Time for Ayr United to deliver

May 15 2009 by Mike Wilson

GIVE us the best four games of your lives and the First Division beckons.

That's the big prize for Ayr United who this week set out on the hazardous play-off trail.

Despite finishing 12 points ahead of Brechin and scoring 20 goals more, Ayr have to prove they are better than them in a tense two leg shoot-out.

Finishing a magnificent season with 74 points, only two less than champions Raith, counts for nothing. What's fair now goes out the window - it's all about bottle and holding your nerve.

On Wednesday night, Ayr were due at Brechin before hosting the Glebe Parkers at Somerset Park on Saturday. Win that double-header and they will entertain Airdrie United or Peterhead next Wednesday with the second leg on Sunday, May 24.

Boss Brian Reid will bring back his big guns for Wednesday. Chris Aitken, Ryan Stevenson, Mark Roberts, Bryan Prunty and Scott Walker all sat out the 3-2 win at Peterhead.

But key man Stevenson is out of Saturday's second leg as he begins a two match suspension. Reid said: “I remember scoring for Blackpool in a 4-2 play-off win over Leyton Orient at the Millennium Stadium. It was a great feeling going back down the road after winning promotion and that’s something I would love this club to savour.

“We took 20 points from the last quarter of the season and had only one defeat so it’s hard to take that we haven’t won the championship. In six out of the last ten years, it would have been enough.

“We’ve got a full squad available and I’m confident that we can deliver. I left behind five players for the Peterhead game and I was delighted with the boys who came in. There were a lot of plusses.

“It was good to give 16-year-old Iain Fisher a taste and I would have loved to have been able to bring Ross Robertson off the bench as he is a lad who I know well.”

What's certain is that Brechin will be no pushovers. With wily Jim Duffy at the helm, they won four of their last five games before Saturday's meaningless 3-2 defeat at Alloa when top gun striker Rory McAllister was benched.

Their 1-0 win over Ayr last montheffectively killed the title dream and consigned the Honest Men to the nerve shredding play-offs. Reid recalls: “It was a game we should have won. Our keeper hardly had a save while we missed lots of chances.

“I am confident we can bring back a good result and then with a big crowd behind us at Somerset Park on Saturday, get some rewards for our season’s efforts.”