7th September 2019. Airdrie v Bohemians 3-2

International weekend so no Hearts game today. I have recently downloaded the Groundhopper app which records matches I have been to and grounds involved. To date I have been to 72 grounds across four countries so decided to try and get a new ground today. I had been to Airdrie’s Old Broomfield ground on a number of occasions but have never been to their new Excelsior Stadium. The Excelsior Stadium, known as the Penny Cars Stadium for sponsorship reasons, was opened in 1998 as the home of Airdrieonians FC. However this club fell into bankruptcy and a new club known as Airdrie FC took over the stadium after buying out Clydebank FC who were experiencing severe financial problems. Clydebank were moved to Airdrie and renamed Airdrie FC and took Clydebank's place in the Scottish leagues, Airdrie FC being unable to replace Airdrieonians as they had been replaced by Gretna in the league setup. In 2013 the Scottish Football Association granted Airdrie FC permission to revert to their pre-bankruptcy title of Airdrieonians FC. I caught a train at Haymarket at 11.11 and arrived at Drumgelloch Station (it is closer to the ground than Airdrie Station) at 12.00 for the 13.00 kick-off. The ground is about a mile from the station and I walked there arriving around 12.15. Turnstiles had not yet been opened although there were a number of fans, from both sides, waiting outside. I got a programme from the club shop and when the turnstiles opened at 12.20 paid my £12 admission to get in. As I had  not had any lunch I got a pie and a coffee for a reasonable £3.40 and finished these before finding a seat in the main stand. As season tickets were not valid for this match fans could sit anywhere and I took a seat to the left hand side of the players tunnel around ten rows up which gave a good view of the pitch.


Airdrie are no longer the force they were when they played at Broomfield. At that time, especially under former Hearts manager Alex McDonald, they were in the Premier League and a difficult side to beat. Under McDonald they reached two Scottish Cup finals. Since their financial troubles things have not gone so well and they are currently in League One, the third tier of Scottish football. They are now managed by former Hibs player Ian Murray. In their squad they do have four ex-Hearts players, Dale Carrick, Ali Roy, Scott Gallagher and Adam Eckersley. The first three were all included in the starting line-up today with Eckersley on the bench. I know next to nothing about Bohemians although I did know they were based in Dublin and had taken part in European competition previously. They are now outside European places in their league but are one of the League of Ireland sides invited to take part in what is now the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup. The only name I recognised in their squad was Scott Allardice who was with Dundee United in the past. 


The match itself was a really good game with both sides trying to play football and some excellent goals. The first chance of the game fell to Bohemians (Bohs) when Robert McCourt broke with the ball following an Airdrie corner. His pass found Keith Ward on he left who sent a curling shot wide of the goal. Airdrie scored with their first real chance in nineteen minutes when a good pass from Carrick found Roy racing down the right wing. He outpaced his marker and drove into the penalty box before sending a low cross to the edge of the six yard box. Centre forward Callum Gallagher shot home to give the home side the lead. Bohs almost equalised just after the half hour mark when a challenge from Sean Crighton prevented Patrick Kirk getting a lot of power into his shot from twelve yards out. With keeper Gallagher stranded, Josh Kerr was able to clear the ball from the goal-line. Boss drew level almost on the half-time whistle after a corner on their right was played low in the penalty box. The ball fell at the feet of Allardice about sixteen yards from goal on the right hand side of the box and he shot low into the net before the Airdrie defence could move to block the ball. 


The second half was more of the same and after Bohs Michael Kelly made a good one-handed save to push away a shot from Craig Thomson, Ali Roy had a great chance. He gathered a poor throw out and raced towards the penalty box. As he attempted  a shot he was crowded out by the Bohs defence with manager Murray shouting "Pass the ball" from the touchline. Gallagher made a good save to block an Andy Lyons shot from close range before Murray, still raging at the failure to pass ten minutes earlier, replaced Roy with substitute Callum Smith. Airdrie took the lead again after seventy-two minutes when Gallagher beat his marker of the far touchline and cut inside along the edge of the penalty box. From twenty yards he sent a good shot into the far top corner of the net giving Kelly in goal no chance. Bohs were not out of the game and equalised three minutes later after a move down the Airdrie left ended with Ryan Graydon sending a low ball into the box. Luke Wade-Slater gathered the ball about twelve yards out and shot home before the Airdrie defence could react. Airdrie were not finished and after seventy-eight minutes substitute Smith ran onto a long ball and from twenty yards out lobbed the ball over the advancing Kelly to put his side three-two ahead. From then on in Bohs had most of the pressure with Airdrie content to clear their lines and looking for their forwards to take the ball into the corners to waste time. Eckersley came on for Carrick to strengthen the defence and Airdrie held out for the win despite Bohs keeper Kelly asking his manager if he could go upfield for a corner and having his request declined. After what seemed like an inordinate amount of added time the referee blew his whistle to send Airdrie into the next round. 


After the game I headed back to Drumgelloch station getting there at 15.09 with the Edinburgh train due at 15.13. Another advantage of going to Drumgelloch is having more time to catch the train back east as the train stops at Airdrie before heading to Drumgelloch. Arrived back in Edinburgh and walked home from Haymarket and was in the flat by 16.05. An enjoyable day out at a new ground. The ground itself is a typical new build stadium with four stands, albeit only the main stand was open today. The capacity is 10,101 just above the minimum 10,000 required in the SPL but more than adequate for the club's current crowds in league One. 


Teams
Airdrie: Gallacher, Fordyce, MacDonald, McKay, Crighton, Kerr, Thomson, Roy, Carrick, Gllagher, Miller.
Subs: Smith, Eckersley, Hawkshaw
Bohemians:M.Kelly, Barry, Allardice, McCourt, Ward, Graydon, Lyons, Kirk, Marker, Swan, Wade-Slater.
Subs: Tierney, Wright, Devoy.