Airdrie boss lays down momentum challenge amid unbeaten League One run

Ian Murray has challenged his Airdrie side to take their unbeaten run to 20-games by the end of the League One campaign.

The Diamonds gaffer has watched his side go on an incredible streak of 17 games without defeat so far this season and with Cove Rangers looking likely to be crowned champions, Murray wants the club to keep their momentum going if they must settle for the play-offs.

Airdrie host Dumbarton and Peterhead either side of a trip to Clyde before the curtain comes down on League One and Murray said: "The challenge now for the players is to go 20 games undefeated, which would be a great achievement.

"I think we've only lost eight games in all competitions this season and if we extend that back to the end of last season, I think we lost one in the last eight or nine so we are looking at only nine defeats in 40-45 games.

"But we've had to do that to be where we are because the league is that good.

"Thankfully, we are not scrapping for play-offs this season and hopefully, if that's where we end up, we can get to the final again.

"We want to keep our run going because it's vitally important if we go into the play-offs that we go there with momentum."

The first one to tick off comes on Saturday against Murray's former club.

Dumbarton are ninth in the table and need a result to boost their chances of avoiding a relegation play-off, so Murray won't be taking the game lightly.

He added: "Our games with Dumbarton have been tough in the three years I have been here.

"Every one of them, bar one, has been really close.

"They are a very hard team to beat, but we are a better side now than when we've played them previously.

"We are playing a team who are fighting for their lives in the [relegation] play-off spot so we expect