Border crossing gives Ayr a point

Nov 7 2007 Ayrshire Post

AYR are still unbeaten under Brian Reid but the new boss knows he has much work on his hands after a lifeless draw against the league’s basement team.

Ryan Stevenson’s eighth goal of the season should have been the springboard for Ayr to kick on.

But they failed to stamp their mark in a poor match and Berwick couldn’t be grudged the point that ended a run of five straight defeats.

Reid admitted a draw was fair and added: “If we had left with three points I reckon it would have been a steal.

“I knew this would be difficult because it nearly always is when you play a team with a new manager in charge for his first home game. We still have a lot of hard work ahead of us but this is another point.”

There was no hint of what lay in store when Alex Williams had an effort knocked off the line by Tommy Lennox early doors.

Only seven minutes in and Ayr took the lead when David Dunn cleverly teed up Stevenson and the goal happy midfielder cracked home a sweet left foot effort.

But Berwick, prompted by the strong running Paul McMullan and Dundee United bound Danny Swanson, forced Mark McGeown into some important stops.

Berwick drew level in 48 minutes when McGeown was harshly ruled to have handled a Chris Robertson passback. From the free-kick, Iain Diack squeezed the ball home after his header was saved.

The long range shooting of Stevenson seemed Ayr’s best hope of a goal but home keeper Gary O’Connor stood up to everything that was thrown at him.

In a late Ayr flurry, Stephen Swift had a shot cleared off the line and was only inches out with a cheeky chip.

But a winner then would have been rough justice on Berwick who held on to give their new boss - former Ayr defender Michael Renwick - a valuable point.

STAR MEN: ***Mark McGeown; **Ryan Stevenson; * Alex Williams.

BERWICK: O’Connor; Bolochoweckjy, J. Smith; Lennox, McMullan, Thompson; McLeish, Swanson (Greenhill 89), Little, Diack (Stevenson 86), Gemmill. Unused subs: Noble, Flockhart, G. Smith; Booked: Gemmill, O’Connor, Thompson.

AYR: McGeown; Swift, Forrest, Robertson, Lowing; Vareille, Stevenson, Casey, Dunn (Weaver 81); Williams, Moore; Unused subs: Hamilton, Pettigrew, Henderson, Caldwell.

Referee: Chris Boyle; Crowd: 473.