Referee Main Talking Point in 7-Goal Thriller: Ayr United 4-3 Stenhousemuir

9 Man Ayr United victorious against Stenhousemuir at Somerset Park.

Ayr took the lead from the spot after only 6 minuets when Alan Trouten was brought down in the box, with Mark Roberts calmly converting from the spot. However, Stenhousemuir equalised within the first half when the referee bewilderingly awarded the away side a penalty and gave débutante, Jim Lauchlan , a booking. Shortly after the penalty Ayr where down to 10 men, when Alan Trouten's challenge was deemed to be a straight red.

Not long after the break, Ayr regained the lead when Jim Lauchlan made contact with a Jonathan Tiffoney corner. Ross Robertson, after only coming on at the break, scored his first Senior goal, when he headed over Stenhousemuir Goalkeeper, Chris McCluskey and into the net. It looked like it was all over when Mark Roberts got his 20th goal of the season, with an amazing chip-cross that made its way into the visitors goal. Stenhousemuir showed they where still in it when Simon Lynch scored after being on the park only 4 minuets before scoring. Warrior's defender, Jordan Smith also scored showing their intent in taking something from the game. As Stenny pushed  for an equaliser, the most confusing decision was made by referee, Neil Watters,   when after consulting his Linesman twice he decided to show Jonathan Tiffoney a red card, for a second bookable offence, when he hadn't been booked already. Ayr held out the final minuets of the game to keep hot on the tails of Livingston, who won 4-3 in the last minuet to stay top.

AYR UNITED: Crawford, Tiffoney, Malone, Lauchlan, Campbell, McCann, Trouten, McLaughlin, Moffat, Roberts (6 pen, 63) (Smith- 78), Easton (Robertson- 45, 54)
Unused Subs: McWilliams, Woodburn, Kelly
STENHOUSEMUIR: McCluskey, Lyle, Thom, Smith, Dickson, Anderson (Plenderleith- 56), Thomson, Clark (33 pen) (Lynch- 73, 77), Murray, Strachan, Dalziel
Unused Subs: Brown, Thomson, Quinn
Attendance: 1,181 (+1 Dog)
Referee: Neil Watters

Ayr United's next opponents are Saint Mirren at Somerset Park in the Fifth Round of the Scottish Cup, tickets are available from the club shop and are:
Adults: £15
Children: £10

Ayr held at Home: Ayr United 2-2 Peterhead

Ayr United missed the chance to go top of the League at Somerset Park, when both Livingston and Brechin had their games postponed.

Ayr opened the scoring 12 minuets into the game when Andy Rodgers was brought down in the box, and Mark Roberts calmly slotted it in to give Ayr the lead. Roberts got the chance to double the score when Jonathan Tiffoney was brought down in the box 20 minuets later. Just before the break Andy Rodgers came off to be replaced by new-boy Michael Moffat. At half-time the comfortable 2-0 lead looked to be enough to rocket Ayr up to top-spot. Ten minuets after the restart Ayr were awoken by the harsh reality of Second Division Football when Peterhead's Graeme Sharp brought the deficit back down to one. Martyn Campbell looked to of killed off the Blue Toon when he had put the ball in the net, but the referee harshly gave John Bateman, the Peterhead Goalkeeper a free-kick. Peterhead later pulled the result back to 2-2 when David Ross beat Ayr keeper, David Crawford. Ayr bombarded the Peterhead goal in the final twenty minuets, but unsuccessfully failed to go top of the table.

Ayr United: Crawford, Tiffoney, Smith, Malone, Campbell, McCann, Bannigan, McLaughlin, Rodgers (Moffat- 38), Roberts (12p, 28p), Easton
Unused subs: McWilliams, Robertson, Woodburn, Kelly
Peterhead: Bateman, Donald, Smith, Smith, Ross, Strachan, McVitie, Sharp (54), Clark (Wyness- 45), Bavidge, Ross(65)
Unused Subs: Jarvie, MacDonald, Gethans, Emslie
Referee: Richmond
Attendance: 1,226

Peterhead: Preview

Ayr United could regain top-spot with a victory over Peterhead at Somerset Park. The North-East based club are currently 11 points behind Ayr United in the Second Division table.

The Last Meeting saw Ayr take the three-points at Balmoor, with goals from Roberts, Trouten, McCann and McKay for Ayr and Smith and a Ross Robertson Own Goal for the home side. The last time Peterhead visited Somerset Park, Mark Roberts scored a injury time penalty to secure a point for Ayr United.

Michael Moffat is Available for Ayr United, after not being able to feature in Ayr's Historic victory over SPL side, Hibernian. Stuart Bannigan's loan deal has been extended to the end of the season by Partick Thistle boss, Ian McCall. Ayr will be without long-term injury victims Bobby Donnelly and Dean Keenan.

Ayr Kill Hibs at Somerset: Ayr United 1-0 Hibernian!!!

Brian Reid's Honest Men batter demoralised Hibernian Side at Somerset Park.


An Ayr United side, literally down to the bare-bones, with 14 senior players fit, managed to scalp low-in-confidence Hibernian at Somerset Park.

The First Chance fell to Ayr United when Andy Rodger's cross was narrowly missed by Mark Roberts.The game was only twenty minuets old before Ayr veteran centre-forward Mark Roberts brought down a high ball from Rodgers, before twisting and turning several times before slotting the ball past Hibs keeper, Smith, who was chosen over Mark Brown, who took the tie to a replay, when he Pulled of an amazing save at Easter Road.

Hibernian attacked the Ayr goal immanently after the kick-off but where to be denied by Ayr keeper, David Crawford. 

For the rest of the half, most of the Hibernian players remained anonymous. With only notable action was between ex-K*ll*e forward, Nish and Ayr keeper David Crawford.

The SPL side had the better of of all the chances in the second half, squirming them all! Hibs dominated possession in there quest for an equaliser and made Crawford work for the glory.

Goal-hero, Mark Roberts was substituted in the final minuets of the game, being replaced by local-boy Ross Robertson. Referee, Bobby Madden, blew the final whistle to signal a historic Ayr United Victory.

Possession

Ayr United  -  Hibernian

37%  -  63%

 Shots (on Target)

Ayr United - Hibernian

8 (5) - (13) 20

Fouls

Ayr United - Hibernian

4 - 16

Ayr United: 1. Crawford, 2. Tiffoney, 3. Smith, 4. Malone, 5. Campbell, 6. McCann, 7. Bannigan, 8. McLaughlin, 9. Rodgers, 10. Roberts 19(12. Robertson- 89), 11. Easton

Unused Subs: Woodburn, Kelly, Moore, McWilliams

Hibernian: 21. Smith, 2. Hart (24. Wotherspoon- 67), 6. Murray, 14. Dickoh, 20. Hanlon (28. Booth- 80), 11. Rankin, 17. McBride, 33. Miller, 9. Nish, 10. Riordan, 19. Duffy (7. Zemmama- 64)

Referee: Bobby Madden

Attendance: 3,826

Replay- Build Up!!!

As the Scottish Cup Fourth Round replay approaches, And the prize of a home draw against Saint Mirren or Peterhead is on offer some of the Sky Cameras have already visited the Auld Toon.

Ayr United will be with out long-term injury victims Bobby Donnelly and Dean Keenan. But Right-Winger, Alan Trouten could make a return after being left out against Alloa on Saturday, which saw Ayr United top the Division. Michael Moffat is unavailable to play in the Scottish Cup due to already featuring for Girvan in the earlier rounds.

That last time the two clubs met at Somerset Park, Hibernian where the victors, by two goals from Derek Riordan and Gareth Wardlaw pulling it back to 2-1. However, Ayr United where the winners of the most important of all the games, in the CIS Cup Semi-Final, when Ayr Hero Eddie Annand scored from the Spot.

Brian Reid's side are Optimistic about there chances. Recieving a massive cash boost could also see there chances of promotion to the First Division improve.

Top of the League!!!

Brian Reid's side pick up the three points in Alloa to top the Second Division.

Both teams made little chances in the first half. And the deadlock was broken half an hour when Willie Easton headed a Ryan McCann cross.New boy, Michael Moffat, who signed from Girvan was left on the bench but made an introduction shortly after Easton's goal.

Ayr United: Crawford, Tiffoney, Smith, Malone, Campbell, McCann, Bannigan (Moffat 68), McLaughlin, Rodgers, Roberts (McKay 77) ,Easton (64)(Robertson 88)
Unused subs: McWilliams, Woodburn.

On the Telly!

Sky Sports announced that it would be broadcasting Ayr United's Scottish Cup Fourth Round replay against Hibernian Live (which has been moved to Tuesday 18/01/2011)!

It is suspected that Ayr United would make roughly £60,000 from the fixture.

The game is pay-on-the-gate at Adults: £15 and Children:£10.

Ayr hold off Hibs- Hibernian 0-0 Ayr United

Ayr United went into the Fourth Round tie against Hibernian as massive underdogs but where unlucky not to gain passage to the next round.

Hibs started the game as the better team but Ayr settled down and created the better of the chances, Scott McLaughlin, getting the better of Hibernian keeper, Mark Brown, but still sending it wide.

As the second half took place, Ayr looked again the better of two sides. But it was a while before any questions where asked, Mark Roberts was fouled just on the line of the 18-yard box for a free-kick, that Ayr United felt should have been a penalty. However Scott McLaughlin's effort was only inches from sending Ayr into the lead. The next good chance was to fall to Ayr as well, when Jonathan Tiffoney Danced around the SPL defenders as if the weren't there, but no-one was there to receive the ball into the middle. It looked like Ayr were going to record a famous victory when Andy Rodgers received a ball from the heavens, took it past two Hibee's before Mark Brown saved Hibs.

Possession

Hibernian  54%-46% Ayr United
Shots(on target)

Hibernian 8 (2)-(1)4 Ayr United

Fouls

Hibernian 15-6 Ayr United 

Hibernian: 

31 Brown, 3 Grounds, 6 Murray (17 McBride- 47), 14 Dickoh, 15 Thicot, 20 Hanlon, 7 Zemmama (24 Wotherspoon- 75), 22 Galbraith, 33 Miller, 10 Riordan, 19 Duffy (23 Trakys- 75)

Unused Subs: 21 Smith, 16 Stevenson

Ayr United:

1 Crawford, 2 Tiffoney, 3 Smith, 4 Malone, 5 Campbell, 6 McCann (15 Robertson- 84), 7 Trouten, 8 McLaughlin, 9 Bannigan, 10 Roberts (12 Rodgers- 82), 11 Easton (14 Woodburn- 77)

Unused Subs: 20 McWilliams, 16 Kelly

Referee: Bobby Madden 

Assistant Referees: Alan Cunningham and Brian Templeton 

Fourth Official: Craig Charleston

Attendance: 6,056

Ayr victorious against Sons - Ayr United 2-0 Dumbarton

After going over a month with out a game Brian Reid's men managed to get the first competitive game since the 5-0 Scottish Cup Victory over Sunnybank.

Ayr took the lead after 11 minuets when Ryan McCann was brought down in the box, with Mark Roberts Converting for his 15th goal in all competitions. Ayr relied on former 'Sons' Keeper, David Crawford to keep the advantage through to the break, with a spectacular footed save.

The Second have saw a revitalised Dumbarton team shooting towards the Railway End and almost equalised when Eddie Malone cleared off the line. But it was to be Ayr who scored next to kill off any late Dumbarton come-backs, when Danny McKay scored his sixth and likely to be final goal for the Honest Men after being on the park only 60 seconds.

Ayr United picked up their first League points since the 1-0 victory over Airdrie United at Somerset Park on the 6th November 2010. Ayr are currently in third spot and only two points off of Livingston and one point behind Brechin City.

Ayr United:
Crawford, McCann, Smith, Malone, Campbell, Bannigan (Robertson- 79), Trouten (Woodburn- 77), McLaughlin, Rodgers, Roberts (11) (McKay (78)- 77), Easton
Unused Subs:
Taggart, McWilliams

Dumbarton:
Grindlay, Devlin, Nugent, McNiff, Linsay, Brannan (Campbell- 64), Cook, Geggan, Walker, McShane (Carcary- 51), McLeish (McStay- 84)
Unused Subs:
White, Wallace

Attendance: 1,224