Ayr United fightback to beat Binos

Apr 10 2009 by Mike Wilson

Ayr United Image 1

Ayr United 3 Stirling Albion 1

BRIAN REID insisted he was always confident of winning – even when Stirling raced ahead with one of their first attacks.

Yet again, Ayr had to mount one of their traditional fightbacks to eke out the victory that keeps them a point clear of second top Raith.

But how United love to put their fans through the shredder by gifting their opponents a goal of a start. Then in stepped David Gormley with a deadly double and Alex Williams with a late strike to leave United home and dry.

Boss Reid said: "Stirling scored with their first chance, a punt down the middle between two defenders, and the boy scores with a good strike – we shouldn't be losing goals like that.

"It's not the first time we have come back and I was always confident we would. We got two quick goals before half-time and I felt we dominated the second-half.

“It was just a matter of getting another goal to kill the game offalthough it came a bit later than I would have liked. It was a decent performance.

"We are fortunate to be blessed with good strikers. Mark Roberts and Bryan Prunty were out but Gormley and Williams both came in and did well.

"It's another three points, another game out the road and now we move on to the next one. Stirling came here as one of the form teams but we're the form team of the division, undefeated in nine games and not at home so long may it continue."

Martin Grehan escaped the clutches of Martyn Campbell and AllanDempsie to fire Stirling ahead in 14 minutes. Gormley turned and fired home a 25 yarder for the equaliser and then Ryan Stevenson crashed a long ranger off the foot of the post.

Gormley edged Ayr ahead in first-half injury time with anothersuper finish, finishing off a three man move.

Dean Keenan slammed a 25 yarder just wide, Williams had a shot beaten out while hat-trick chasing Gormley saw an effort deflected over following a Stevenson cut-back.

Any chance for Stirling vanished with an 87th minute second yellow for Sean Roycroft. With a minute to go, Ayr sealed it when Williams bundled the ball in from close range after Stevenson's shot was only parried by Myles Hogarth.

STAR MEN: ***David Gormley;**Ryan Stevenson; *Dean Keenan.

AYR - Grindlay; Dempsie, Walker, Campbell, McGowan; Connolly (Woodburn 89), Stevenson, Keenan, Easton; Williams, Gormley. Unused subs: Mitchell, Roberts, Borris, Agnew. Booked: Dempsie, Connolly.

STIRLING - Hogarth; Graham, Gibb (Lowing 46), Roycroft, Forsyth; Mullen, Murphy, O'Neil, Docherty; McKenna (Corr 79), Grehan (Dunn 46). Unused subs: Christie, Boyle. Booked: Mullen, Lowing, Forsyth. Sent off: Roycroft.

Referee - Euan Norris; Crowd - 1583.