Airdrie 0-0 Dundee

Aug 17 2008 Alan Mcmillan At New Broomfield

MODEST keeper Stephen Robertson refused to take all the plaudits after shutting out Dundee with a stunning display. Robertson was inspired and the main reason Alex Rae's title-chasers left New Broomfield boiling with frustration.

But he insisted he's no hero and reckons only a team effort will allow Airdrie to defy the doom merchants this season.

Robbo said: "It's nice to be a man of the match - it's about time I got that award - but we're in this together and the draw wasn't all down to me.

"Next week Paul Di Giacomo might score the winner and I'll have nothing to do so I look at it from a team perspective.

"A point apiece was fair.

Dundee have a strong team but we matched them. We've only got two points from three games but could have nine.

"No one has thumped us and that's because we're all determined to prove the doubters wrong. People wrote us off and said we'd go straight back down and we want to make sure that doesn't happen."

It was as entertaining a scoreless draw as you're likely to see with plenty chances and incident.

Airdrie made the early running and Di Giacomo held off Darren Williams before shooting past.

Dundee came up with a promising counter when Derek Paton sent Mickael Antoine-Curier down the right.

He was annoyed with himself when he cut inside and could only fire high and wide.

They came close again in 17 minutes when Colin McMenamin fired in a low shot that Robertson did well to save.

The keeper then performed heroics to beat away a powerful drive by Antoine-Curier.

Dundee kept pushing forward and Robertson tipped a McMenamin shot round the post when a goal looked certain.

Ref Stephen Finnie booked Antoine-Curier for an off-the-ball incident spotted by one of his assistants and also lectured Dundee boss Rae for back-chat.

The Diamonds had a good spell of pressure just after the half hour and almost scored twice. Joe Cardle had a netbound shot blocked by Eddie Malone before Simon Lynch headed a Cardle cross over.

At the other end a poor pass by Matt Hazley let in Paul McHale but the Dundee skipper couldn't get a shot away.

Robertson rescued Airdrie again just after the break.

McHale played Antoine-Curier in and he hit a low shot that the keeper parried then grabbed at the second attempt.

Airdrie's reply was two superb runs by Di Giacomo. The first was stopped by a tackle by Gary MacKenzie and the second ended with a wild shot over.

McMenamin thought he'd scored from the edge of the box but Robertson got across to make an excellent stop.

Antoine-Curier then passed up a glorious opportunity when McHale's free-kick gave him a free header from eight yards and he nodded over.

Airdrie might have nicked it late on when a Hazley free-kick had No.1 Rab Douglas struggling but MacKenzie saved Dundee with a goalline clearance.

Airdrie boss Kenny Black said: "They had better chances and we're indebted to our keeper."

Counterpart Rae said: "We have not yet reached the heights I'm looking for but we are creating opportunities and defensively we look sound."

MoM: Robertson (Airdrie)