In this first of a four part series, Douglas Barrie looks back at the beginning of the 2011-12 season which started Airdrie’s road to the play-off push.

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As preparations start for the 2012-13 season, cast your mind back to the beginning of last season as, just like every season, new players were being drafted in and the squad was being assembled to make an impact on the league.

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After contrasting results in the cup (a 0-5 defeat to Livingston one week and a 5-0 victory over Stirling Albion the next) the league season began brightly with a 3-0 victory over Dumbarton.  Little did we know then that they would be the team to cause us pain later in the season.

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Two league defeats later – against East Fife and Cowdenbeath – was time for cup duty again.  A convincing 2-0 victory over First Division side Raith Rovers thanks to goals from Ryan Donnelly and Derek Holmes showed that the team’s credentials were there, they just needed to prove it in the league.

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September saw the first league derby of the season, and the first ever league meeting of Airdrie United and Albion Rovers.  Summer signing Sean Lynch opened the scoring, with Donnelly adding another two goals to his increasing tally and Jamie Stevenson made it 4-0 in an impressive win.

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The Wee Rovers may have been likely relegation candidates at this time of the season, but in the next game promotion candidates Arbroath brought us back down to earth with a 1-3 defeat.  Could we make the step up to show that we could compete at the top of the table?

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Not that it was the focus of our attention, with yet more cup duty.  Dundee United were the opponents this time, and another scalp was almost on the cards.  The performance was good up to a point when Ryan Dow scored the Terror’s goal, and from then on in the game was over.

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As much fun as the cup run was, our next cup exploits wouldn’t come until November, but more on that later.  The first quarter of the season ended with a game against Stirling Albion, who had improved since their 5-0 defeat in the cup, that finished 1-1.

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Next time – Douglas Barrie looks at the winter months of the 2011-12 season, a time when Airdrie fans were treated to goals galore.