Reid rages at Ayr’s free gifts scheme

Feb 27 2008 Ayrshire Post

FURIOUS Brian Reid blasted Ayr's dodgy defending which gifted Brechin victory and vowed to stamp out the Jekyll and Hyde performances that have left them flirting with the relegation mix.

And he pledged to hammer David Lowing for the moment of madness which earned a straight red for a wild challenge.

Brechin coasted to their fifth win on the trot while the only solace for Ayr was that drop rivals Cowdenbeath and Queen's Park both lost.

Reid fumed: "We were very, very poor and the most disappointing thing is how easy we make it for teams who must love to play against us. We seem to have one good performance and then one bad one. The inconsistency is hurting us and I can't keep putting up with it.

"We never seem to lose 1-0 to a wonder goal. It's always gifts and it was three birthday presents that cost us a game that was there to be taken."

Lowing's act of folly right on half-time left Reid raging. The dithering midfield lashed out in frustration after a blunder and although ref George Salmond initially flashed only a yellow card he changed it to a red after a chat with the terracing linesman.

Reid hit out: "It was more stupidity and it's something we can't have. It is hard enough playing with 11 men, never mind ten and he will be dealt with internally. Players will find themselves out of pocket and out the team."

A bumpy, sandy surface was never going to assist passing football and Ayr were straight away up against it. In only 11 minutes, Kevin Byers raked in a shot which flew in off the head of Paul Weaver to leave Mark McGeown stranded.

Worse was to follow eight minutes later. Gareth Wardlaw gave the ball away with a stray pass and Darren Smith pounced to send in a low cross from the left which the unmarked Michael Paton slid home at the back post.

Ayr's nightmare grew worse right on the interval when Lowing chopped down Paton with a crazy challenge and was rightly sent packing.

The ten men were thrown a lifeline in 56 minutes when they won a soft penalty after Wardlaw went down under David Murie's challenge. Alex Williams took the spot-kick but Craig Nelson brilliantly pushed it on to the bar before completing the save.

Ayr had to make that one count and fans sensed the game was done and dusted. When sub Nicky Walker added a third in the final minute, it was of only academic interest.

STAR MEN: ***Alex Williams; **Murray Henderson; *Dean Keenan.

AYR - McGeown; Staunton (McLeod 73), McGowan, Robertson, Henderson, Weaver, Pettigrew (Marshall 61), Keenan, Wardlaw, Williams, Lowing. Unused subs: Stewart, Campbell, Vareille.

BRECHIN - Nelson; Murie, Dyer, Ward, White, Janczyk, Byers (R. Walker 84), Paton (N. Walker 81), Diack (C. Smith 72), King, D. Smith. Unused subs: McCluskey, S. Walker.

Referee - George Salmond. Crowd: 1103.