Champions Cove Rangers pushing Airdrie can help us in the play-offs, says boss

Airdrie boss Ian Murray tipped his hat to League One champions Cove Rangers, and said the title battle between the two sides could result in play-off glory for the Diamonds.

Murray's side thumped Clyde 5-0 at Broadwood this afternoon, but Cove's 1-0 triumph over Dumbarton means they were crowned champions, with a five-point lead going into the final round of games.

Airdrie have barely dropped a point since Christmas, because any slip-up would have resulted in Cove streaking ahead, so the standard has been really high, even if it didn't result in a title win.

Far from being downbeat about it all, though, Murray says that means Airdrie can fully focus on their play-off semi-final first leg clash against Montrose in 10 days' time and hopes they can earn promotion to the Championship.

But he was also pleased with that resounding result in Cumbernauld, with a Rhys McCabe penalty added to in the second half with strikes from Callum Smith, Calum Gallagher, Kyle MacDonald and Jon Afolabi.

Murray said: "I'm really pleased. It was a very difficult game for us, it's a really hard place to come - you saw that in the game that was abandoned due to fog, and in the 2-2 draw that was replayed.

"It's a fantastic result, 5-0 away from home, and I couldn't ask for too much more.

"We've got to give huge congratulations to Cove for winning the league, also a huge congratulations to my own players for pushing them so far.

"It was two really good sides, going head-to-head now since Christmas. We've ran out of games, and that's the way it is.

"In a perverse way it's kind of nice for it to be done for us, so we can fully concentrate for 10 days' time now against Montrose."

Airdrie are clear in second place, with 71 points from 35 games, 12 ahead