SHATTERED BY GLASS

Oct 3 2007 Ayrshire Post

DUNFERMLINE 1, AYR UNITED 0

PROUD Neil Watt told his Ayr United cup fighters they were heroes despite an agonising semi-final defeat on Tuesday evening.

Ayr were only seven minutes from forcing Dunfermline to extra-time in a Challenge Cup nailbiter at East End Park when Stephen Glass killed their dream stone dead.

But even at the death, United wasted a glorious chance to pull level when sub David Hamilton shot straight at Paul Gallacher's legs from 12 yards.

It was a battling performance from patched-up Ayr who had kids Alistair Woodburn and Paul Fletcher on the bench after being left with only 14 players when Paul Weaver and Craig Higgins called off ill.

Watt said: "The cup run has been a big success story after beating Hamilton and Partick and then matching Dunfermline every inch of the way. I can't praise the players enough and it's just unfortunate that we couldn't get a goal for the fans.

"With two late call-offs, I had to make a call to bring in two under 19s from our youth squad who I didn't meet until 6pm. Yet we created good chances — we had one cleared off the line while David Hamilton had a great chance at the end. On another day, these could have gone in."

Watching Killie assistant boss Billy Brown must have been impressed by Ayr's play as they took the game to the Pars, pushing the First Division side back early on.

Michael Moore sent a diving header wide from a David Dunn cross while skipper Murray Henderson flashed a header past after the impressive Ryan Stevenson floated in a free-kick.

Ayr almost struck five minutes before the break when Gareth Wardlaw held off Sol Bamba's challenge and whipped over a deflected cross which spun over the head of Gallacher only for skipper Scott Thomson to clear off the line.

Dunfermline upped the tempo at the start of the second-half but Ayr held firm and were pushing hard late on. A first time shot by Stevenson from a Wardlaw cross was diverted wide and then a Chris Robertson header was deflected over.

But it was Dunfermline who cruelly struck in 83 minutes when Glass raked home a swerving 30 yarder. Ayr sent on Hamilton for Jerome Vareille and pushed four up front in a brave bid to save the tie.

And with a minute to go, Henderson's header sent Hamilton through the middle but he spurned a great chance as his shot crashed into Gallacher's legs.

STAR MEN: ***Murray Henderson; **Ryan Stevenson; *Chris Robertson.