Match Preview

Airdrie complete their first half of the season with a trip to Kirkcaldy to face bottom club Raith Rovers. Rovers have picked up a few points since Anelka was sent packing and Fans favorite Gordon Dalziel was installed as manager, however Airdrie go there in confident mood after stretching their unbeaten run to 5 games with a point against a stuffy St Johnstone side. Airdrie have some injury worries over the talismanic Alan Gow who hasn't trained for most of the week also doubtful is Martin Hardie and Alan McManus. The Diamond faithful will be hoping for at least main man Gow to make it or find a place on the bench at least. Mark McGeown should continue in goal as lee Hollis recovers from a back injury and Captain Stephen Docherty serves a 1 match suspension. Airdrie could line up like this

McGeown
W Wilson Christie McGowan Lovering
Veraille M Wilson Barkey McLaren
Coyle Roberts

with places on the bench for Gow Dunn W Wilson McKenna and Hollis.

Starks park has been a favorite venue for a lot of Airdrie fans with some great memories, promotion on the last day of the season, a wonderful display of skill from Paul Harvey crushing Raith 4-1 on route to the 95 Scottish cup final, a wonder goal from Kenny Black from halfway to name a few of them. Raith though will geared up for there pre Christmas home game and really need points if they have any chance of staying in this league and boss Gordon Dalziel will want to add to the solitary home win they have to there credit thus far. Rovers line up will be a little unfamiliar to most of us with Shaun Denis and former Diamond Darren Brady joined by plenty of youngsters thrown in at the deep end and a few of the more successful foreigners employed by the aforementioned Anelka and could possibly line up as Pounoussamy
Mendy Denis Bartholome Smart
Miller Paquito Brady Ouattara
Martin Ebanda

The first meeting this season saw a 1-1 draw at New Broomfield with Airdrie missing a lot of players at the start of the season, previous to that the most recent encounters were in the second division 2 years ago where Raith had the upper hand with Antonio Calderon's men enjoying 1 win and three draws in the league meetings but the diamonds did record a fine 3-0 win in the challenge cup. So recent history suggests a draw is on the cards but this could be the game where Airdrie dish out the beating that they have been threatening recently and a lot will be expected of Wullie McLaren who has being going quietly about his business this season so far and has yet to explode into the kind of form he showed last year, this could be just the game he needs to get going – Airdrie Mad prediction: 3-1 Airdrie