Match Reports 97-98

From the Unofficial Accies Website ...

GOALSCORERS :	1-0 23 mins Paul Ritchie (Accies) penalty
	1-1 72 mins Lauren D'Jaffo (Ayr United)

"Oh, It's Gonna Be 13 In A Row" came the rather depressing chant from the Accies fans with not long to go in tonight's game ... and that's exactly what happened. Thirteen whole bloody games since we last won a match.

Away back on the 8th of November we travelled down to Somerset Park to beat Ayr United 2-1 and stay top of the First Division ... all the dreams in those great days were of how we might just end up in the Premier League next season. How things can change so dramatically over the course of three and a half months.

In saying that, for a long long time tonight we were excellent. John McQuade was restored to the side and played probably his best ever game in an Accies jersey; Paul Ritchie (for the first time this season) actually looked as if he was interested and (shock horror) actually made some challenges; the passing play from midfield to the forwards was brilliant, and we created a lot of good goalscoring opportunities. Just a pity we couldn't score in a barrel of fannies.

We could have scored early on when a good Eddie cross was met on the volley by Paul Ritchie, but the ball came off the face of the bar with the keeper beaten ... we did however take the lead on the 23rd minute with our first penalty for eight months, Jim Sherry being rather needlessly halved in the box by one of the Ayr defenders. Just as we were all trying to remember who our penalty taker was, up stepped Paul Ritchie to sidefoot it into the net, straight down the middle.

The rest of the first half followed a similar pattern, Accies having most of the play and Ayr doing very little indeed ... even for the first twenty minutes of the second half, we did exactly the same. Jim Sherry, Wolfie and Sean McEntaggart all missing close-range sitters, miskicking when it seemed easier to score.

However on the ocassions when Ayr did mount an attack, Andy McCondichie was looking worryingly shite again as he flapped at a good few crosses (for the second game in a row). Gradually Ayr came more and more back into the game, and when they eventually did equalise with 18 minutes to go it wasn't really a surprise ... and neither was the way it came about.

Mark Duthie hit a rather weak chip shot which Andy really should have held easily, but as he landed he fumbled the ball and Lauren D'Jaffo put the ball into the net. The same player should have put Ayr 2-1 later on when Andy went walkabout in his box, he took it round him and then hit it into the side-netting as we all held our heads in our hands.

Our on-loan keeper partially redeemed himself with a couple of reasonable saves late on as Accies seemed to give up, and then eventually the final whistle blew and another game was away from us. 12 games to go, 13 games since we last won, a run which has saw us gone from top of the table to fifth ... we really do have to start winning a couple of games soon.

But tonight definitely falls into the category of a game that we should have won by a mile, but come full-time we were desperately hanging on for a draw. Still overall much better than the Greenock debacle, though, and if John McQuade and Paul Ritchie show the same commitment against St Mirren, hopefully it'll be party time on Saturday night.

Accies line-up : McCondichie 5, Thomson 8, Renicks 7, Sherry 7, Craig 8, McEntaggart 7, MacFarlane 8, McKenzie 9, Ritchie 8, McQuade 9, Cunnington 9

Subs : McCormick 7 (for MacFarlane, 80 mins)

From The Scotsman ...

ALEX Totten, the Falkirk manager, promised an open, attacking game and, despite conditions which conspired against it, that's what we got.

A strong, gusting wind combined with an uneven Brockville surface - as much a disgrace to the First Division as the crumbling terraces which surround it - hinted that fluent football would be at a premium.

However, as Totten boasted in his programme notes, he has as talented a bunch of players as any in the league. This result, keeping alive their title prospects, proved the point.

Not that Ayr failed to play their part. They threatened first when only an over-hit pass by Gordon Burns denied Mark Duthie a free run-in on goal.

Later, it took an alert piece of goalkeeping by Paul Mathers to block Ian Ferguson's close-range shot after Laurent Djaffo had troubled the Bairns defence.

For the most part, however, the first period was dominated by Falkirk, who seemed determined to use the wind at their backs to good effect.

It looked as if they had broken the deadlock moments after their early scare when David Moss netted Andy Seaton's inswinging corner. However, a loud blast from Mr Bissett's whistle, signalling a push by Moss, preceded the header.

While Seaton's inswinging corners looked the most likely source of the breakthrough, It was the subtle talents of Kevin McAllister which brought the Bairns their next chance.

In 38 minutes, the former Hibs winger swapped passes with Seaton, before sending over an inviting cross which Keith headed over from point-blank range. Scott Crabbe was guilty of an even bigger miss in 44 minutes when he side-footed the ball into David Castilla's arms from just eight yards.

The game turned cruelly against the Somerset side in the space of a minute soon after the break. John Traynor, deciding to test the strength of the wind, unleashed a ferocious shot from 40 yards, only to see the ball crash off the bar with Mathers helpless.

Falkirk, stung by the shock, promptly broke upfield where a combination of McAllister's cross and Castilla's hesitancy, allowed Moss to glance a header into the net. The dose was repeated within seven minutes when Castilla's frailties were again exposed, Keith nodding in Crabbe's corner.

A harsh ordering off for Richie Watson, quickly followed by further strikes from Keith and Moss, sealed Ayr's fate.

Falkirk: Mathers, Corrigan, Seaton, McGowan, Oliver, McKenzie, McAllister, Craig, Crabbe (Hagen 63), Moss (Hamilton 80), Keith. Subs not used: McCart.

Ayr United: Castilla, Robertson (Bonar 67), Traynor, Hood, Watson, Anderson, Burns, Agnew, Ferguson (Oureddine 82), Djaffo (Hogg 77), Duthie. Sent off: Watson (64).

Referee: K Bissett (Inverness).

From the Thistle website Over Land and Sea ...

Never in the minds of the Firhill Faithful has so much been expected, by so many, of so few....well of one man actually.

The return of Le Chic, allied to the fact that we had gained further breathing space in our battle for long term survival and a restoration to the upper echelons of the game, raised the spirits - and boosted the numbers - of the travelling support heading for Somerset Park.

After an unseasonably mild month, the weather took a dramatic change for the worse as temperatures plummeted and snow fell in the twenty-four hours preceding this vital game.

The rutted and bare surface was far from ideal and the chilling wind sweeping off the Firth of Clyde added to the discomfort of players and fans alike.

For Thistle, the prospect of defeat was unthinkable, while a draw would be of little use as it would leave out hosts still three points clear with games running out.

WAS has always been a great fan of the mercurial talents of Charnley, but even your reporter felt anxious about the level of expectation which greeted the Great Man's return to the colours which he wore during the finest years of his career.

Should have known better, after only a couple of minutes Le Chic was pinging the 40 yards passes around as if he'd never been away.

The arrogance was still there, but so was a level of talent that we haven't seen in Jags' colours for many a year.

The real question was not whether Charnley could produce the goods, but whether those around him could read his intentions and exploit his ability to read the game.

The first real threat of the game came when Le Chic played the ball across to Boyle. Jimmy's delightful chip over the defender found McDonald running into space and Billy conjured up a fine shot which brought Finbogasson to his knees at the near post.

The ball broke from the keeper and bounced high in the air. Henderson's effort was blocked but Lawrence got in another attempt before collapsing with a head knock. Fortunately, Alan was able to continue, which was more than Billy McDonald was able to do when he was led, staggering, from the field after 29 minutes.

Clearly concussed, Billy had attempted to play on for a few minutes but was clearly on another planet when he was substituted by Jamie McKenzie. Pity really, since he'd actually been having a fairly productive game as he responded to the prompting of his more experienced midfield partner. Le Chic was really running the show and rarely wasted a pass as he strutted about the middle of the park.

Ayr seldom featured as an attacking force for the first twenty minutes and Kenny Arthur was a spectator as Henderson, McDonald and Nicolson all came close.

Ian was playing an unusual role, sitting just in front of the back four and springing forward to make late runs into the box.

Our best chance of the first half came when Charnley teased the defence before laying the ball off for Henderson. Nicky's first time pass found Lawrence in the clear with only the keeper to beat. In such situations, Nipper would normally have used his experience to pass the ball into the net. This time, inexplicably, he tried to burst the net and succeeded only in nearly bursting the nose of a passing policeman.

Gradually, play got literally and metaphorically bogged down in the middle of the park where the former St Mirren hatchet-man, Ian Dick was going about his grisly business in his normal manner. An uncharacteristically tolerant John Rowbotham took no action as Dick flailed about at everything in red and yellow while his team-mate Djaffo paid particular attention to his marker, Callum Milne.

A desperate sliding tackle, from behind felled our man and should have led to a yellow card. It didn't! Nor did, Dick's chopping down of Watson or Duthie's assault on Henderson.

With all this going unpunished, nothing was more certain that the first caution would be going the way of a Jag's player - and probably for something stupid. It did, and it was! Le Chic leapt for a ball which was soaring over his head. Missing it with his head he lifted his hand and, subsequently, so did Rowbotham. Unfortunately, the referee was holding a yellow card when he did. At the time of writing it's not clear whether this takes Le Chic over the disciplinary threshold. Some Jagophiles believed that he started the match in a position where one more caution would mean five games out, while others - and WAS hopes the latter opinion is correct - felt that two were required.

Ayr came back into the match and threatened to make the breakthrough when Ferguson raced away from Archibald but was unable to pick out a team-mate with his cross.

At the other end, Lawrence, Henderson, Boyle and McKenzie combined to allow Nicky a shot at goal. Although the keeper saved well, the build up had been mighty impressive.

Dick restored the normal order of things when he crunched McKenzie from behind - about six feet in front of the myopic referee who waltzed off as though nothing had happened.

The second half opened, and closed, with a bang. Neither of them being the sort of pyrotechnics likely to appeal to Jagophiles.

An innocuous 48th minute attack ended with the ball breaking to Duthie at the right side of our box and his firmly hit shot gave Arthur no chance.

If that was distressing, the second of the bangs was even more depressing for those of the Thistle persuasion. With the match deep into time added on for Ayr to equalise, it certainly can't have been for second half injuries since the trainer was never on the pitch, we lost the lead, and two crucial points.

In much the manner of Gregg Watson at Tannadice, Ian Nicolson had two option when he found the ball at his feet with only seconds left. With the beach waiting to receive a mighty punt, Ian opted to play the ball out of defence. Big mistake! He lost possession and the ball fell invitingly for Anderson to score from the edge of the box.

Heads went down and with Rowbotham allowing barely enough time for the match to be restarted we left Somerset Park with heads bowed in depression.

It could all have been so different. After sixty five minutes Milne had managed to get on to the end of a Le Chic special - a free-kick whipped in from the touch-line after Nicolson had been fouled. From a position of equality we started to dominate and came close twice when Nicolson fired wide from a good position and then Lawrence had a close range shot blocked.

Milne blasted over from thirty yards after a period of intense pressure, then Henderson came close from a pass from Le Chic.

It was the Prodigal Son who had a hand in the move that put us in front. From his pass, Ian Nicolson raced into the box and lashed the ball into the net from twelve yards.

With time running out, we looked as comfortable as Ayr looked concerned. Their efforts became more and more desperate and the only source of discontent in our ranks was over McVeigh's wisdom, or lack thereof, in not breaking up the final minutes by bringing on the two remaining substitutes.

If you subscribe to the chaos theory, then you'll appreciate that if he had, they wouldn't have scored the goal they did. They might have scored another one, but Nicolson would not have found himself faced with the decision which led to their equaliser.

God! How desperate can we get? Chaos is nothing, compared to the price of relegation to the Second Division.

We could, and should, have won. These two dropped points could prove to be very costly when we reach the final reckoning.

Le Chic's form was as we might have expected, although we could have done without the yellow card incident. He did, however, bring out the best in others and - assuming the optimists are right about the disciplinary position - he may yet lead us from the slough of despond!

Scorers:
Partick Thistle: Milne 58, Nicolson 77
Ayr United: Duthie 48, Anderson 89

Referee: J. Rowbotham

From the Electronic Telegraph ...

Hearts finding their way back from the dark side
By Roddy Forsyth

Hearts (2) 4 Ayr (1) 1
ONE of the pleasures of travelling to games across Scotland is the oportunity it affords to listen to John Kavanagh's erudite rock review show on Radio Scotland. Yesterday's feature band was Pink Floyd, whose legendary founder, Syd Barratt, now lives the life of a recluse in Cambridge. Kavanagh observed that Barratt inspired extraordinary devotion among successive generations of Pink Floyd fans, despite the fact that he left the group all of 30 years ago.

Or to put it another way, by the time Syd Barratt became a casualty of his manic ingestion of hallucinatory substances, Hearts' last championship was already eight years in the past and their name had not been engraved on the Scottish Cup for 12 years. Neither record has been improved upon over the course of three further decades, during which time Hearts have contrived to be edged out of one championship on goal average and another on goal difference and lose four Scottish Cup finals.

So the capacity crowds generated by their improbable progress in both competitions this season represent a significant triumph of hope over bitter experience.

Still, it's been a happy trip so far, as old Syd might have observed, and yesterday's frolics at Tynecastle kept them flying, although Ayr United made a bold attempt to wreck the party after only five minutes.

Jim Dick insinuated himself into the centre of the penalty area, apparently without being noticed by any Hearts defender until he gathered possession and swivelled with only Gilles Rousset to beat.

The Frenchman produced his impression of a horizontal Eiffel Tower and the ball ricocheted from his outstretched leg. The danger had not been averted, however, because the rebound sat up nicely for Rousset's countryman, Laurent Djaffo, but he struck his drive against the near post.

This roused Hearts from their initial torpor and they began a methodical assault on Ayr's penalty area.

A fruitful line of attack had been exploited along the Hearts left, from which Naysmith periodically directed tempting crosses away from Kristian Finboggason.

When Hearts won a free-kick to the left of the Ayr box, Steve Fulton had read his cue and struck a deep cross towards Jim Hamilton lurking beyond the back post.

Hamilton's initial attempt was knocked away from the immediate danger area but Colin Cameron intercepted and turned it on towards Paul Ritchie, who had come up for the free-kick and was still stationed in the box.

The defender took a deft touch and slipped the ball away from Finboggason. Hearts' second, eight minutes later, again came through the open door on Ayr's right.

Naysmith again crossed diagonally and deep and this time Thomas Flogel stooped to head away from the Icelandic goalkeeper. Flogel had been brought in as a straight replacement for Stephane Adam in preference to the fans' favourite, Jose Quitongo, a decision which had now been justified.

Between times, Djaffo trudged off injured and was replaced by Paul Bonar, which left Ayr short of a forward, but they kept the issue open by scoring a clever goal out of nothing.

Gary Bowman began the move on the right with a cross which was knocked back across the box by Dick for Ian Ferguson to bounce a forceful downward header past Rousset.

Hardly had they recovered their nerve when Ayr were undone by an incident at the heart of their own defence.

Derek Anderson and Jim Hamilton had been contesting crosses vigorously and when Hamilton went to ground during one such tangle, the Ayr defender kicked him. Once Hamilton had received prolonged treatment, the referee turned his attention to Anderson and produced the red card.

Ayr were game but there was little chance that they would overcome their numerical inferiority, not that Hearts were quick to press their advantage.

Rather, they employed the anaconda approch, digesting their prey by slow degrees. Exactly midway through the second half, they put the game beyond doubt. Neil McCann fed Hamilton - the object of noisy abuse from the Ayr supporters whenever he touched the ball - but he was unable to get his shot away.

Instead, he fed a pass back out towards Fulton, who directed his effort precisely back through the throng and into the net.

The contest was now a matter of respectability as far as Ayr were concerned and they might have made it to full time without sustaining any further damage but for a grotesque blunder by Finboggason.

With seven minutes remaining, he stooped to gather a low but slight drive from Gary Locke which should have presented him with no difficulty. However, the Icelander spilled the ball and then made as if to control it with his boot only to stand on it and fall on his back. The ball rolled away from him and Hamilton overcame his astonishment to get to it first for an unopposed tap-in. The Hearts fans howled with laughter and had Syd Barratt been present, he would have called for some of whatever Finboggason was on.

"He's been a good goalkeeper for us and that was very uncharacteristic, so we won't make a song and dance about it," Gordon Dalziel, the Ayr manager, said afterwards.

"Mind you, it's just as well for him that it happened when the game was over rather than at 0-0."

As for Hearts, in pursuit of their improbable double, this result was yet another brick in the wall.

From the Raith Rovers Website, courtesy of Kenny Scott ...

Well, what can be said now? Was I getting carried away with thoughts of promotion following our two fine victories away from home? Maybe I was. Certainly, after this showing, either Gordon Dalziel knows exactly how to play us, or we simply need another season in the First Division to work out how to beat lower teams when not playing to 100%.

Yes, we had more of the play. Yes, we could have won this game. However, it must also be pointed out that Guido had to make more stops from one on one situations than their 'keeper did. A lot more. Indeed, we could have quite easily been beaten in this game, and not a lot of the supporters who trudged disconsolately from their seats at the final whistle would be able to argue a case for getting nothing from this game. But we held out, just as our defence has generally managed to do in the second half of this season. It must be noted that the defence is the best part of the team by quite some way, time and again holding out where other teams might have received a real good thumping.

Anyway, I'm getting away from the game. This shouldn't take long, and if you are wondering why this may read similarly to the Sunday Mail version, it isn't because I copied their paper. The Sunday Mail reporter forgot his notes and had to get a run-through of the game afterwards from me. Blinding.

I'm off on another track again. Right. We started quite well. McEwan seemed to be playing well in the first half, and he was involved in the first real attack after only 8 minutes. After belting up the right wing, he slipped the ball to Hartley. Paul played one of his trade-mark flicks and turned his man brilliantly. However, his left foot shot was too weak to trouble Finboggson. That might not be spelt correctly, but it is what it says on my team sheet. Anyway, the Ayr 'keeper was able to collect the ball without any trouble.

Five minutes later, McEwan was involved again. This time, a cross from the right was flicked on by Walker to McGill, but his header, although on target, was too near Ayr's No.1 and he plucked it from the air with ease. Andy Walker then started off a move that he almost managed to finish himself. Starting from the middle of the pitch, he fed Hartley on the right. As the young wing-king leathered it down the wing, his deep cross was headed back into the goal area by McGill, but Andy's left foot shot squeezed wide of the right post.

Two minutes later, he was at it again. McGill played a good dummy and the ball found its way from Scott 'Nipper' Thomson to Walker. Andy played a neat back heel to Jason Dair, and after beating his marker, saw his clipped shot go agonisingly past the right post when through on the 'keeper.

Straight after this, Nipper and Hartley nearly managed to create a goal between themselves from deep in Raith's own territory. Nipper started sprinting up the line with the ball, then punted it up to Hartley. Paul skinned Millen with ease before clipping the ball in to Thomson, who by this time had managed to get into the box. Unfortunately, the bounce of the ball took it towards the outcoming 'keeper and he booted it clear.

Colin Miller, a recent signing from Dunfermline after some strange allegations, brought Guido into the game after 27 minutes. A pile-driver from 25 yards looked destined to open the scoring, but somehow out main man between the sticks tipped it sensationally over the bar to force a corner.

Soon after, Ian Ferguson went off injured after a chance meeting with Marvin. Ayr pulled everyone behind the ball, and literally nothing happened until the last minute of the half when Danny Lennon gave the ball away in our own box. Djaffo picked it up, slipped it to Dick who but he took too long and by the time he let go of his shot, Guido had once again advanced out of goal to block the effort. I love that man.

And into the second half. Gary Bowman was able to capitalise on a wasted free kick by us and set off up the left wing. He ran ALL the way up that damn wing, and was in a superb position to cross to Ferguson and Djaffo who were waiting in the box, but neither could get themselves on the end of the ball to stick it away.

Seconds later, Henderson broke again, this time with Henderson in the centre freeing Dick on the right. He crossed to Ferguson in the box, but the big ex-Rovers man was miles off target.

We then hit them on the break. Jason Dair, playing a blinder, skipped past a challenge in the box and tried to turn and cross to Walker from the bye line but his ball was blocked in the nick of time for a corner. Following this, Dair again produced some sparkling stuff to win the ball for Nipper, he crossed to Fotheringham all on his own in the box, and with the 'keeper advancing too far off his line, Kevin saw his header go agonisingly over the bar from 12 yards.

Dick looked to have a fair chance on the hour mark. He found himself in what seemed acres of space in our box, but McEwan was alert again and belted over to block his shot, as if from nowhere. Within four minutes, Lennon had set up Paul Hartley with a cross from the right to the head of the wing man, but his subsequent header was aimed straight at Ayr's No.1. However, seconds later, Millen once again found that he had been skinned good and proper by Hartley on the left, and after Paul had hit the bye line, his cut back to Walker was sent flying over the bar from 10 yards.

A quiet period for ten minutes was broken when some sweet play by Ayr saw McEwan get himself beaten easily on the left, and Ferguson was free in the box. However, Guido had obviously had his porridge today, as he rushed out once again to deny Ferguson.

Fotheringham had another chance in 77 minutes when Hartley whipped in a cross from the left and Fotheringham was surely only inches away from stabbing the ball in from 8 yards.

With ten minutes to go Stein lost possession of the ball in midfield, and Ferguson was away again. You've guessed it - Guido was our hero once again, this time stopping the shot from the angle. Danny Lennon then was dangerously close to bagging the winner following a corner that cleared everyone else in the box. The ball dropped to the midfielder, and he banged in a half volley that screwed just over the bar.

Greig McCulloch had come on, and immediately looked dangerous. He chipped the Ayr defence from the left to Fotheringham, and his shot from a very acute angle looked destined for the back of the net before it was sensationally cleared off the line. Then Ayr's Bowman crossed from the left to Djaffo, who was pretty close with his effort, only going a foot over our bar.

We then hit them on the break. Jason Dair, playing a blinder, skipped past a challenge in the box and tried to turn and cross to Walker from the bye line but his ball was blocked in the nick of time for a corner. Following this, Dair again produced some sparkling stuff to win the ball for Nipper, he crossed to Fotheringham all on his own in the box, and with the 'keeper advancing too far off his line, Kevin saw his header go agonisingly over the bar from 12 yards.

Dick looked to have a fair chance on the hour mark. He found himself in what seemed acres of space in our box, but McEwan was alert again and belted over to block his shot, as if from nowhere. Within four minutes, Lennon had set up Paul Hartley with a cross from the right to the head of the wing man, but his subsequent header was aimed straight at Ayr's No.1. However, seconds later, Millen once again found that he had been skinned good and proper by Hartley on the left, and after Paul had hit the bye line, his cut back to Walker was sent flying over the bar from 10 yards.

A quiet period for ten minutes was broken when some sweet play by Ayr saw McEwan get himself beaten easily on the left, and Ferguson was free in the box. However, Guido had obviously had his porridge today, as he rushed out once again to deny Ferguson.

Fotheringham had another chance in 77 minutes when Hartley whipped in a cross from the left and Fotheringham was surely only inches away from stabbing the ball in from 8 yards.

With ten minutes to go Stein lost possession of the ball in midfield, and Ferguson was away again. You've guessed it - Guido was our hero once again, this time stopping the shot from the angle. Danny Lennon then was dangerously close to bagging the winner following a corner that cleared everyone else in the box. The ball dropped to the midfielder, and he banged in a half volley that screwed just over the bar.

Greig McCulloch had come on, and immediately looked dangerous. He chipped the Ayr defence from the left to Fotheringham, and his shot from a very acute angle looked destined for the back of the net before it was sensationally cleared off the line. Then Ayr's Bowman crossed from the left to Djaffo, who was pretty close with his effort, only going a foot over our bar.

In the final minute, Bowman got past McEwan and hit the side netting from a tight position. Then our last chance, with a free kick just outside the box when Stein had been fouled. Fotheringham hit his shot into the wall, but after the ball had been played into the box, Greig McCulloch's header looked destined for the top corner of the net before Finboggson pulled off a quite unbelievable save to deny us.

Another two points dropped, and that's 10 points that Ayr have denied us this season. Is that it? I can't see us winning the league now, and it is looking like we may well have to spend another season in the First Division, unless a miracle is produced in the next few weeks.

--------------------------------
Kamp, McEwan, Thomson, J Dair,
Andrews, Browne, Hartley,
Lennon, McGill (Stein), Walker
(McCulloch), Fotheringham
--------------------------------

From the St Mirren Website, courtesy of Alastair MacLachlan ...

It's the season for milestones! Last Saturday it was Norrie McWhirter's day with the Saints skipper clocking up his 250th start for the Club.

This week Steve Watson took centre stage, the big midfielder registering his 100th start while, if Barry McLaughlin plays next Saturday against Hamilton at Love Street, then `Trigger' will reach the 150th appearance mark.

Alan Combe is currently fighting a recurring knee problem and goes in for some exploratory surgery next Friday. As a result and on the back of his appearance in the Scotland Under-21 squad this week against Denmark at Forthbank (Scotland lost 2-1), Derek Scrimgour made his first senior appearance of the season.

Somerset Park is in need of some horticultural expertise. Rutted, bumpy and covered in dunes of sand there was every expectation that an occasional camel might drift across the playing area !

Straight from the kick off Saints imposed their determination on this game. Hugh Murray destroyed a potential Ayr attack, broke clear and clipped a beauty of a pass to Yardley. The big man in turn fed Andy Roddie but the winger might have invested more In a quality cross rather than his aimless drive which trundled past.

Four minutes into the game. the Yardley hunger to succeed was in evidence. The Saints front man turned Andy Millen and drove in a ferocious shot which luckily for Ayr cannoned off the keeper's chest.

It took Saints only eleven minutes to break the deadlock with a cracker of a goal from the diminutive Tom Brown. Watson gained control in midfield his pass finding Yardley. It was quickly transferred at pace and into space for Tom Brown running wide to drive In a beauty from the edge of the box with the outside of his right boot. It has been a long time in coming but that goal should hype up the Brown confidence factor no end.

The Ayr equaliser was seemingly clouded in controversy although all credit to the Saints team they didn't question the penalty award. Old Love Street faithful Jim Dick, who seemingly had an old score or two to settle, clipped a ball into the penalty area. It ricocheted off Hugh Murray's arm and Martin Clarke who has never registered himself as one of St Mirren's favourite whistlers gave the spotkick. Laurent Djaffo, one of Ayr's French Foreign Legion, made no mistake from the spot although Derek Scrimgour might just be ruing a possible save - the ball passing under his diving body.

The right time to drive home any thoughts of psychological superiority is just before the break. Saints did just that when a sweeping move involving a set up by Hugh Murray and a swinging cross from Andy Roddie saw Mark Yardley perfectly placed at the back post to drive in Saints second. Four goals in three successive games gives the impression that `Yards' is now back to something like his old self.

Colin Drew was again providing a midfield performance that belied his tender football years. One brilliant piece of interpassing with Colin as the lynch pin saw successive scoring opportunities for both Brown and Yardley but with no return on the Drew investment.

Saints applied additional pressure halfway through the second period and having been awarded three successive corners it was only the metal upright that prevented a scoring header from Mark Yardley from finding the net.

Young Colin Drew's enthusiasm got the better of him ten minutes from time when he earned his first booking in senior football for bringing down Darren Henderson. Card wise it was one of St Mirren's better days with that one Drew yellow card Ayr went one better with both Colin Miller and David Morley falling foul of Mr Clark.

Play was becoming tense as the 90 minute mark loomed on the horizon Ayr chased the equaliser while Saints were expectantly holding out for a welcome three points.

In the end it was Ayr who fulfilled their wish. John Robertson made a galloping run down the right flank, beat Gavin Galloway and fired over a cross which Ian Ferguson netted with the neatest of glancing headers.

St Mirren could take a lot from this game. A satisfactory seasonal debut for Derek Scrimgour, a return to net finding form for Mark Yardley and a midfield foursome whose average sage is only 21.

Next week sees Hamilton at Love Street and a three point return for St Mirren will see the Love Street brigade move from that sixth place rung they've occupied for some considerable time.

Those on duty at Somerset Park were Scrimgour, McLaughlin, Galloway. McWhirter, Fenwick, Murray Drew, Watson, Roddie, Brown and Yardley The bench people were McGarry. Mendes and Archdeacon.