Lichties draw blank in dreary stalemate

AIRDRIEONIANS 0 ARBROATH 0

Gavin Swankie admitted both sides could have played all day without scoring a goal after a dreary League One stalemate.

The veteran striker nearly capitalised on the late dismissal of Airdrie’s Jordan Mcgregor when he stung the palms of Rohan Ferguson with a rasping drive.

However, after a game of few chances played out in blustery and wet conditions, Swankie accepted a draw was a fair result, saying: “We both huffed and puffed but we could have been here to midnight without scoring so a draw is probably a fair result.

“It was tricky conditions, the wind was swirling all over the place and there was a little bit of grease on the surface.”

The elements contributed to an ugly first half and it took until the half-hour for either goalkeeper to be forced into a save when David Hutton comfortably gathered a low drive by Airdrie’s Luke Watt.

Five minutes before the break, Litchies keeper Hutton found himself in the centre of the action again when he was adjudged to have handled the ball outside his area.

After deliberating with his assistant referee Steven Reid deemed the infringement not to be a clear goal-scoring opportunity and kept his cards in his pocket.

Swankie admitted he was surprised by the decision which could have dented his side’s play off ambitions.

“If it was outside the box then the ref has to book him. I think he was unsure.

“We just need to keep plugging away. Our aim is to win the league and that will continue until it’s impossible.

“Looking at the table though, we probably should focus on the play-offs as we are in a good position for that.”

Arbroath had chances to snatch a winner. Omar Kader hesitated when in a good position and his shot was blocked before the lively Swankie drifted an ambitious lob narrowly wide.