Airdrie star says Queens defeat was 'one of those days', but focus is on play-offs

Callum Smith says it was “one of those days” as Airdrie fell to a 3-1 defeat at home to Queen of the South, but admits it was always tough to keep focus on the game with the play-offs on the horizon.

The Diamonds are guaranteed a semi-final slot against runners-up Falkirk if they stay in third place in League One, and either Cove Rangers or Hamilton as the second-bottom Championship side, should they land in fourth spot.

If Airdrie beat FC Edinburgh next Saturday and Alloa fail to take more than a point at home to champions Dunfermline, it’s the Bairns that Airdrie will face.

While Smith says Queen of the South was an important game – with Airdrie issuing their player of the season awards after the fixture – it was important to come through without injuries.

He said: “It was one of those days. We knew ourselves it was always going to be tough.

“We’re kind of at that stage now where we’re looking forward to the play-offs, trying to give some of the boys a rest, and it was always going to be a different game.

“We knew that, going into it, but we went in with the same attitude where we were always going to give it our all.

“I feel that we did, but then the boy [Ruari Paton] scores a good free kick at the end, and it just never fell for us.”

When asked if the players had an eye on the semi-final in early May, Smith said: “There’s always going to be with two games to go – especially if you’ve secured it.

“Your full focus is on the play-offs, and that makes this a wee bit of a nothing game, but you still want to go and do well.

“You want to keep the momentum going into the play-offs, but it’s tough when you know in the back of your mind that you have that play-off round the corner.

“The full focus is on the play-off, now.”

Ham