REID GETS HIS MAN

Dec 5 2007 Ayrshire Post

AYR UNITED boss Brian Reid has made his first major signing — by snapping up Scott MacKenzie as his assistant.

But he has warned his under achieving players that they are playing for their futures after only one win in nine games.

Powerful defender Martyn Campbell, who hasn’t played for nine months because of recurring injury problems, could make his comeback away to Peterhead on Saturday after Reid revealed he is ‘very much in the reckoning.’

MacKenzie was unveiled to the players before a bounce game against Auchinleck Talbot on Monday evening.

Reid said: “I played alongside Scott for five months at Falkirk. He is a very enthusiastic lad who comes with a lot of ideas and freshness. He has his UEFA ‘B’ licence and youth coaching badge and is the ideal foil for me to bounce ideas off.”

MacKenzie, 37, spent 13 years at Falkirk and also played for Hamilton, St Mirren and Queen of the South. More recently, he coached Dumbarton under 17s.

Ironically, he could have been at Ayr six years earlier but former boss Gordon Dalziel failed in a signing bid.

Ayr will set out on Friday for Peterhead desperately trying to end their dismal streak which continued with a 4-1 rout by Cowdebeath, their third defeat on the spin.

Reid admits: “At the moment, I would love to play against us because of the goals we are giving away. Basic errors are killing us and they have to stop. Now the players have to show me a reaction and prove they are good enough to stay.

“Saturday was an eye opener for me and the most disappointing thing was how we capitulated as a team in the second-half.

“We are creating chances but the biggest concern is keeping goals out.

“I know we need to strengthen in January and Scott and I are on the case. It was always my intention to bring in players, now it may have to be more.”

Reid was raging at the Cowdenbeath collapse which leaves Ayr rooted in third bottom place, only six points clear of the relegation trapdoor.

He hit out: “That performance was not good enough for Ayr United. My job is to come here and change it and I will certainly do that. I won’t just throw in the towel.

“Every goal we give away is cheap and to lose four at home is not acceptable. I cannot watch that performance and wouldn’t expect the Ayr fans to watch it every week.

“We can’t keep losing goals like that but although we have decent defenders and big lads, it is set pieces that seem to be killing us.”

Ryan Baldacchino, who came off with a calf strain against Cowdenbeath, completes his month’s loan deal from Gretna after Saturday’s game.

Mark Casey, who was sent off for two bookings, misses out through an automatic one match ban.

Another absentee will be ankle victim David Hamilton. He is making progress but is still on the sidelines.

The return of a fit again Campbell will be a timely boost for a leaky defence that is fast running out of excuses.

Craig Pettigrew and Stephen Swift are other options while Jerome Vareille and Gareth Wardlaw are champing at the bit to get off the bench.

While Alex Williams has scored 11 goals in 15 games, strike partner Michael Moore has drawn a blank in the last 14 games and hasn’t scored since August 25.