Set piece goals leave Ayr with no defence

Nov 28 2007 Ayrshire Post

BRIAN REID again pointed the finger at his defence as two goals, both conceded from set plays, sent Ayr spinning from the Scottish Cup before November had been counted out.

A much improved United display was worth at least a replay but the good work was sabotaged by two mad moments when Thistle were allowed free rein to cash in on dozy defending.

A goal from Alex Williams, his tenth of the season, was cancelled out by Mark Roberts on the stroke of half-time. Nippy Liam Buchanan twisted the knife with a second-half winner and although Ayr stormed back, the cup dream was over.

Gaffer Reid claimed: "That was the best we have played for a while. We played really well and deserved a draw, if not a win. However, to lose both goals from set pieces was again very disappointing as for long spells we were the better team. We deserved better than what we got.

"Now we must try and continue that form into the league and get ourselves back into the shake-up."

Relieved Thistle chief Ian McCall reckons Ayr have taken huge strides under Reid. He claimed: "Although Ayr beat us the last time we played them, I think they are better now than they were and all credit to Brian for that.

"Ayr went five up in the second-half and had two or three decent chances but we felt the game should have been over by then. It was a typical Scottish Cup tie in lovely weather."

Backed by a vociferous travelling support, Ayr started full of fire and could have taken the lead in ten minutes when Ryan Stevenson touched the ball just wide after Williams and Paul Weaver set him up.

But the goal was delayed only until the 19th minutes. Stevenson fired in a great left foot shot, Chris Robertson had a header which was blocked but the lurking Williams pounced to bundle the ball home from close in.

Stevenson blazed a shot into the sidenet soon after and then popped up at the other end to put in a great saving tackle on Buchanan who had burst into the box.

Ayr continued to look lively and in 38 minutes, a Stevenson rocket shot was only parried by Craig Hinchcliffe but no one was prowling to pick up the crumbs.

A second goal looked on and it almost came a minute before the break when David Lowing thundered in a 35 yarder which was heading in under the bar before Hinchcliffe superbly tipped it over.

With the safety of half-time looming, Ayr were dealt a fatal blow in stoppage time. Ryan McStay fired over a corner which eluded Mark McGeown and flew to the back post where Roberts smashed it home.

What a sorry time to leak a goal and Ayr fans who feared the worst didn't have much longer for the nightmare to become reality. In 56 minutes, a McStay free-kick was headed back by former Chelsea kid Kevin McKinlay and driven home by the handily placed Buchanan.

It was a dagger blow for Ayr but they refused to crumble and they soon had another chance when an Eddie Forrest drive was spilled but Stevenson hit the loose ball wide. Then the towering Murray Henderson nodded wide from a Stevenson corner.

Ryan Baldacchino drove a dream ball across the face of goal but there were no takers when only a touch was needed. But there was a scare at the other end when Henderson almost nodded into his own net.

Thistle looked nervy trying to protect their slender lead but Michael Moore hurriedly fired wide Ayr's last chance in stoppage time.

STAR MEN: ***Murray Henderson; **Ryan Stevenson; *Alex Williams.

PARTICK: Hinchcliffe; Robertson, Twaddle, McKinlay, Harkins, Archibald, Chaplain, Rowson, Buchanan, Roberts (Donnelly 65), McStay (Murray 73). Unused subs: Tuffey, Connor, Little.

AYR: McGeown; Forrest, Henderson, Robertson, Lowing; Stevenson, Weaver, Casey (Wardlaw 86), Baldacchino; Moore, Williams. Unused subs: Dunn, Pettigrew, Vareille, Stewart; Booked: Weaver.

Referee: Dougie McDonald; Crowd: 2260.