CUP TIE CARNAGE

Aug 8 2007 Ayrshire Post

AYR United's wave of early season optimism took another hefty dunt in a CIS Cup shocker on Tuesday evening.

And only some top saves from goalie Mark McGeown spared them a bigger hiding as First Division Livingston ran riot in a 5-0 canter.

A fluke second goal opened the floodgates after Ayr had fought back well in response to Livvy’s third minute opener.

Boss Neil Watt claimed: “It’s a strange one after a 5-0 defeat but there is no disgrace in our performance. At this stage of the season we have to take positives out of it and we’ve been dealt a very hard set of opening fixtures.

“As a part-time Second Division club, I felt we matched them well. Our play merited an awful lot more than we managed to get out the game.

“After losing a bad goal early on, we had the better of the first-half at the time. Then Livvy got a goal from a deflection, followed by an own goal and a penalty. It was cruel the way things went against us.”

Watt added: “I’ve no real complaints about what our players gave. I don’t think Second Division clubs are ever going to win the CIS Cup but we’ve learned something from it and can take it into a more realistic setting on Saturday in a Second Division fixture.”

Ayr were up against it right from the off when Steven Craig darted on to a long punt through the middle from skipper James McPake and took one touch before drilling a shot into the bottom corner from 16 yards. It was a repeat of the early killer blow when they leaked a fourth minute goal in Saturday's 2-0 league defeat at Ross County and once again there was no way back.

Ayr tried to respond strongly when Eddie Forrest had a header seemingly handled by Craig but ref Bill Collum refused their shouts for a penalty.

Michael Moore, who was booked for diving, then rifled in an 18 yarder but keeper Mariusz Liberda dived full length to tip the ball round the post.

Just when Ayr hopes were rising, Livvy doubled their lead in 36 minutes with a bizarre second goal. A shot from Graeme Dorrans was drifting wide until Robert Snodgrass stuck out a foot to divert the ball past the wrong footed McGeown.

It was 3-0 three minutes later as Dave MacKay was left unmarked to head home a cross from Snodgrass.

Ayr weren't at the races and when Andy McLaren robbed McPake to get a clear sight at goal he shot straight at the keeper's legs.

Livingston were in party mood at the start of the second-half but McGeown pulled off brilliant saves to deny Craig and Mark Tinkler.

But the veteran keeper was left helpless in 75 minutes when a shot from sub Steven Weir took a deflection off David Lowing as the Ayr defence rushed out to try and block.

A night of misery was completed in 83 minutes when David Dunn tripped MacKay who promptly sent McGeown the wrong way with the resultant penalty.

STAR MEN: ***Mark McGeown; **Ryan Stevenson; *Andy McLaren.

LIVINGSTON: Liberda; MacKay, James, McPake, Tinkler, Fox (Torrance 73), Kennedy, Hamill (Weir 71), Dorrans, Craig, Snodgrass (Pesir 67). Unused subs: Mitchell, Stewart.

AYR: McGeown; Forrest, Robertson, Henderson, Lowing; Stevenson, Hamilton, Casey, Dunn (Higgins 84); Moore (Wardlaw 63), McLaren (Williams 71). Unused subs: Vareille, Corr. Booked: Forrest, Moore.

Referee: W. Collum; Crowd: 1300.