Ayr United are urged to home in on promotion

Oct 29 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

SKIPPER Mark Roberts has called on Ayr United to home in on promotion and claimed: "We need to stay unbeaten at Somerset Park."

But he admits he doesn't know which Jekyll and Hyde team will turn up at Peterhead on Saturday.

Roberts hit his tenth goal of the season as Ayr beat Alloa 2-1 to make it four wins from six home starts.

And he insists that staying healthy at home is the key to Ayr reclaiming their place in the First Division.

Roberts, 34, stressed: "If we are to have aspirations of winning the league, we need to stay unbeaten at home until the end of the season.

"We also need to pick up points on the road and not put in a performance like at Forfar which was just not good enough.

"The bottom can beat the top in this league and I think we'll see that at the end of the season when there will be so many teams going for promotion.

"We were excellent in the first-half against Alloa, the way we passed the ball was probably the best we have played this season.

"Then we went back to our usual self destruction button and were terrible in the second-half. I don't know how we do that, it's weird.

"After looking so comfortable in the first-half, Alloa were by far the better team after the interval without really battering us.”

Boss Brian Reid believes inconsistency is blighting Ayr's season with four goals shipped on trips to Alloa and Forfar.

He admitted: "We took our foot off the gas on Saturday and it was nearly our undoing. Half-time came too soon for us.

“Our home form is solid although I was disappointed in our second-half showing. It was surprising because we usually up the tempo shooting towards our home fans.

“We need to find better consistency away from home but I think any team would struggle when they have players sent off and concede penalties.

“We have to be more disciplined away from home, keep a better shape and stop doing the naive things.”

Ayr will set out at 7.30am on Saturday for the arduous trip to Peterhead but Reid won’t make the long journey as an excuse.

He said: “Gone are the days of staying overnight in a five star hotel. But we’ve gone to Peterhead before on a Saturday morning and won.

“If we go there thinking it will be a stroll because Peterhead are second bottom we will be in trouble. By all accounts, Peterhead should have taken something off Livingston last weekend.”

Dean Keenan and Ross Robertson return from suspension with long term crock Bobby Donnelly the only absentee.

The former Airdrie defender, who has been out since July, will be sent for a scan in a bid to get to the root of the back problem which has left him on the sidelines.

Reid said: “Bobby was viewed as one of our big signings but the injury has been a massive blow. Even after an injection, it never settled. We’re now trying to get him a scan so we can get the problem sorted. It will be like the bonus of a new signing when we get him back.”

Meanwhile, Reid has warned goal hero Scott McLaughlin he will be out the door if he steps out of line again.

McLaughlin was accused of posting a derogatory comment on his internet facebook page against Rangers fans but claimed it was banter among pals.

The remarks caused a furore after they were reported in a tabloid newspaper.

Reid said: "He knows himself he has been a silly boy and will be dealt with internally. The players have been warned that these websites are not the most sensible thing to go on. If it happens again, they will be out the door."