- Airdrieonians will be desperate to fight their way back into this tie after a narrow 1-0 defeat in Alloa last weekend.
- Alloa Athletic’s gritty campaign has given them a 1-0 aggregate lead to take into the second leg of this Championship play-off semi-final.
- The last four head-to-head meetings between these sides have been incredibly tight, with each side claiming narrow wins.
Home comforts and Championship survival should help Airdrie come back
Airdrieonians’ hopes of staying in the Championship took a hit last Saturday when Scott Taggart’s penalty separated the sides at Alloa's home ground. Aaron Taylor-Sinclair’s side will feel they can still come back and finish the job, however, with home comforts, urgency and momentum on their side.
The Langs have been in mixed form heading into this second leg, having drawn three, won one and lost one of their last five. It has been their inability to put away draws that has seen them finish 9th in the Scottish Championship and enter into the relegation play-off in the first place, but their pressing and pacey wide play could be a handful for the visitors here.
Euan Henderson is Airdrie’s biggest threat, while Cole McKinnon and Jamie Barjonas provide creativity and steel in midfield.
Alloa’s grit could see them through
Alloa will need to hold their nerve after a very gritty campaign that has landed them in 3rd place in League One and a shot at promotion to the Championship via the play-offs. Andy Graham has been an exceptional leader for the club in his player/manager role, moulding the side into a compact, disciplined unit who are resolute at the back and very dangerous on the break.
Their last competitive game was a 1-0 victory. The Wasps have got to this point by grinding out results and keeping things tight at the back, but they know that they have the quality to hurt teams on the counter and from set-piece situations.
Liam McFarlane has been excellent in goal, while captain Scott Taggart is the coolest man at a dead ball and Calum Adamson’s pace could be a problem for an Airdrie defence, who are still missing Lewis Strapp, whose red card appeal may play a big part in their chances of chasing the result here.
A close encounter with a classic clash of styles
61/100 is a pretty short price for the hosts to win the second leg, but Alloa’s first-leg lead does level things up in our eyes. These two are equally desperate to reach Championship football, and that could make for a cagey affair at Penny Cars Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
An Airdrie side that will play on the front foot at home and an Alloa side that will be set up to soak up pressure and counter should make for a gripping 90 minutes of footy, and with the cool, cloudy spring weather providing ideal conditions, under 2.5 goals at 103/100 and both teams to score - No at near even odds both appeal.
