'Ronaldo-esque' free-kick star can torpedo Airdrie, says TNS boss

TNS boss Craig Williamson hopes Declan McManus will torpedo Airdrie’s SPFL Trust Trophy hopes this afternoon with a ‘Ronaldo-esque’ free kick, as the Scot continues recovery from a serious injury.

McManus missed four months of this season when in his second league game the 29-year-old suffered tears in his left adductor, right adductor, PLAC and a hernia.

But McManus made his comeback in some style, climbing off the bench to send a scorching free kick into the top corner with his first touch in a 3-0 win over Penybont on December 16.

Williamson hopes for more of the same in the showpiece game at the Falkirk Stadium this afternoon.

He said: “You work with these players every day, so you know what they can do, and Dec does that type of distance a lot in training.

“A lot of times in training I must admit I’ve thought what are you doing, but he’s hit a 35 or 40-yard free kick, almost Ronaldo-style, with a wobble on it!

“But why not, he’s come back in, he’s fantastic.

“I know what it’s like when you’re out for a long time, so just have a go – in the worst case scenario, he’s going to miss.

“But we ended up with the best-case scenario, a great way for him to come back, and a springboard for his confidence and everything.

“It was almost like a fairytale, back in the team.

“It was a really nice way to top it all off, coming back, and it couldn’t have gone any better, really.”

Former Aberdeen, Dunfermline and Ross County striker McManus says he’s familiar with most of Airdrie’s players, even if he hasn’t seen them play under Rhys McCabe.

He said: “I’ve played Airdrie that many times myself I could probably tell you about 90 per cent of the boys that are starting most weeks for them.

“I’ve played with a lot of the boys, I’ve