John Rankin admitted he would take a few pelters if seen out in Airdrie on Saturday after making such a major contribution to Dundee United’s fourth-round William Hill Scottish Cup success over his home-town club.
The midfielder, who was an Airdrie ballboy, calmed Tangerine nerves by scoring the opening goal and helped orchestrate his side’s eventual 6-2 success at New Broomfield Park.
But early on this was a very different Diamonds side to the one Peter Houston’s side had overcome, despite the modest 2-0 scoreline, comparatively easily in the League Cup back in September.
Indeed, as Rankin confessed, ”We are just happy to get through because obviously coming here was a tricky tie.
”For the first 20 minutes or so we kind of struggled. They were right up for it, playing at quite a tempo, but we knew that couldn’t last.
”It was a case of us getting a goal and, once we did, I think with the composure and experience we have we went on to kill the tie off.”
There was double delight for the former Hibs player as it was his goal that broke the deadlock.
”It was great to get my first goal for the club and the all-important opener,” he said. ”You are always desperate to get on the scoresheet, especially as having gone close a few times with hitting the bar and the post in previous matches.
”Hopefully I can go on wee run now and get a few between now and the end of the season.”
His Airdrie allegiance only made him all the more determined to prevent a repeat of Diamonds’ cup runs of his youth.
”I had great memories of the old Airdrieonians and can remember them getting to the Scottish Cup final when a Pierre Van Hooijdonk scored Celtic’s winner.
”It was a great cup experience and there were others in the past too, so today we were determined that there wasn’t going to be a repeat.”
Although not an avid fan of New Broomfield’s 3G surface, the midfielder sees its benefits for the community as a whole.
”We’re not complaining because we would have taken a 6-2 victory before the game. But it is good facility with a lot of kids getting the benefit of coaching on a decent surface,” he said.
The Division Two side threatened first when a Jamie Stevenson’s volley bounced up and hit the bar and Kevin Green’s follow-up header was deflected just over.
Shortly afterwards, Gary Mackay-Steven fed Rankin who wriggled along the bye-line before finding the far post with a neat low finish from eight yards.
Crucially, United bagged a second just a couple of minutes from the break following a sweeping flowing move.
Again man-of-the-match Mackay-Steven was involved, playing the ball into the path of Johnny Russell, who cleverly teed up Scott Robertson and the midfielder opened up his body to curl the ball into the top corner from 12 yards for his second goal of the season.
United’s clinical finishing continued in the second half.
On the hour mark, Johnny Russell lashed home a third to put the outcome beyond doubt. Six minutes later, Russell stooped to head home another inviting Paul Dixon Cross.
Mackay-Steven capped his fine display with the goal he deserved, drilling in the fifth 19 minutes from time.
Russell completed his first hat-trick for the club and the visitors scoring, slotting home at the third attempt with six minutes left.
The only grey mark of United’s afternoon was easing off to allow Diamonds top scorer Ryan Donnelly to take his impressive season’s tally to 24 with a quick-fire double in the last five minutes.
But the celebrations of the 1,344 travelling Arabs in the 2,434 crowd were in full swing long before those goals arrived.