The Diamonds face the Perth Saints for the third time this season having already recorded a 1-0 home win on the opening day of the season Jerome veraille with the winner, The second match ended all square after an Owen Coyle equalizer leveled the game at 1-1 at McDiarmid Park in late October.
Both Sides go into the game on decent form Airdrie currently on a four game winning streak have a slight doubt over 3 players rated at 50-50 of making it Alan McManus is definetly out but assuming the late fitness tests are passed Bells manager of the Month Sandy Stewart should line up with the same team as last week .
Docherty Christie McGowan Lovering
Roberts Hardie M.Wilson McLaren
Coyle Gow
St Johnstone Boss John Connelly has enjoyed two Victory's in a row over Clyde and the hapless Partick Thistle ( no sniggering ED) and is missing Paul Bernard, Kevin Fotheringham, Mark Baxter and Ross Forsyth so is likely to continue with the same starting eleven that horsed Thistle.
Anderson Maxwell Webb Tait
McCann Hannah Sheerin McAnespie
McDonald Moore
Saints Currently sit in 5th place ahead of the diamonds courtesy of goal difference so a win is vital for the home side to lift themselves into that top 5 and away from the relegation spots. A midfield battle between local boys Marvyn Wilson and David Hannah should make for an interesting game and a tight game is being predicted all round, One thing is for sure there will be goals in this game as both defenses have hardly been mean this season although with 4 own goals this season the Airdrie Defense could count themselves unlucky not to have had a few more clean sheets.
Airdrie go into the festive season in high spirits and the next 5 games will go a long way to deciding the Diamonds fortunes this season, Sandy has continually said that anything above 8th place is a bonus but after recent weeks he must now be quietly confident of moving up and staying in the top half of the league.