Airdrie boss Rhys McCabe will let stars enjoy cup win, but focus is then on Ayr Utd

Airdrie boss Rhys McCabe is letting his players off the leash tonight as they celebrate winning the SPFL Trust Trophy at the Falkirk Stadium.

The Diamonds fought back from Ben Clark’s early opener with a Liam McStravick rocket and a Nikolay Todorov penalty to win the trophy for the first time in 16 years.

In doing so, they also prevented TNS from becoming the first non-Scots side to win the Challenge Cup.

But McCabe says focus then turns to Ayr United at Somerset Park on Friday.

Delighted boss McCabe said: “I’m going to let them enjoy their night.

“I try to say I’m a modern coach and manager, but not often you win silverware, so it’s important.

“I know we’ve got a game on Friday, we’ve got to be mindful of that, but make sure we enjoy tonight because I certainly believe moments like that in your career don’t often happen.

“Winning a trophy, it’s really important that we enjoy it as a unit, and as a team, as a squad, and that enjoys the staff, everyone.

“We have a day off tomorrow, and then the focus straight away is on Ayr.”

McCabe was delighted with the win and said: “It’s great, but I think it means more to the boys than it does me.

“We’ll make sure we enjoy it, I said to the boys before the game that, regardless, I wanted them to enjoy it.

“It was a big point of mine to make sure that we enjoy the game, try to make it as memorable as we can, so that in 10, 15 or 20 years from now you can tell the kids, the grandkids, that you won a bit of silverware, which people don’t always do in their career.

“It wasn’t the prettiest, especially in the second half, I thought first half we were really good, but they’re a good side.

“It was a proper win, but that has been the mentality since I came in this year, and everyone makes