Cowdenbeath v Airdrie preview
15th March 2013
Airdrie can boost their Irn-Bru First Division survival bid with victory over Cowdenbeath at Central Park on Saturday.
The Diamonds are seven points adrift of the Blue Brazil who sit in eighth place and five points behind Dumbarton in the relegation play-off spot.
A win over Colin Cameron's men would be the best possible start to the final quarter of the campaign - and raise hopes of an end-of-season flourish.
But manager Jimmy Boyle has warned his players cannot allow injury-time goals which cost Airdrie victory against Hamilton Accies recently and Dunfermline Athletic last weekend.
He said: "We know that every game is important at this stage of the season. With nine games to go, I think we need to win five to give ourselves a chance.
"I hope with this being the last quarter of games, minds will be focused in the dressing room. What happened on Saturday was embarrassing as we were 3-1 up and it felt like a loss.
"There were times in the game where we should have dealt with things better and played better passes. We should have made challenges but we didn't.
"But that is why we are where we are just now. I hope, and I still believe, that we can get the results we need to stay up."
Airdrie are missing injured defender Grant Evans (thigh) with Gavin Griffin and Paul Di Giacomo also out.
Full-back Marc Warren trained on Thursday night but is rated questionable. Midfielder Sean Lynch is back from suspension and Chris O'Neil is fit to play.