Away form is the ticket for Ayr Utd fan

Apr 2 2008 Ayrshire Post

THE Ayr fan who quipped he wants to buy a season ticket for away games may have a point.

The throwaway remark came after a fifth away win on the spin sent United to within five points of the fourth promotion play-off spot with only four games to go.

But the bad news is that two of them are at Somerset Park where erratic form has been the trademark of an under achieving season.

The likelihood is that Ayr will have left their charge a little too late and more's the pity. Because the way they are playing now — with road wins at Ross County, Raith, Airdrie, Berwick and Alloa — they would wipe the floor with their play-off rivals.

Gareth Wardlaw, pitched into an unfamilar wide right midfield role, took only two minutes to keep the away bandwagon rolling. Ryan Stevenson whipped in a free-kick, Eddie Forrest flicked on and Wardlaw buried a header into the bottom corner.

Jerome Vareille, starting on the other flank, then volleyed over a Wardlaw cross as Ayr looked to build on their bright start.

That was a wake-up call for Alloa who soon started swarming forward only to find Mark McGeown in immaculate form. The veteran keeper dived to turn round a 25 yard drive from rumoured target Scott Agnew and then clutched a diving header from Kyle McAulay.

Ayr's reply was good work by Paul McLeod which set up Stevenson for a swerving shot which Prestwick lad Raymond Jellema just managed to hold.

Alloa passed by a great chance right on the interval when Brown Ferguson was played clean through the middle but his low shot was well saved by the confident McGeown.

Ayr had a real escape in 58 minutes when McAulay met a Scott Buist cross but his powerful header smacked off the bar.

That sparked United back to life and Stevenson was just wide with a fizzing 22 yarder. Then a long ball from Murray Henderson sent Alex Williams haring through the middle but with only Jellema to beat, he clipped his shot just wide.

Ayr should have doubled their lead in 75 minutes when Vareille's neat pass released McLeod but with only the keeper to chip, he elected instead to play the ball inside to Williams who was crowded out.

However, four minutes later, Ayr got the second goal they craved when Forrest rose in the box to bullet home a header from a Stevenson corner.

Andy McLaren made his long awaited comeback from a cruciate ligament injury with seven minutes to go when he replaced the tiring Vareille.

McLaren claimed in vain he was fouled in the build-up as John Grant scrambled a consolation for the hosts with two minutes to go. But before the dust could settle, Alloa's Agnew was dismissed for a second bookling.

Even then the action wasn't finished and a Stevenson rocket cannoned off the bar. Ref Scott MacDonald somehow found four minutes of stoppage time and Ayr lived nervously when McAulay blazed over from six yards.

***STAR MEN: ***Murray Henderson; **Mark McGeown; *Mark Campbell.

ALLOA — Jellema; McClune, Buist; Hodge, Townsley, Grant; Scott, B. Ferguson, Coakley (Andrew 84), Agnew, McAulay. Unused subs: Steel, Hay, Forrester, Bruce; Booked: Buist; Sent off: Agnew.

AYR — McGeown; Forrest, Henderson, Campbell (Robertson 71), McGowan; Wardlaw, Stevenson, Weaver, Vareille (McLaren 83); McLeod, Williams. Unused subs: Woodburn, Pettigrew, Stewart; Booked: Wardlaw.

Referee — Scott MacDonald; Crowd — 493.