Airdrie 4 Albion Rovers 0: MacDonald bags debut goal as Diamonds earn derby win to kick-off pre-season

A debut goal from youngster Dylan MacDonald helped Airdrie kick-off their pre-season with a victory over Monklands derby rivals Albion Rovers.

The 20-year-old right-back joined from Lowland League East Kilbride in the summer and made a fast start for the Championship side, opening the scoring with a 38th minute header in a 4-0 victory over the Coatbridge outfit, before a cool finish from Lewis McGregor, a Mason Hanock header and a Cammy Cooper strike sealed the bragging rights after the break.

Of course, it was very much a day of experimenting for both sides as Rovers fielded a host of trialists and the Diamonds changed their entire 11 at half-time, but those inside the newly named Albert Bartlett Stadium were treated to a competitive and entertaining game in the opening 45 minutes.

There was no place for new Airdrie signing Ben Wilson, who will not officially complete his move from Cliftonville until July 1, but player-boss Rhys McCabe was able to hand players their starting debuts with MacDonald, Murray Johnson, Aidan Wilson, Cammy Bruce, Terrell Agyemang and Rhys Armstrong all involved. Rovers boss Sandy Clark named just six familiar faces in Ross Connelly, Adam Fernie, Alan Reid, Dom McMahon, Alex McCaw and Josh Tran, who have all signed new deals since last season, while the vast majority of the squad was made up of trialists aiming to win a contract with the club.

In the fourth minute it was Rovers who created the first real opportunity when Dom McMahon got down the right and whipped the ball into the box for the No.9 trialist to try and acrobatic effort, which flew wide of the target.

Airdrie responded with Elliot Dunlop bursting down the right wing before firing a tantalising ball across the face of goal, which