Airdrieonians confirmed their place in the Challenge Cup knockout stages with a commanding 7-1 victory over Berwick Rangers on Saturday. Connor Smith's hat-trick capped a dominant group stage performance at the Excelsior Stadium.
The win makes it two victories in a row for Rhys McCabe's side, following a 6-1 win over Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic last week. The team's recent form now reads two wins and three losses from their last five outings.
Ewan Simpson opened the scoring after just seven minutes, finishing a pull-back from Lewis Gibson. Gibson turned provider again two minutes later, his corner met by Cole McKinnon to double the lead. Smith got his first before half-time, and Gavin Gallagher added a fourth shortly after the restart.
Berwick's Michael Mbewe pulled one back on 56 minutes, but Airdrieonians responded with a late flurry. Substitute Kian Taylor scored on 79 minutes before Smith completed his treble with two goals in three minutes, both assisted by Matty Yates. The fourth official announced there would be no added time.
With progression secured, attention now turns to the league. Airdrieonians host Montrose next Saturday, with the full schedule available on our fixtures page. The squad's current goal contributions can be tracked in our stats section.
Berwick Rangers interim manager Calum Antell praised his squad's effort after the 7-1 defeat. Antell said, "I think the boys gave it everything. We knew we were going to be up against it." The result was Airdrie United's second consecutive win, following a 6-1 victory over Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic on September 22. The team's recent form now reads two wins and three losses from their last five outings.
