- Odds: Airdrieonians are 1.61 favorites to win the second leg, but Alloa’s 1-0 aggregate lead keeps the tie up for grabs.
- Airdrieonians situation: Airdrieonians are in an unfamiliar position, having finished 9th in the Scottish Championship, dropping into the relegation play-off.
- Alloa situation: Alloa Athletic finished 3rd in League One, gaining entry to the play-offs and have now given themselves a chance to reach the Championship.
Penny Cars Stadium to play host to a classic possession v transition contest
Home side challenges:
With a cool, cloudy spring Saturday afternoon forecast for the Airdrie weather, the perfect conditions should be in place for the hosts to try and turn over Alloa in the second-leg of their Scottish Championship play-off. Airdrieonians made a hash of their first leg last weekend, losing 1-0 away to Alloa, conceding to a Scott Taggart penalty and failing to create enough in the final third to get back into the match.
Defensive absences, as well as a red-card appeal for defender Lewis Strapp, were big factors in that defeat. Airdrieonians boss Aaron Taylor-Sinclair has installed an attacking, high-tempo, pressing system, but has struggled with defensive injuries and instability since taking the reins.
Alloa tactics:
Alloa Athletic are a much more pragmatic team, set up deep and looking to frustrate the opposition with a deep-lying back four. They’re set up to soak up pressure, with Scott Taggart, the Alloa captain, bringing his coolness under pressure and set-piece ability.
Calum Adamson’s pace and direct running has caused big issues for the Airdrieonians back line, who’ve been forced to stay deep to keep him covered. Alloa’s form coming into the play-offs has been gritty and resolute, with three close losses, one win and one close play-off victory. They’re a team that are hard to break down and have a counter-attacking threat which can cause Airdrie problems.
An Airdrie win would be a surprising result
Airdrieonians have had an up and down season, finishing 9th in the Championship, landing in the relegation play-off. Aaron Taylor-Sinclair’s side have had a roller-coaster ride, with three draws, a win and a narrow loss across their last five games. They struggle to close out games, and this game could well go into extra time.
Alloa finished 3rd in the League One table, earning their place in the Championship play-off and will be looking to capitalise on the opportunity to reach the 2nd tier. The bookies have Airdrieonians as 1.61 favorites to take the game, but Alloa’s 1-0 advantage in the aggregate score keeps things interesting.
Key threats and psychology:
Alloa have had the same manager throughout the season, while Airdrieonians have gone through a few managers; this psychological factor could prove the difference between the sides.
Under 2.5 goals and both teams to score (No) will be the main selection for Saturday’s play-off matchup, with the odds being very favorable at 2.03 and evens respectively. This could be a tense, tactically minded game, with Airdrie desperate to secure their place in the Championship.
- Euan Henderson is Airdrieonians' main threat, the pacey striker is their main outlet in attack, creating and scoring many of Airdrie’s chances this season.
- Alloa’s boss Andy Graham has instilled a mentality in his team, they’re a compact team that are strong on the counter and make the most of set-piece opportunities.
- The only thing between these two sides is a single goal and a penalty, but the game could be decided by the manager's ability to change their psychological approach to the fixture.
