Airdrie boss Rhys McCabe: We can challenge in the Championship

Airdrie boss Rhys McCabe says his side can challenge in next season's Championship after winning promotion through a dramatic 6-5 penalty shoot-out win over Hamilton at New Douglas Park.

it was third time lucky for the Diamonds as they made the step-up via the Championship play-offs after two seasons of heartache.

Jean-Pierre Tiehi looked to have secured Hamilton's place in the Championship 10 minutes from time, but Gabby McGill struck in the last minute to force extra-time, and when Josh Rae saved Dan O'Reilly's spot-kick it meant Airdrie were going up.

McCabe said: "I think the club has massive potential, you saw that there with the fan-base who always get behind us.

"I think our style suits going up a league, I don't think there's much difference, and I've said probably three or four times, in terms of the quality, especially this year..

"We played against Dundee earlier in the season when we had seven 17-year-olds on the pitch, and matched them up until extra-time. If that doesn't give us great belief that we can go and certainly challenge, with a fully-fit squad, and we can get good additions that can take us to that next step.

"It's where they probably should be, in terms of stature, but you're granted nothing and you're not given anything in football.

"Nobody will hand it to us on a plate, we're going to have to go and earn it, go and grab it."

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