was a good response from us in the second half, and I’m delighted to come away with a point, having been a goal down.

“We worked the ball wide, our forwards had the beating of the three Queen’s Park centre-backs, and won more than their fair share of balls in the air. I think Calum Ferrie makes two or three really good saves that keep them in the game, so on another day they go in and you run out with two or three goals.

“On another day we possibly come away from the game with all three points, but I’m not too disgruntled with the level of performance.

“I thought in the second half the boys rallied well and showed our enthusiasm.”

On Hancock’s goal, Mccabe said: “Mason gives us that different dimension, going forward, with is delivery and natural balance there at left-back.

“He’s had the momentum, stepped up and saw an opportunity to have a good strike.”