PREMATURE as it may seem to talk in terms of relegation battles,
Saturday's encounter at Broomfield had all the hallmarks of one -- with
the defences totally on top and the forwards looking less likely to
score the longer the game wore on.
Dundee could take more comfort from what was a dire struggle. In
introducing seven new signings in the first two weeks of the season,
Simon Stainrod is at least being adventurous, and players like #200,000
signing from Banik Ostrava, Dusan Vrto, and Graham Rix are sure to
contribute more in future.
It was the combination of Dens assistant manager Jim Duffy and
21-year-old Jamie McGowan, who was signed from English non-league
football, that must have been most satisfying to Stainrod, with the pair
soaking up the aerial assault that Airdrie produced.
''We had seven new players out there,'' reflected Duffy, ''and I'm the
only one who has played in the premier division before. The others have
come from English or continental sides, and Scottish football takes time
to get used to.
By contrast, Airdrie, who dominated the first half yet failed to take
their chances, have to guard against complacency and remember that, in
spite of last year's successes, they spent much of the season in the
bottom three.
For the record, Airdrie, who have still to score their first league
goal, came closest through Owen Coyle, who hit the bar in 10 minutes
after Alan Lawrence and Duffy had missed a Kenny Black corner, and Chris
Honor, whose
20-yard shot in the closing minute forced a diving save from Jim
Leighton.
Billy Dodds should have done better for Dundee than hit the side
netting when Ian Gilzean put him through just before half-time, and
Dodds again should have made more of a header when Graham Rix, in one of
his rare intrusions into the game, beat a defender and crossed only for
the unmarked striker to head over.
Airdrie substitute Sammy Conn lasted all of eight minutes before
joining Dundee's Steve Campbell in the referee's book, the only players
cautioned.
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