Airdrie star frustrated that spark only came after Partick Thistle led 2-0 in Firhill clash

Craig Watson says Airdrie rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in to Partick Thistle, but is frustrated that it took them being 2-0 down to spark them into life.

Defender Watson bagged his second goal of the season nine minutes after the interval to halve the deficit, and Nikolay Todorov pulled a shot inches past the left post corner in the last minute, but it wasn’t to be and the Diamonds left with nothing.

Watson reckons he and his team-mates deserve credit for not caving and ending up on the end of a heavy scoreline, but concedes that they left it too late to turn the game around.

And he wants them to be at it from the first whistle when Dunfermline visit on Saturday.

Watson said: “It was a bit of a unique challenge at half-time, being 2-0 down, facing that, and I think credit actually to the lads for responding and not crumbling, letting it go to three, four or five.

“We rolled the sleeves up, gave it a good go, we got the goal and could have got more.

“But the damage was done in the first half and it’s disappointing that it had to take that to spark us into life as a team.

“We’re better than that, we know we’re better than that, and that’s what hurts.

“I never thought the game was out of reach, even at half-time. There were words exchanged in the changing room, that galvanised us, brought us together, and I think you saw that right from the off.

“Personally and position-wise, it was a good wee spell of clean sheets and, if not clean sheets, one goal against, so we had been pretty solid, defensively.”

Games against Dunfermline have been high-scoring affairs in recent seasons, and Watson expects another cracker at New Broomfield.

He said: “It’s always a tasty game, very physical, and you need a lot of energy for