Linfield to Airdrie move working well for winger as he bags first league goal in win over Arbroath

Liam McStravick reckons he is adapting well to senior football after his second goal of the season helped take Airdrie up to fourth in the Championship.

The diminutive Northern Irishman joined the Diamonds from Linfield in August, having made just three first team appearances.

But he has settled in well at New Broomfield and the 18-year-old winger found his scoring touch again in a 2-0 win over Arbroath to bag his first league goal.

He pounced on a rebound from a Nikolay Todorov effort, keeping his cool in the box to control the loose ball and slot into the bottom corner, to open the scoring after 19 minutes, before Lewis McGregor sealed the points in the second half.

And McStravick believes he has come on leaps and bounds under player-boss Rhys McCabe.

He said: "I still think I'm learning the men's game. I was at Linfield before and only played a few games but now I have come in and started playing more men's football, it is good for me, and the gaffer has managed me really well.

"That is men's football out there. You come up against all sorts of players, it's a different mix. Arbroath's 11 are all tall, hard men.

"I have a good low centre of gravity and even though I'm playing against men, I play hard and I very rarely lose the ball.

"I'm quick, I enjoy it and it's good to get another goal.

"I'm actually far better now because I got into the men's game earlier than I would have expected, and I think I am adapting well to it and settling in well.

"We definitely deserved the three points but it wasn't really a performance we are proud of, in terms of us playing really well, but we dug in, got the three points and that is all that matters."

McStravick's contribution helped the Diamonds end a run of five league games