Airdrie made a flying start in their quest for Scottish Championship survival by brushing aside play-off opponents Stenhousemuir 3-1.
With the return leg to come on home soil, Airdrie claimed pole position to face Queen of the South or Cove Rangers in the final.
Any hopes League One Stenhousemuir had of taking charge at Ochilview Park were dashed by Lewis McGrattan’s first-half double as he struck twice in eight minutes.
And a comfortable night’s work continued when Chris Mochrie added a third goal six minutes into the second half, ending any chance of a Stenhousemuir revival, with Matthew Aitken’s 89th-minute penalty merely a consolation.
Queen of the South and Cove Rangers drew 0-0, with the hosts left to rue a spate of missed late chances that saw Reece Lyon, Benjamin Luissint and Jack Hannah all go close.
League One strugglers Annan Athletic bossed their first leg at League Two Elgin City, winning 4-2 after all their goals came during a 19-minute spell in the first half.
Tommy Goss’ close-range header opened the scoring, and after Ryan Sargent equalised for Elgin, Annan struck twice in three minutes when Max Kilsby and Tommy Muir found the target.
Muir’s header then made it 4-1, before Jack Murray reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time.
It was a much closer contest at Meadowbank Stadium between Edinburgh City and East Fife, with Malik Zaid’s 76th-minute strike shading the first leg for the hosts as they claimed a 1-0 win.
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France captain Kylian Mbappe says he is satisfied with his side bouncing back from their Nations League loss to Spain in the third-placed play-off.Les Bleus finished the campaign with a win over Germany, thanks to goals from the Real Madrid star and Michael Olise.And while there was a lot to like about the French performance in Stuttgart, Mbappe took a balanced approach to things in his post-match...

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Jobe Bellingham of Sunderland celebrates getting promoted back to the Premier LeagueEngland U21 midfielder Jobe Bellingham has agreed terms to leave Sunderland for Borussia Dortmund in a deal reported at around 331 million including add-ons.The Bedlington-born starlet joins the German club on a five-year contract following Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League.Dortmund has reportedly agreed...

Brian Priske has chosen to return to Sparta PragueBrian Priske has returned to Sparta Prague to take up the position as head coach, say the Czech club on their website."We are pleased to announce the appointment of our new head coach. We welcome Brian, who knows the environment in the club. We strongly believe that he will build on the successful work he has delivered in the past and help Sparta w...

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Gravenberch names his 2025 Ballon d'Or favouriteRyan Gravenberch shared his 2025 Ballon d'Or choice, backing his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah to win the prestigious award.The Egypt international was the frontrunner for the 2025 Ballon d'Or during the first half of the season, topping both the goals and assists charts in the Premier League.0"That's a tough one, but I'll go for my teammate: Moha...

Uriah RennieUriah Rennie, the first black man to referee in the Premier League, has died at the age of 65.WHAT HAPPENED?In August 1997, Rennie was named as the referee for a Premier League game between Derby County and AFC Wimbledon and made history as the division's first ever black referee. He went on to officiate over 300 top-flight games across 11 years, as well as refereeing domestic cup fina...

Lewandowski rules out Poland return under coach ProbierzBarcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has announced that he will no longer play for Poland as long as Michal Probierz remains head coach. The 36-year-old, who has earned 158 caps and scored 85 goals, was recently replaced as captain by Piotr Zielinski.0"Taking into account the circumstances and a loss of trust in the coach, I have decided to r...

SPL option emerges for unsettled Barcelona defender ChristensenSaudi Pro League clubs are targeting Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen.Mundo Deportivo says Christensen wants to leave Barcelona this summer.And the Dane could very well end up in Saudi Arabia for next season.Several Saudi clubs want to sign Christensen - and bids are being prepared for the centre-back.Barcelona are ready to sell ...



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