Jimmy Boyle unfazed by deficit as Airdrie United target promotion

Airdrie United may be going into tomorrow’s First Division play-off final second leg match trailing 2-1, however manager Jimmy Boyle is a happy man for the time being.

That’s because, with 90 minutes of the season remaining, his team are still in with a chance of winning promotion despite making a slow start to the campaign.

“If you said to us at any time throughout the season that we would be at home in the final game needing a win by a couple of goals to be promoted we would have taken it,” explained Boyle. “We started the season slowly and only got into the play-offs late on, so being behind to a single goal is not concerning me too much at this stage.”

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The first leg was a close contest. Two goals in quick succession, from Bryan Prunty and Tony Wallace, looked to have given Dumbarton a cushion but Airdrie hit back thanks to a Jamie Bain strike.

Boyle believes that there will be more goals at the Excelsior Stadium tomorrow, the Diamonds manager adding: “Both teams play in a very open fashion and the first leg saw numerous half-chances created. We could end up with a few goals in this one and as long as we score two more than them by the final whistle I will be delighted.

“We have not won against Dumbarton in our last four games and this would be a terrific game to put that right in. The only criticism I had about the first leg was that we did not pass the ball well enough and if we can do that better we will give ourselves a stronger chance of being in the First Division next season.”

Centre-back Cameron MacDonald will miss out after picking up an ankle injury in the first leg, with ankle injuries also ruling out both Phil Johnston and Graeme Owens.

Dumbarton manager Alan Adamson believes neither he nor his opposite number have any tricks left up their sleeves to try and outfox each other and expects both sides simply to “go for it”.

Adamson said: “We have played each other five times now and really neither of us has anything to hide any more. The two of us went out to win the first leg and it will be the same in the second leg.

“We can play better than we did on Wednesday and Airdrie can play better as well, so it will come down to who plays the best as opposed to something unexpected. Both Jimmy and I will send our sides out with a ‘just go for it’ approach.”

Adamson added: “We went to Arbroath for the second leg of the semi-final last weekend in the same position and got through after a goalless draw. That was not through a defensive approach, we have not played like that all season and we are not going to start now.

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“We will play our natural game, which is to attack and Airdrie will also attack. Hopefully we will come out on top and if we do, it will be a fantastic day for the club.”

Sons captain Paul Nugent is suspended after his sending off in the first meeting and their attacking threat could be blunted if both Mark Gilhaney and Craig Dargo fail to shake off hamstring injuries. Full-back Ryan Finnie remains out with an ankle problem, however Mark Lamont is fit enough to start.

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