Ayr United are back where they belong

by Mike Wilson

Airdrie 0 Ayr 1

ONE strike of the boot from the league's classiest player sent Ayr United to the promised land.

And sparked one big party which carried on into the wee hours as a return to the First Division wassavoured.

Five years after the pain ofrelegation, United are back. Brian Reid's barmy army danced on the pitch as the boss, his wife andchildren, lapped up the big moment.

Players threw their boots and shirts into the joyous crowd who had transformed the Excelsior Stadium into a home ground.

Ryan Stevenson's stunning strike settled a tight game but United were a team of giants who sentenced crestfallen Airdrie to their third successive season of play-off hell.

Towering defender Scott Walker insisted he had seen it coming. He claimed: "The first leg was tight but I thought we had enough to beat them. And we kept another clean sheet which has been a big part of our game this season, especially with the manager being a defender.

"The fans have been dying for the First Division or even further for years. We've now given them that and another great milestone is that we were unbeaten at home all season.

"We had a better home support than Airdrie and it just shows what Ayr had to offer as a club. The gaffer took a big gamble by bringing in eight or nine players but they gelled right away and deserve everything.

"As for Stevo, he shouldn't be playing at this level, he should be First Division or even higher. We missed him in the first leg but he proved exactly what sort of player he is."

An emotional Reid applauded the packed stand which rose to acclaim Ayr's finest young manager since the halycon days of Ally MacLeod.

He said: "I'm delighted that we are back where we belong. We had no recognised full-backs with AllanDempsie injured and Neil McGowan suspended. Players came in out of position and were magnificent. It was a typical Ryan goal but he does that regularly.

"We have a small squad and know we'll have to strengthen substantially in the summer but hopefully we can make a challenge and survive up there."

Ayr walked tall in all areas of the park with the strong running ofRyan Borris a trump card that had the Airdrie defence chasing shadows. Used only sparingly in recent weeks, Borris came in for a rare start and set up the promotion clincher with a dazzling run after 29 minutes.

Collecting a pass from Mark Roberts, he charged at the heart of the home danger area, had time for a cheeky back heel before stumbling in the act. The ball spun free to Stevenson who 20 yards out pulled back his trusted left peg and sent a low shot skidding into the bottom corner away from the clawing grasp of keeper Stephen Robertson.

It was a richly deserved goal because prior to that, Ayr could have been ahead. Again Roberts was the creator, picking out Kenny Connolly who took the ball wide of Robertson and squared it into the middle where Bryan Prunty just failed to connect.

Two minutes after the goal, Ayr almost doubled their lead when Connolly turned smartly and sent in a shot which Robertson palmed away.

However, there was a real scare a minute before the break when Paul Di Giacamo fluffed a shot wide from no more than six yards.

Dean Keenan was then booked for leading with his elbow in a challenge which left Airdrie captain Paul Lovering with a blood covered face.

If Ayr expected an Airdrie onslaught at the start of the second-half, it never materialised. Instead United should have buried the game in 67 minutes when Prunty headed straight at Robertson after being pinpointed by a cross from Roberts.

Willie Easton tested the keeper with an ambitious 25 yarder that almost slipped through his hands while at the other end, sub Simon Lynch skied the ball yards over from a Darren Smith cross.

The final whistle heralded wild scenes of jubilation on and off the pitch. There was a worrying moment when some Airdrie fans climbed the barriers as well but police and stewards soon shepherded them off.

STAR MEN: ***the whole team.

AIRDRIE - Robertson; McLachlan (Watt 80), Lovering, McDonald (McDougall 61), Donnelly, Smyth, Smith, McKenna, Di Giacomo (Lynch 61), Baird, McLaughlin. Unused subs: Nixon, Hollis; Booked: Smyth, Smith.

AYR - Grindlay; Keenan, Walker, Campbell, Easton; Borris, Aitken, Stevenson, Connolly; Prunty (Gormley 67), Roberts. Unused subs: Henderson, Woodburn, Williams, Mitchell.

Referee - Ian Brines; Crowd 3303.