Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Big praise for Dean as Diamonds edge Pars
AIRDRIEONIANS....................................2 DUNFERMLINE.......................................1
Paul Thomson Airdrie player/ boss Rhys Mccabe hailed birthday boy Dean Mcmaster after he bagged his first senior goal to help put the Diamonds on the cusp of the Premiership playoffs.
The 20-year-old midfielder, who has come into the starting line-up in recent weeks to replace injured Mccabe, fired the Diamonds in front against Dunfermline on Saturday with a fine strike on the stroke of half-time.
The Pars pulled one back early in the second half through Malachi FaganWalcott before Gavin Gallagher also netted his first senior goal to win it for Airdrie – putting them nine points clear of fifth-place Pars with nine points to play for in the battle for the play-offs.
Mcmaster arrowed in the opener from 20-yards following a short corner and Mccabe said: “We were laughing and joking with Dean because that has been coming.
“He has been getting himself into the box and into good positions.”we worked a short corner - probably out of circumstance because we couldn’t keep the ball on the corner spot [due to the wind] - and it falls to Deano.
“He has a lovely touch out of his feet and he produces a fantastic strike on his birthday.
“Hopefully, he can use that as a wee bit of motivation now.
“His performance overall was different class.
“I’m delighted to get the win and I thought the performance merited it as well.
“Dunfermline changed their personnel and shape during the game a couple of times which, on another day and in the past, would probably have thrown us off a bit, but the boys stuck to the game plan really well and played some good stuff.
“In the final third, we just had a wee lack of a final pass, shot or weight of pass. But the boys dealt with the tricky conditions really well.”
Airderie sit joint-third with Partick Thistle, who they face this Saturday at Firhill, so only a huge collapse and big goal difference swing by Dunfermline can deny them a play-off place now.
Mccabe added: “It was a real sixpointer.
“We’re delighted to have got ourselves into such a good position – nine points clear of fifth place with three games to go.”