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Match Reports 97-98
All reports are supplied by Kevin McClelland, unless otherwise stated.
Alloa Athletic 0 - 3 Ayr United
Att: 931
It's a few years since Ayr or their supporters converged on Alloa and in that time it appears that little has changed about the ground except for a slow and gradual deterioration which was epitomised by the council allowing only 931 tickets to be made available for this Cup tie. Perimeter fencing has been ruled unsafe and a ground which once held 13000 is now in danger of disappearing under the 80 thousand pound burden of its replacement. The playing surface was equally bad as the spectator facilities. An undulating carpet of hillocks and sand, the standside touchline of which should have a handrail, such is the steepness of the rise. In surroundings such as these, many cup dreams have died, thankfully it was the home side's which were extinguished.
In true cup tie fashion, Alloa threw everything into the opening minutes and Castilla was called upon to make a superb save after only 45 seconds as Wilson rifled in a shot from a poor clearance. The Wasps were buzzing (sorry!) all over the disjointed visitors and the Ayr half was a hive of activity until the 12th minute when Ayr swarmed down the right and Ferguson glanced a near post header from a Millen cross beyond the reach of Cairns. This took the sting out of Alloa slightly and Ayr almost scored again 3 minutes later when Ferguson nodded down for Djaffo to wheel and shoot straight at Cairns on the line.
An uncharacteristic mistake by Traynor almost let Alloa back into the game in the 24th minute when his clearance was collected by Wilson at the edge of the box, but again Castilla was equal to the shot with a diving save to his right. Irvine threatened a minute later but the combined efforts of Burns and Castilla blocked tha ball at the expense of a corner.
Unfortunately for the paying fans, that was about the sum total of the first half action and when the second half started, Ayr had Paul Agnew in the midfield at the expense of Paul Bonar. Agnew's first telling contribution was to head a goalbound header off the line with the half-fit Castilla struggling.
Alloa almost got the equaliser on the hour mark when a cross from the left was hit on the half volley from 12 yards and it flew past Castilla and struck the keeper's left post before striking an Ayr player and going behind for a corner. This awoke Ayr from their slumbers and they virtually killed off the tie 4 minutes later when Djaffo met a Donowa cross at the near post and drew an excellent block from Cairns. A couple of corners sparked panic in the Alloa area when first Robertson's volley was deflected over and then Cairns made a great double save from Djaffo headers.
Ayr did get a second goal in the 70th minute and it was down to the persistence of Djaffo who flicked on a clearance from defence, rode two tackles and when he was challenged by Valentine and Cairns 12 yards out, the ball popped out for Ferguson to walk into the empty net.
Ayr removed Djaffo with 6 minutes remaining in favour of Keith Hogg and Donowa moved up front. The 17 year-old was responsible for setting up the third goal in the final minute when his perfect pass released Ferguson down the right. He skipped past two challenges and drove the ball under Cairns from a tight angle to complete the scoring.
The reward for the victory was handed out on Saturday night TV when Ayr were drawn at home to our Ayrshire rivals in the next round. A big game, a big crowd and an exit for the holders...
Team:
Castilla, Robertson, Bowman, Millen, Burns, Traynor, Donowa, Djaffo (Hogg 84)
Ferguson, Henderson, Bonar (Agnew 46) Unused sub McKeown (Gk)
Ayr United 0 - 0 Raith Rovers
Att: 1989
Given the contrasting fortunes of these teams since their last meeting, Ayr fans would have accepted a draw before this game started. Gordon Dalziel added to the apprehension by choosing to field another 3 new players in Mark Duthie, Derek Anderson and Icelandic international keeper Kristjan Finnbogason, but any doubts as to the pedigree or ability of these players had vanished by the end of the match as they each turned in hard-working performances, most notably Duthie, who appeared tireless on either wing, and Finnbogason, who defied Raith with 2 outstanding saves early in the first half. Raith probably deserved to win but they lacked that killer touch in front of goal and the strikers had a real off day.
Ayr survived the usual visitors onslaught from the first whistle and almost broke the deadlock against the run of play in the 8th minute when a neat Millen flick sent Bowman into the box. He turned well and fired low to the near post from an acute angle, but Van De Kamp pushed it out for a corner. Duthie's flagkick sailed over the keeper toward the back post and the big Dutchman had to scramble backwards before touching the ball out from under the bar. Enter the Iceman at the other end to show what he could do. A Thomson cross from the left was headed out and fell kindly for Lennon who hammered a volley toward goal from 14 yards. Finnbogason saw it late, but managed to raise a hand and push it away for a corner. A minute later, a deflected effort from the edge of the area by Kirkwood looped high over the keeper who looked to be stranded. Somehow he managed to leap backwards and get both hands under the ball, touching it onto the roof of the net in the process.
Duthie showed good skill in linking up with Agnew and Djaffo but his final shot from 25 yards went wide. Wright squandered a good chance for Raith when he broke clear but his attempt to find Dargo was easily blocked and mopped up by Traynor. Donowa was caught in possession in the midfield as he dallied on the ball but McEwan's ball into the box was just too long for Dargo to punish the error.
Anderson was harshly booked for deliberate handball (or kicking the ball away) in the 35th minute, but the ref enraged the home fans by failing to book Millar for the same thing seconds later.
A quick throw sent Duthie behind Thomson in the 43rd minute, but again his cross was just too far in front of the in-rushing Djaffo or Donowa for them to connect.
Finnbogason was called into the action in the 46th minute when Dargo lost his marker in the box and fired in a shot, but the keeper was equal to it again.
Raith had the ball in the net in the 50th minute but it was rightly chalked off for a pull on Anderson's jersey by Wright. John Millar had knocked the loose ball into the net and it was nice to see him get upset about the decision. Millar appears to have reached that stage in his carrer when he feels he must get involved in every incident and try and referee the match. He scowled and complained all day, and spent most of the afternoon trying to kick Paul Agnew, which eventually cost him a yellow card.
Keith Wright missed a sitter when slack marking allowed him a free header. Thankfully his goal touch of recent weeks has deserted him and he sent it weakly over the top.
Ferguson won a high ball in midfield and it was fed to Donowa on the right. His cross was perfect for Ferguson to chest down but as he wheeled to strike, it was touched off his toes and away. Gary Bowman became the second home booking when his wild swipe sent Stein crashing acrobatically to the ground where he lay motionless until the card was shown and then he was up and away like a gazelle.
Millar hauled down Ferguson on the edge of the box, a move which brought terracing calls for a second yellow card and Duthie's free-kick was deflected just over by the wall.
Thomson and Fotheringham took the booking tally up for fouls on Donowa and Djaffo but the drama was all contained in the last 2 minutes. A long kick out from Van De Kamp was collected by Dargo and he fed Hartley on the right. With a clear run on goal or the option of a pass back to Dargo, he chose to shoot and wasted the opportunity by shooting across the face of goal. Ayr broke upfield and won a corner. Duthie sent it to the back post and Anderson met it, heading powerfully down behind the keeper, only for Fotheringham to scoop it off the line.
Team:
Finnbogason, Traynor, Bowman, Millen, Burns, Anderson, Donowa (Robertson 88), Djaffo, Ferguson, Agnew, Duthie Subs (unused): Hogg, Bonar
Ref - John Underhill (4/10 - Bizarre-decisions R Us)
St Mirren 3 - 0 Ayr United
Att: 2389
It's getting harder and harder to re-hash the same information into a match report and stop it sounding repetetive. Saturday's game could have been any one of half-a-dozen this season when Ayr weren't at the races and the slow trickle of fans from the away stand which started with 20 minutes left told another sad story in a season which has had few redeeming features so far. It's not just the breaking up of a good team unit, deemed incapable of playing at this level, that is causing unrest among the hardcore travelling support, but that combined with the singular lack of effort shown by many of their replacements gives rise to more than just speculation over the managerial abilities of Gordon Dalziel.
As a contest, this game was over by the half-time whistle. By that point, St Mirren had cracked in 3 goals at nice easy 15 minute intervals and a disjointed Ayr team had capitulated once again.
Ayr battled reasonably well in the opening minutes but parity lasted only until the 15th minute when a break down the Saints right wing found little to trouble it from Bowman. The cross found Iwelumo, he chested it into the path of Murray and with the Ayr defence resembling a collection of Daleks, the youngster cracked the ball across Castilla and into the far corner from 12 yards.
3 minutes later and Iwelumo almost doubled the lead when he collected a free-kick on the edge of the box, danced around Anderson, but screwed his shot across goal and wide.
A rare attack from Ayr came close to levelling things in the 24th minute when Ferguson capitalised on a slip by McWhirter to fire the loose ball goalwards from 30 yards. The dipping volley flew over Combe but struck the inside of his left hand post and flew across the goal before going behind.
A goal-bound Duthie volley after a bout of head-tennis, struck the body of Djaffo as Ayr's luck went from bad to worse and 2 minutes later, Saints showed more evidence of their slick passing and movement of the ball to go 2 up. Duthie cleared the ball initially but it was quickly returned and then fed to Watson on the right. He squared it across goal and McGarry slid in amongst the wheely-bins to knock it home from 6 yards.
Ayr couldn't regroup from the kick-off and Roddie supplied a cross to the back post which culminated in Murray's shot from 8 yards being charged down by Burns and eventually cleared.
Traynor combined with Duthie and Bowman before sending in a low 35 yarder but this was indicative of desperation more than anything, with little chance of it beating Combe.
The third goal was perhaps the worst. With the defensive wall parting to allow McWhirter's free-kick through and into the right corner, I couldn't help thinking that a wall of dustbins would have been more effective. At least they wouldn't have moved out of position...
The second half started as the first had ended. Castilla was called into action to block a volley from Turner and a Murray shot was cleared off the line by sub Keith Hogg. Djaffo and, mysteriously, Burns were subbed to allow Hogg and Bradford into the fray and credit must be given to the two 17 year-olds for their contribution, even if the game was by now a lost cause.
Ferguson kept on trying up front also and was unlucky not to pull one back after 57 minutes when he picked up a deflected shot and flicked it over the advancing Combe. Somehow he failed to get it under control and an Arthur Montford-esque stramash ensued before the ball was hoofed clear.
Seconds later Robertson crossed for Ferguson but his effort slipped across the face of goal and wide with Combe beaten. Ayr kept up the pressure and an Anderson shot was stopped by Ferguson and laid off to Duthie, whose effort was deflected for a corner.
Saints should have gone 4 up when sub Yardley got on the end of a Roddie cross but ballooned it wildly over from 12 yards.
With 11 minutes left Robertson went on a run from his own half which ended with a shot to Combe's right. The keeper dived full length to stop the shot and with that went Ayr's final hopes for a consolation.
In match that was never dirty, Watson and Turner of Saints joined Anderson in the book for fouls.
Team:
Castilla, Traynor, Bowman, Millen, Burns (Hogg 51), Anderson (Bonar 81),
Robertson, Djaffo (Bradford 51), Ferguson, Agnew, Duthie
Ref J Young - 5/10 (not the worst man on the park for a change)
Ayr United 2 - 0 Kilmarnock
Att: 9286
From the Electronic Telegraph ...
Ayr (0) 2 Kilmarnock (0) 0
THE pre-match hype was mostly stalled in the mud, but
Kilmarnock manager Bobby Williamson has any number of
options to consider following the defeat of his
Premier Division side by their First Division near
neighbours.
It would be an exaggeration to describe the result as an act of giant-killing, the intensity of the rivalry between the clubs narrowing the obvious gaps. But the consequences of defeat were, by Williamson's own admission prior to the game, too much to contemplate.
One threat was to jump in the nearest river. He wouldn't need to travel far. This game survived two pitch inspections and he could have easily doused himself in the rivulets pouring off the pitch. How he will now wish the game did fall foul to the teeming rain.
The world collapsed for Williamson in the final 10 minutes. Ian Ferguson delivered a searching cross from the right for Jim Dick to head powerfully at the far post. Three minutes later, in the 86th minute, Ferguson got his own reward for a bustling personal odyssey. With Kilmarnock stretched, he had time in the box to loft the ball nonchalantly beyond Gordon Marshall from 14 yards.
The Cup holders are out. Long live Ayrshire's latest pretenders to Cup glories. They were eclipsed for most of the game but stayed strong to the end. They have their goalkeeper, Kristjan Finnbogason, to thank for being in the hunt at that late stage. Three vital saves during the second half provided the bulwark for a battling performance. It could be nothing else. The tactic was always going to be to keep the ball off the deck. Any attempt to play a passing game was always going to be undone by the condition of the pitch.
Finnbogason pulled off two impressive stops during the opening minutes of the second period. With his legs, he denied Gary Holt, released by a Wright wall-pass; five minutes later, he pushed over a Roberts shot from point-blank range. He stole the ball off the toes of Ally Mitchell after a scissors move involving Jerome Vareille and a deft back-heel flick released the Kilmarnock No 7 for an one-on-one. Arguably, it was the brightest spot in a fairly laborious opening 45 minutes.
The conditions were always going to conspire against a goal on the breakaway. Nevertheless, Ayr persisted with just one up front, Ferguson, until Laurent Djaffo, normally his striking partner, came on as a 64th-minute substitute. Not that Ferguson, on his own, was completely neutralised by the Kilmarnock central defensive pairing of Kevin McGowne and Jim Lauchlan.
One of two early crosses from John Robertson on the right landed cleanly on his head but ended comfortably into the arms of Gordon Marshall.
What looked suspiciously like a punch was punished with no more than a yellow card in the 80th minute when he and Ferguson collided in another one-on-one. The real retribution came moments later.
From Kev McClelland ...
An exceptional display of hard work and determination by the Ayr players resulted in their progression to the quarter finals of the cup. In a game played in and on dreadful conditions, it was the tactics of United which went to a tee and if you had asked for an Ayr fan to script a dream result, they couldn't have written a better ending.
The Cup-holding visitors arrived in jaunty mood, bouyed by their capacity support and they seemed to have dismissed the challenge of Ayr as easy as their new-found support had. Ayr had other ideas however and forgot about their league worries for the afternoon to set about wrecking the plans of Williamson and his 'stars'.
It wasn't a day for purists and the art of total football was lost in the sea of Somerset mud. Ayr opted not to play any of their French stars, but D'jaffo and Castilla did make it onto the bench. Instead, it was home grown talent who knew what derbies were all about and it showed from the first whistle. Players slipped and slid all over the park as the incessant rain turned the pitch into a sticky glaur and several heavy tackles went in from both sides.
Ayr played with only Ferguson up front initially and the striker looked like a veteran of the Somme as early as the 8th minute when he headed a Robertson cross into Marshall's arms. Andy Millen became the first yellow card of the match when he was cautioned for a foul on the over-acting Vareille and Burns was spoken to for dishing out some verbal afters to the prostrate Frenchman.
John Traynor had to be at his best in the 19th minute to cut out a Roberts cross and a Holt shot after Robertson had vacated the rightback slot. Ayr raced upfield and a Bowman throw sent Agnew down the left. He cut it back into the box for Ferguson but as McGowne slipped, Ferguson could only lift the ball into Marshall's arms.
Mitchell had the best chance of the first half for the visitors when he ran onto Vareille's backheel only for Finnbogason to scoop the ball off his toes and smother it to a backdrop of "Iceland's Iceland's Number One" chants from the appreciative fans.
Agnew was the next caution after 22 minutes when he lunged at Holt at the edge of the box and McGowne joined him 10 minutes later for blocking Bowman's run on halfway. Dick completed a trio of quick bookings for a wild lunge on Mitchell on the touchline.
And that was basically the first half. Ayr had sucked their opponents into a lot of possession but had still managed to have more attempts at goal.
The visitors stepped up a gear for the first ten minutes of the second half and Holt wasted their best chance when he shot straight at Finnbogason after getting in behind the defence. Lauchlan entered the ref's book for a foul on Dick and 2 minutes later Finnbogason produced a wonderful save to touch a Roberts effort over the bar. The save looks even better when you realise that it was point blank range and the keeper didn't see it till late.
Mitchell levelled the bookings at 3 each after he chopped Hogg to the mud in front of the dugouts and soon after the 17 year-old was subbed to allow D'jaffo into the fray.
Ayr began to take control of the game and Traynor went close, sending a looping header onto the roof of the net from a corner.
A free-kick wide on the right with 12 minutes left should have brought the opening goal for Ayr. Agnew floated it toward the back post and as Dick went to head it home from about 3 yards, he was clearly pushed in the back by Mitchell and the header went out of the area.
Lauchlan was very fortunate to remain on the field when he blocked Ferguson's run from midfield and then fell on the loose ball, handling it in the process, but as we had come to expect from Hugh Dallas, he chose only to award the foul.
With 10 minutes to go, bedlam broke out as the ball was played into the box for Ferguson to attack. The linesman's flag went up for offside but Marshall came out for the ball and Ferguson knocked it from his grasp. As the two players battled for it, Marshall flattened Ferguson and he became the 7th and final booking of the day.
Holt tried his luck from 30 yards with a shot to the top left corner, but Finnbogason was equal to it, making a leaping save to stop it and then fall on the ball.
Ayr made the breakthrough their pressure and endeavour merited when Djaffo won the ball in midfield and sent it down the right for Ferguson. He hit a first time cross over toward the 6 yard line and Jim Dick powered a header into the top right corner of Marshall's net to send the Ayr fans delirious. With only 7 minutes left Ayr had to hang on to displace the holders and Dick was called upon to perform defensive duties and clear a dangerous ball from the 6 yard box before the killer blow was delivered at the other end.
Bowman took a throw on the left, received the return from Agnew and sent a ball deep toward the byeline. Lauchlan tried to shepherd it out but Djaffo's persistence won the ball. He quickly fed Ferguson who swivelled and fired a right foot shoot high over Marshall and into the top corner of the net. Scenes of absolute bedlam ensued after this goal as every Ayr player joined in the celebrations. Special mention must go to Derek Anderson, who dived and slid fully 25 feet on his chest.
Time was played out until Dallas blew the final whistle and sent the cave-dwellers home miserable, again.
There were no failures in the side and everyone displayed the grit and determination that has been missing from the league games. It's probably not fair to single out players for individual attention, but John Traynor snuffed out Paul Wright to such an extent that Wright's name wasn't mentioned once in the televised coverage. Keith Hogg also turned in a performance of considerable merit and he dealt with Varielle admirably. Finnbogason made vital saves at vital times and I can't remember when Ayr last had 2 keepers as good as they have at the moment. All in all, a brilliant day to be an Ayr fan.
Team:
Finnbogason, Robertson, Hogg (Djaffo 65), Millen, Burns, Anderson,
Dick, Traynor, Ferguson, Agnew, Bowman. Subs (unused): Bonar, Castilla
Ref: Hugh Dallas (4/10 if this is the best Scotland has to offer then the rest must be bad. Every 50-50 decision went against Ayr and he was conned by Varielle all afternoon)
From the official K*ll*e website ...
Killie lost their stranglehold on the Tennents Scottish Cup in the manner they feared most - defeat at the hands of their oldest and fiercest rivals. Goals from Jim Dick and Ian Ferguson inside the last seven minutes spurred Ayr to their greatest win of the season and helped them momentarily forget their relegation fears at the foot of the first division. Ayr hadn't beaten Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup since 1924 but that long wait must have seemed worthwhile as their delerious fans celebrated at time up.
This frantic Ayrshire derby seemed certain to be called off as driving rain before kick-off turned the pitch into a quagmire. World Cup refere Hugh Dallas took two long looks at the pitch before finally giving the go ahead. And it was Killie who were left wishing that he hadn't.
Shell shocked manager Bobby Williamson, beaten in the Cup for the first time, reflected: 'I'm absolutely gutted. Gordon Marshall didn't have a save to make before the goals but they were both well taken.
'We didn't prise Ayr open and we didn't get the ball forward quickly enough. Conditions definitely suited Ayr but we've let a lot of people down.'
His counterpart Gordon Dalziel was understandably in joyous mood as he chewed on a win that elevates him into hero status among the good people of the Auld Toon. Dalziel said: 'We did a lot of homework on Kilmarnock who are a very good side sitting fourth in the Premier League.
'It is a great result, especially against local rivals. Everybody gave 150 per cent and they got their reward. Hopefully this can kick our season off for us.'
Icelandic keeper Kristjan Finnbogason, signed for a month from KR Reykjavik won the sponsors man of the match award with a string of super stops. He showed his worth early on with a fine diving save at the feet of Ally Mitchell as Killie threatened to take a grip on the first half. And the big Ice Man broke Kilmarnock's hearts again early in the second half with a double save in quick succession from Gary Holt and Mark Roberts.
Ayr reminded their Premier League neigbours that they were up for the contest in the 65th minute when a John Traynor header from a Gary Bowman corner landed on the roof of the net. Kilmarnock ignored the warning at their peril and they paid the ultimate price in the 83rd minute when Ferguson swung over a cross from the right and Dick buried a header at the back post. Dick, who is in the midst of a five game league ban, hailed it as his most important goal ever as he lapped up the celebrations afterwards.
Stunned Killie were left dead and buried two minutes later when French substitute Laurent Djaffo sent the ball through for Ferguson who coolly lobbed home his fourth goal of the competition. Ferguson, the hat trick hero against Alloa in the previous round, clearly loves the cup and he tipped Ayr to go on and make a big impression.
Kilmarnock finished a ragged side on a pitch that resembled a mud bath at the final whistle.
Bookings for Millan, Dick, Paul Agnew, Gordon Marshall, Jim Laughlen, Kevin McGowne and Ally Mitchell made it a busy day for the overworked Mr Dallas who never had a free moment keeping control of this frenetic derby.
So, Killie's cup fever has ended for this year. The 'mud bath' of a pitch did much to narrow the class difference between the two sides and really spoiled a match that so many supporters had been looking forward to since the draw was made. With Killie in fourth place in the Premier Division, we must continue our push in the division with our heads high, and let's see if we can reach European Competition for the second year running.
Glory, Glory Ayrshire Killie!!!
Kilmarnock: Marshall, MacPherson, Baker, Lauchlan, McGowne, Reilly, Mitchell, Holt (Bagan), Wright, Roberts (Henry), Vareille (McIntyre)
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