Super Saints turn the screw on Airdrie

Mar 21 2009

St Johnstone 3 Airdrie United 0

COLLIN SAMUEL'S first half double set super Saints on their way to a comfortable win.

The Trinidad & Tobago international was in great form as the First Division leaders easily saw off a poor Airdrie United performance.

The Diamonds could have opened the scoring after just seven minutes when a nice move saw Stephen McKenna feed Simon Lynch on the edge of the box.

But the striker, starting in place of the injured Paul Di Giacomo, could only fire a shot straight at Saints keeper Alan Main.

This was to prove a key moment as the hosts took the lead in the 13th minute following a horror error on the edge of his own area by Darren Smith.

The Airdrie midfielder failed to clear a Bobby Donnelly header and hitman Samuel took advantage by firing a low effort into the far corner of the net.

Diamonds shot-stopper Stephen Robertson did well to block a Steven Milne strike before Kevin Moon jinked past Willie McLachlan and lashed a shot wide.

Kenny Black's men had claims for a penalty waved away in the 29th minute. Main couldn't gather Steven McDougall's high free-kick delivery, and in trying to recover, appeared to impede McKenna.

Referee Brian Winter said no spot-kick, however, and Airdrie's misery was compounded seven minutes later when an intricate move culminated in Samuel netting from close-range.

With a minute remaining of the first half, Saints had a penalty appeal of their own wrongly turned down after Moon was shoved in the box by John Baird.

There was little goalmouth action in the second half but Paul Sheerin made it 3-0 a minute into injury time when he converted a Milne cut back.

The only positive for boss Black to reflect on was news filtering through of Dunfermline Athletic's thrashing of Clyde - a result that keeps Airdrie off the bottom of the table.

St Johnstone: Main, Irvine, Rutkiewicz, McCaffrey, Byrne, Moon, Craig (Hardie 88), Sheerin, Samuel (Swankie 63), Holmes (Barrett 78), Milne. Subs not used: Millar, McLean(gk).

Airdrie: Robertson, Smyth, Donnelly, Nixon (Maguire 79), McLachlan, Smith (McDonald 70), McKenna, McLaughlin, Lynch (Watt 76), Baird. Subs not used: Lovering, Hollis(gk).

Referee: Brian Winter.

Attendance: 2,561.