Ayr United star Jonathan Tiffoney gets call from Scotland under 21s

Feb 11 2011 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

RISING star Jonathan Tiffoney is celebrating after being called into the Scotland under 21 squad.

The 19-year-old Ayr full-back was named by national boss Billy Stark for a closed doors friendly on Wednesday.

And more good news for the youngster came when he learned that his bizarre red card in the 4-3 win over Stenhousemuir has been wiped from the records.

Referee Neil Watters admitted he had wrongly believed Tiffoney had been booked before flashing a second yellow in injury time.

Meanwhile, boss Brian Reid has steeled Ayr for their biggest seven days of the season and urged: Let’s go for the title.

United face their three top four rivals inside a week with Saturday’s visit of leadersLivingston followed by a trip to third top Brechin on Tuesday.

The following weekend, they make another long trip north to fourth top Forfar.

Boss Reid is desperate to boost numbers before midweek games kick in and hopes to have a new man in place for Saturday.

But he has missed out on former Dundee star Eric Paton who has been offered a lucrative deal by Stenhousemuir.

Andy Rodgers (hamstring) is ruled out for Saturday while Alan Trouten still has two games of a ban to serve.

Martyn Campbell picked up a thigh strain in the 2-1 Scottish Cup defeat by St Mirren and is struggling to make it.

The only good news is that Michael Moffat is available after missing the Saints tie through being cup tied.

Reid, who ran the rule over a target on Tuesday, stressed: “We need to bring in at least another player by necessity. We are going to have a run of midweek games so the squad is going to be stretched.

“Eric Paton would have been a brilliant signing but he’s been offered a wage by Stenhousemuir and a full-time job laying astroturf pitches so that blows us out the water. I had hoped to sign him and he wanted to come here for footballing reasons.”

Ayr beat Livingston 3-1 at Somerset in October and need more of the same. A win would cut the gap at the top to only one point and United have a game in hand.

Reid added: “With our next three games against our main rivals, it’s obviously a crunch period. We’re struggling to keep everyone fit but we want to reclaim top spot so just have to get on with it.

“We feel we can beat anyone at home and reckon we would have beaten St Mirren if we had our strongest team.

“No disrespect to those who came in and battled away in different positions, but we were limited in attacking options.

“We were light going forward but you can only go with the tools you have got.”

Reid is now targeting a wide rightattacking player who is either a free agent or available on an emergency 93 day loan.

Gareth Armstrong got the goal when the reserves, featuring Bobby Donnelly, lost 2-1 to Queen of the South at Troon on Tuesday.