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Match Reports 97-98
All reports are supplied by Kevin McClelland, unless otherwise stated.
Ayr United 2-1 Hamilton Academical
Att: 1626
At last a performance to be proud of. Not since the victory in the Scottish Cup have Ayr looked like overcoming opposition at Somerset but thankfully a gritty and determined display saw them collect 3 precious points in the fight for survival. With the safety net of league reconstruction pulled away from under their feet, the players and fans knew what was required. Thankfully, so did the manager and except for the inclusion of Donowa for the injured Djaffo, he got the team selection right. John Traynor and Derek Anderson were restored to the starting lineup and David Morley had to watch from the stands. I can only hope that he was made to pay his way in...
On to the match itself. Hamilton arrived with a record of 1 win in their last 20 games and had it not been for an amazing start to their season, they would surely be heading back from whence they came. They look to be in mid-table safety but if they continue with the lazy attitude they had to this game, they could be hauled into trouble in the closing weeks. Ayr started very fast and threatened to score inside the first 40 seconds. Findlay set up Davies on the edge of the box and his left foot drive brought a good save from Ferguson in the Accies goal.
Hamilton showed good pace on the break and Ritchie set up McQuade to shoot narrowly wide after 10 minutes before Ayr stepped up the pressure and Ferguson gathered a high ball on the line under pressure from his Ayr namesake. Paul Shepherd, who looks like an excellent prospect, was linking well on the right and providing some good balls into the box but without Djaffo, Fergie looked a bit lost and Donowa isn't a striker.
Hamilton soaked up more Ayr pressure and seemed content to hit on the break. This tactic induced Ayr's defenders to push forward into the gaps left in midfield but again the final ball toward the strikers was often the worst pass in the move.
McQuade showed again that he could be a danger with a penetrating run which saw him glide past several defenders before attempting a cut-back which beat Finnbogason but was cleared by Anderson at the expense of a corner.
Shepherd tried a couple of shots which didn't trouble the keeper but he was called into action seconds later as Miller robbed Renicks and shot from 18 yards straight at him.
On 42 minutes, the inevitable happened. Millen strode forward with the ball as Ayr attacked but his distribution let him down with a shocking pass straight to a Hamilton man. The ball was quickly fed to McQuade near halfway and he jinked past several challenges before slotting the ball past the exposed Finnbogason.
Ayr fought back almost immediately and in first half injury time, a great pass from Shepherd into the path of Traynor saw the defender smash an unstoppable right foot drive high past Ferguson and into the roof of the net. I hope you were watching Mr Dalziel.
Minutes into the second half, Paul Shepherd almost elevated himself to cult status with a screaming drive from 25 yards which flew inches over the bar with the keeper well beaten. Most things were coming through Davies and Shepherd and that duo combined to set up Findlay but he rushed his effort and it screwed wide of the post.
Shepherd again set-up the next chance as he strode out of defence into midfield and sent a great pass through to Ferguson. He took the ball past the last defender but hesitated and his effort was half-blocked.
While Ayr were dominating things up front, there was a timely reminder at the other end when Millen, Anderson and Traynor all went for the same ball and none of them got it. It fell to Sherry unmarked and 12 yards out but Finnbogason brilliantly blocked his effort and then smothered the loose ball.
Henderson squandered a free header at the back post before joining Anderson and Sherry in the ref's book and that sparked his removal in the 72nd minute in favour of Lee Power, with Donowa filling the left midfield role. 9 minutes later, Donowa himself was subbed to let Jim Dick enter the fray.
Ayr's attacks became more frantic and the desperation on the terracing began to reach the players. With everyone looking at their watches and players piling forward, Ayr got the goal their pressure deserved. The build-up was excellent, Shepherd and Davies again involved, and the final ball into the feet of Ferguson was one of the best passes of the match. Fergie showed great awareness and flicked the ball over his own and his marker's heads and into the path of the inrushing Andy Millen who slammed the ball under Ferguson from 12 yards. A huge sigh of relief was heard around the ground and the remaining time was played out at a corner flag as Lee Power and Jim Dick played keep-ball before McCormick became the 4th booking for persistent infringement. The final whistle brought a huge cheer and that was repeated as we learned of Stirling's defeat at Falkirk. 4 games left , 3 of them away. Not a time for faint hearts, but I believe we can stay up IF Dalziel picks teams similar to this game (perhaps Dick on from the start for Henderson and a striker, any striker to partner Fergie) and IF they show the same fighting spirit.
Man of the match for me was Paul Shepherd, closely followed by Traynor who man-marked McQuade out of the game in the second-half and John Davies who was instrumental in almost all the creative play.
Team:
Finnbogason, Shepherd, Miller, Millen, Traynor, Anderson, Donowa
(Dick 80), Davies, Ferguson, Findlay, Henderson (Power 72).
Unused sub: Robertson
Referee: George Clyde - 6/10 (uncharacteristic performance from him - he wasn't too bad)
Dundee 1 - 1 Ayr United
Att: 8104
It's hard to write a report after a game like this. I, like many others, left the ground drained. Not just mentally, but emotionally and especially vocally. We had just witnessed a battling performance by an Ayr United team against all the odds and we, the fans, had provided the extra man required to even up the sides. Not that Ayr had anyone sent off, just that the official in charge appeared to be part of the gala day entertainment and must surely have been under SFA orders to stop Ayr spoiling the party, such was his inability to award Ayr anything at all.
Thankfully, Ayr didn't read the script and were worthy of the draw if not the 3 points. The controlled the midfield for most of the match and even when hampered by the loss of the goalie, did not capitulate under the pressure. It was a performance to be proud of and each player responded to the supporters applause at the end of the match with a reciprocal gesture. 3 more games are left as Ayr battle for survival, but if this game is any indication of current form, they should be safe come May 9th.
Barely 4 minutes had elapsed when Ayr made their early possession tell. An inch-perfect pass from Findlay on halfway found Paul Shepherd breaking into the box. He controlled the ball well, held off the challenge of Raeside and planted a left-foot shot low past Douglas to give Ayr the lead. Ayr continued to press forward and found the league champions in a benevolent mood. Ferguson was ploughing a lone furrow up front, but he did the work of 3 men, holding up the ball, dribbling past defenders and laying it off to his midfielders. All the more frustrating was Duthie's poor form as the diminutive winger was the cause of many moves breaking down. Ayr were running the show in midfield and Dundee were second best in most challenges, with Davies, Findlay and Shepherd standing firm.
There was little to excite the home fans until the 35th minute when Annand struck the bar with a header and Shepherd conceded a corner in his clearance. The corner was taken short and flighted into the box where Finnbogason gathered it easily. Amazingly, the ref pointed to the spot and there was anger and disbelief from all those connected with Ayr as the keeper was left writhing in agony, still clutching the ball. The award was made due to a collision between Anderson and Irvine. Television evidence proved inconclusive and I still doubt whether any contact that was made was intentional. The ref was adamant though and further misery befell Ayr as Finnbogason was unable to continue. John Robertson took over in goal and his first task was picking the ball from the net after Grady had knocked in the penalty. A further five minutes elapsed during which it became clear that the keeper's injury was more severe than first thought and as he was being taken to hospital, Jim Dick replaced him on the field. Ayr held out until halftime with Robertson having to make only one save, from an Annand header at the back post.
Big lanky McCormick replaced big lanky Raeside at the start of the second half as Dundee went to put pressure on Ayr's defence but as usual, he proved how poor he really is as a player by continually falling over the ball or gifting it to Ayr with poor control or passing. Quite what John McCormack saw in him is beyond me and it's my bet that he'll be back down a division before Dundee are.
Duthie was replaced early in the half by Henderson and the next moment worth noting was the amazing lenience shown to Adamczuk as he clearly kicked out at Jim Dick as the Ayr player went to take a throw. Had he been an Ayr player, Adamczuk would surely have been shown a red card and not a yellow as Bisset produced.
Ferguson tested Douglas with a looping 18 yard header from a Findlay freekick but the drama switched to the other end as Dundee won another penalty. A free-kick was launched into the box toward Irvine, who clearly handled it as he jumped. The ref ignored this and allowed play to continue and Ayr couldn't get the ball clear. It fell kindly for Annand and as he tried to make space, he went down under the combined challenge of Millen and Anderson. Bisset again pointed to the spot and waved away the complaints but Grady stuck the ball to the same corner and stand-in keeper Robertson became a stand-out with a superb diving save to his left. The Ayr fans in the stand went bananas and kept chanting "Scotland's Scotland's Number One" as they turned up the noise level in support of the team.
Ayr could have gone in front soon after as a Dundee corner was broken up by Paul Shepherd and fed to Fergie at halfway. He skipped past two challenges, tore into the box , drew the keeper and chipped the ball over him only to watch in agony as the ball struck the bar and then landed on top of the net.
Jim Dick then fell foul of Mr Bizarre of Inverness as he was shown a yellow card after a challenge that the ref didn't penalise. If anyone can work out why he was booked, let me know. More annoying is that the yellow card will take him over the limit and he faces a lengthy ban again.
As time wore on, nerves were getting frayed amongst the fans and every clearance was greeted with a loud cheer. Even louder were the cheers each time Robertson made a save, but it has to said that apart from the penalty and an overhead kick from Irvine, the defence did an admirable job of protecting him. As the clock ticked on to 5pm, Bisset finally drew the match to a close and the Ayr fans broke into song which would have made casual observers wonder just who were league champions. Each player responded and a special roar was reserved for the hero keeper as he left the field to a standing ovation.
As we poured out of the ground, anxious to avoid the celebrations of the home fans, we met Finnbogason returning from hospital and in plaster from the knee to the toe. Sadly his season looks over so we may have seen the last of him in an Ayr jersey.
One final insult remained. The police wouldn't allow us to leave the car park 'due to the crush' and we had to sit for 10 minutes listening to the celebrations over the ear-bursting PA.
Team:
Finnbogason (Dick 39), Shepherd, Miller, Millen, Traynor, Anderson,
Robertson, Davies, Ferguson, Findlay, Duthie (Henderson 48)
Unused sub Power.
Ref: Kevin Bisset (1/10 - he had no redeeming features whatsoever but I can't award him zero as there has been worse than him in the past - choose Stranraer - choose Jim O'Hare - choose murder)
From News for Dark Blues ...
The largest crowd in this season's First Division rolled up to Dens Park for a Championship party and for an hour and a quarter that's exactly what they got - Then the game kicked off!
Dundee's admirable attempt at providing pre match entertainment had kept the fans amused, but the performance of the team once the match got under way was rather less pleasing with the Dees looking as if they had nothing to play for, while in the early stages at least it was obvious that the visitors were keen to grab the points.
Ayr got the lead they deserved in five minutes when an excellent long diagonal ball found Paul Shepherd in the inside right channel. Shepherd took the ball past Raeside before firing past Douglas from ten yards. From the visitors point of view it was a good goal although television evidence confirmed our view that the impressive, on loan from Leeds, midfielder had brought the ball down with his upper arm.
It might have been expected that the loss of a goal would fire up Dundee so early, but it still took them a long time to get into the match. Eventually they began to force Ayr back with Adamczuk's breaks down the right causing most problems. James Grady came close with a volley before Eddie Annand saw a looping header come back of the top of the crossbar.
With seven minutes to half time Dundee drew level in bizarre circumstances. Iain Anderson's corner from the left was easily held by keeper Finnbogasson but Brian Irvine had been pushed by central defender Anderson when going for the ball and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. To add to Ayr's woes the push on Irvine had ended with Brian colliding with Finnbogasson and after an extended bout of treatment the keeper left the field to be replaced by full back John Robertson. His first task was to pick the ball out of the net after Grady had taken the kick but ominously he had guessed correctly and almost got a hand to the ball.
The second half saw Dundee dominate possession but the stand in keeper was barely called into action and it was Ayr who looked dangerous on the break. Robert Douglas had to make a fine save when Ferguson met Findlay's free kick with his head and was glad to see another effort come off the top of the bar following a great run from the big striker. In between Dundee had a great opportunity to take the lead after Annand went down in the box. Grady faced the stand in keeper and placed the ball to the same side as before but the kick was not close enough to the corner of the goal and Robertson did well to push it away.
Dundee pushed forward but with little conviction throughout the closing stages but only Brian Irvine looked hungry for goals, having a cluster of efforts at the target, none of which troubled Robertson.
This performance would have brought jeers at any other stage of the season but the final whistle brought a massive cheer and it was hard to escape the feeling that although the crowd wanted a good performance that wasn't what they had turned out in numbers for. They had come to see the trophy presented and were about to get their wish.
Greenock Morton 0 - 1 Ayr United
Att: 2315
Not even the typical Greenock weather could dampen the spirits of the players or supporters of Ayr United at the end of this match. Once again the team produced an exceptional performance and the fans did likewise and the result was three of the most precious points available. The victory, thanks to an Ian Ferguson header, lifted the Somerset side above St Mirren in the table and with 2 games left, the goal is clear - beat Falkirk at Somerset this weekend and relegation will be avoided.
Gordon Dalziel surprised many by leaving out last week's hero John Robertson, who could only manage a place on the bench, but the demotion of the disappointing Mark Duthie out of the squad was more or less guaranteed. Jim Dick took Robertson's place, Henderson filled in for Duthie and David Castilla took over from Finnbogasson between the sticks. Ian Ferguson continued in his lone striking role and Louie Donowa took a seat on the bench alongside Lee Power.
The early exchanges were mainly in the crowded midfield area and there was little to excite either set of supporters until the 13th minute when Twaddle tried to round Castilla, only for the keeper to shut him down and block his angled effort out for a corner. Ayr's followers in the crowd were starting to get behind the team and as usual it took some decisions by the ref and his assistants to stir the blood. Too often, the ref sided with the home club and had it not been for the people around me agreeing, I might begin to think I was suffering from paranoia bordering on Celtic supporter proportions.
Morton came close from another corner in the 14th minute when Hawke, who troubled Miller all afternoon, fired a rasping drive from 16 yards which flew just over. 3 minutes later McPherson headed a Twaddle cross back across goal to Mahood, but the midfielder should have done better than blaze over from well inside the box.
Ayr rallied and when Dick was fouled, Davies tried a neat 1-2 with Traynor and only just failed to connect with the return as he slipped unchallenged into the box. Jim Dick was booked for pointing at the linesman after an offside decision went against him and it became clear that the ref was one of those pedantic little twerps that Scotland is renowned for producing.
Against the run of play, Ayr took the lead in the 33rd minute. A pass from Davies sent Shepherd down the right and his cross was met perfectly by the head of Ian Ferguson and sent into the far corner of the net via the post as Jim Dick followed up to make sure. This sparked off tremendous scenes of celebration amongst the travelling faithful and for the second week in a row, the visiting fans drowned out a pitiful home support. Almost from the kick-off, Ferguson had the chance to extend the lead as he broke from halfway with Dick in support. As he took the ball into the box and steadied to shoot, Anderson saved the day for Morton with a brilliant sliding tackle at the expense of a corner. In hindsight, a square pass to the unmarked Dick might have been the better option.
Findlay tried his luck from 25 yards after Henderson fed him a pass and about this time, Ayr took control of the game. The classy John Davies and hardworking Shepherd and Findlay were controlling the midfield again but Jim Dick was walking a tightrope having been booked and with the referee on some form of hallucinogenic drug that made him award fouls indiscriminately, it was a wise move from Dalziel that withdrew him in favour of Louie Donowa with 4 minutes remaining in the first half. In the last attack of the half, Fergie chased a lost cause and won a corner which eventually provided Shepherd with the opportunity to flick the ball into the box for Ferguson, but the chance was lost. Archdeacon was booked for his challenge on Davies in the midfield during this move.
Ian Ferguson broke clear early in the second half and tried a shot from 20 yards which Wylie somehow tipped onto a post and behind as the Ayr fans celebrated a little prematurely. Donowa also missed a good chance from the edge of the box, shooting wide with only Wylie to beat.
On the hour mark, Donowa collected the ball on the right and fed Davies who was unmarked in the box, but the midfielder's effort didn't carry the power to beat Wylie, who gathered at the second attempt. Ayr went to sleep momentarily , allowing Collins to send a cross to Hawke, but Castilla was equal to the header, gathering well just under the bar. Morton were then awarded another dubious free-kick wide on the right which was floated dangerously to the back post for Reid to head powerfully toward goal. Once again Castilla saved brilliantly to leave the home player holding his head in disbelief.
Darren Henderson tried a long range effort from a free-kick after Mahood flattened Davies and Wylie seemed deceived by the power and had to touch it over.
As the minutes ticked away agonisingly slowly, Morton were awarded a free-kick 25 yards out after Millen was adjudged to have fouled Mahood and the crowd held its collective breath as Archdeacon fired the ball over the wall but, thankfully, into the arms of Castilla. Minutes later. the ref blew for time and the players, especially Miller and Castilla danced in celebration in front of the ecstatic Ayr support. Louie Donowa did his best to round up the players and herd them toward the fans to take the applause and it was the same scene as last week as the players left the field to a tremendous ovation.
Team:
Castilla, Shepherd, Miller, Millen, Traynor, Anderson, Dick (Donowa 41)
Davies, Ferguson, Findlay, Henderson Unused subs Power, Robertson
Ref: Alan Gemmill (3/10 - over-officious wee man who could cause an argument in an empty house)
Ayr United 1 - 3 Falkirk
Att: 2809
The task before this match was clear. Win and the club was safe. Lose, and the relegation roadshow rolled into Glasgow next week amid all the nerve-jangling tension that the media will whip up surrounding Partick Thistle. Sadly, the latter is now the case as Falkirk's desire for the 250,000 pounds to prolong their existence by a few short weeks was greater than Ayr's desire to stay in the First Division. It wasn't for the lack of effort however. On the day and over the course of the match, few would have denied Ayr at least a share of the points, but ultimately a draw would have left them in the same situation as they are now. Get a point from the visit to Firhill and your status is secure.
And it all started so well...if you discount Scott Crabbe's wild finish in the 3rd minute. Mark Duthie, restored to the line-up for the injured Donowa, teased on the left wing before sending a great ball over to the back post where Darren Henderson's downward header gave Ayr a 7th minute lead. Whilst delighted to see the ball hit the net, something inside told me it was just a bit early in the match to be rattling Falkirk's cage quite so loudly...
What happened next was to have a significant bearing on the outcome of the game. As Falkirk broke into an attack, David Moss flattened John Davies off the ball 10 yards outside the box. Play raged on for about 20 seconds before Falkirk won a corner and several Ayr players had to be pulled away from Moss as the ref fought to keep control. Davies appeared to be out cold and required smelling salts to revive him but the referee saw nothing and didn't even speak to his "assistants". Worse was to come when the corner wasn't properly cleared and eventually a high ball into the box was headed back by Moss for McGowne to thunder high into the top left corner of the net from 18 yards and give Falkirk an 19th minute equaliser.
Ayr replied straight from the kick-off and a sweeping move ended with Ferguson sending Davies into the box, only for Mathers to block his shot and Berry to clear up the loose ball. Moss finally got his reward of a yellow card minutes later as he was penalised for an elbow used in a high ball. The fact that by this point he should already have been ordered off wasn't lost on the Ayr fans and he was roundly jeered whenever he touched the ball. Ayr survived a scare on the half-hour when a speculative effort from McGowan took a fierce kick off the surface in front of Castilla and bounced off his chest, but the keeper recovered to gather the loose ball. Ayr's rearguard had gone to sleep around this point and only a flying save from Castilla touched a McGrillen cross away at the backpost as the visitors queued up for the final touch.
The warning signs weren't heeded however and Falkirk went into a 2-1 lead in the 34th minute when a quickly taken free-kick caught out the left side of the defence and Moss headed home McGrillen's cross from an unchallenged position 14 yards out. The looks on the faces around the pitch and terracing told the story - another last-day last-ditch battle was looming.
Anderson was the first Ayr caution, for trying to reduce Crabbe's height by several inches, as Ayr weathered a flurry of attacks from the visitors up to half-time, but the pattern switched in the second half and with Falkirk needing only a point, they sat in and let Ayr mount attack after attack.
On one such attack McCart flattened Ferguson and they both landed in a heap well inside the area. The ref thought otherwise though and the foul was awarded 2 yards outside. It might as well not have been given at all though as the free-kick was blasted straight into the wall.
The agonies continued a minute later when Duthie beat the offside trap and controlled the ball before smashing a right foot volley over Mathers from wide on the right. only for it to strike the face of post, just under the bar, and bounce to safety.
Anderson went close with a header before Ferguson brought a good save from Mathers after beating 3 men in a run from midfield. Castilla brilliantly saved a McGrillen shot from 25 yards but the real hero was Findlay as he scopped the ball off Crabbe's toes when he was poised to shoot into the empty net.
Crabbe and Traynor took the bookings to 4 as tempers frayed but more controversy occurred in the 71st minute when Henderson was brought down in the box by Berry. Quite how the ref missed this one remains a mystery, but Henderson was booked for his protestations and Ayr were left with only a corner from their loud appeals.
Castilla looked a bit shaky around the 75 minute mark as he had to deal with a couple of corners. The first he punched into the back of Hagen and the second he palmed away and followed up, causing McKenzie to shoot wildly over.
Lee Power was brought on for Colin Miller late on, but that only opened up the left side of Ayr's defence for McAllister and the final minutes belonged to him and Falkirk. He teased and tormented and skipped past challenges, looking about half of his 36 years. In the final seconds, the classic sucker punch was delivered. McAllister broke down the right, cut the ball back from the bye-line and substitute Marino Keith knocked it home at the second attempt. A sad end to the recent good run, but the players of Ayr United still have their destiny in their own hands. 1 point is required. Do we have the players to complete the job ? Let's ALL turn up at Firhill on May 9th and make the difference we know the fans can make...
Team:
Castilla, Shepherd, Miller (Power 82), Millen, Traynor, Anderson,
Duthie, Davies, Fergsuon, Findlay, Henderson. Unused subs Robertson,
McKeown
Ref: Tom Brown (3/10 - the Edinburgh schoolteacher's report card would say - Get eyes tested)
Partick Thistle 1 - 3 Ayr United
Att: 8424
The Scottish League's match computer served this fixture up way back in June and even then it was viewed with a certain amount of trepidation. Most Ayr fans believed that staying up was the main aim for the season and the final match at Firhill was always going to be important.
What we didn't bank on was that Thistle would be penniless, inept and going nowhere by the time we met. Nowhere except Division Two that is. The plight of the Glasgow club has been well-documented over the last few months and part of me is sad to see the demise of an alternative to the sectarian cancer which afflicts most of Glasgow, but their problems didn't occur overnight. To get into a state like Thistle are, where they sack the tea-lady and groundsman to cut bills, takes years of mismanagement and anyone with the merest hint of business acumen could probably have spotted the club haemorrhaging cash long ago. Sadly for them that didn't happen and they're now a shadow of the side that lost out in a playoff to stay in the Premier only 3 years ago, and are reduced to taking players on loan from Queen's Park to fill jerseys. Still, the chance to stuff the media darlings and according to Jim White, 'Everyones second favourite team' was just too good to miss.
And so the scene was set. A sunny day in Glasgow, over 2000 travelling Ayr fans and three times that number backing Thistle. Ayr required only a draw, Thistle needed all three points. The pitch resembled a bad haircut, but given that it was only cut twice in the previous few months, and the last time was in the rain with a garden lawnmower, it wasn't too bad. The organisation was however. The Jags shambolic state was mirrored by the turnstile operation and stewarding. 14 buses disgorged Ayr fans half a mile from the stadium and as we approached the ground, the queue to get in snaked 400 yards up the hill. The turnstiles weren't even open. It's hard to believe they didn't anticipate a big support, so why wasn't someone organising more turnstile operators ? Eventually the gates opened and the usual motley collection of stewards huffed and puffed out their chests, demanding we keep away from the centre stand area where Thistle dignitaries were to be housed.
At 2:30, the singing started. All the old favourites, and a few more mocking the home side's predicament. After all, would you expect Thistle fans to shed a tear for Ayr? The tension built as the ground filled up. Ayr took both sides of the main stand and Thistle followers crammed into the plush new stand opposite, a glaring reminder of where a lot of cash went. A tannoy announcement at 2:55 warned of a ten minute delay to kick-off to let fans in. As I looked around the faces of the support, there was a lot of anxiety masked by vocal bravado. The tension was unbearable.
The players took the field to rapturous applause from around the stadium. Thistle ran on with a strange mascot among their number. Looking like a cross between Gary Paterson and Bertie Bassett, the Ayr fans taunted the unfortunate soul with cries of 'Charnley, Charnley give us a wave' - a cruel reference to the absence of their 'flawed genius' (sic). Ayr's players responded to the huge travelling support and about that point I felt it was going to be our day. The players looked focused, purposeful and determined, all the things you would ask for.
The referee called the captains together and battle commenced about 3:15. Barely 2 minutes had elapsed when Ayr had their first attempt at goal. A quick throw sent Ferguson behind the defence on the right and he shot just wide of the far post from an acute angle.
Thistle rallied and Lawrence saw his shot from 10 yards blocked by Castilla's legs before Shepherd mopped up McDonald's follow-up.
Darren Henderson fell foul of the erratic referee when he was awarded a 15th minute caution for dissent, having chased the official to complain at not being awarded 2 fouls in the space of 30 seconds. Seconds later, Ian Ferguson laid the ball off to Henderson who set up Findlay and his shot from 25 yards was touched over by Hamilton.
Lyons was cautioned for the home side for barging Millen to the ground as the skipper broke from defence with the ball but within a minute Ayr had the lead. Just like Thistle's season, the goal was a farce. Castilla's long kick caught Donowa offside and the ball was stopped by Watson inside the centre-circle. He tried to play it quickly to Boyle but Ferguson reacted faster and intercepted the pass before running 50 yards, rounding the bemused Hamilton and placing the ball in the empty net. Mayhem broke out on the touchline as the Ayr bench celebrated and the Thistle bench chased the linesman to complain that Ferguson wasn't 10 yards away. TV replays showed that Ferguson was about 6 yards away when Watson played the ball toward Boyle, so they may have a case, but let's face it, Ayr have had no luck at all this season and we were due a break of some sort. The fans were deliriously happy and once more, outsang a dejected home support.
Billy McDonald, who, depending on your allegiances, is either a powerhouse midfielder or an annoying wee nyaff with all the footballing skills of a sheepdog, was next into the book as he snapped too often at the heels of Ayr's midfielders.
Castilla made an excellent stop in the 35th minute, diving low to stop an effort from Evans, but the alarm bells should have been ringing to waken Ayr from their customary first half slumbers. Yes, once again, they nodded off and had it not been for the outstanding figure of John Traynor, Thistle could have been on level terms. As it was, almost 48 minutes were on the clock when they did just that. A cross from the right was partially cleared by Traynor, but quickly returned by Lyons. It took a deflection off Millen and spun up for Evans to head beyond Castilla with the aid of the right hand post. A terrible time to lose a goal and it livened up the home support to the point where several were rugby tackled by police as they attempted to invade the pitch.
Things looked brighter for Ayr at the start of the second half. Shepherd robbed Stirling wide on the right and broke into the box, but his pass intended for Ferguson was cut out by the impressive Archibald.
With 52 minutes on the clock, the fans got their wish as Djaffo entered the fray in favour of Donowa. Anyone who doubted the Frenchman's credentials or appetite for the game had those thoughts dispelled very quickly as he proceeded to turn in a virtuoso performance. Four minutes after coming on, he scored perhaps the most important goal of his career. Collecting a neat pass from Shepherd at the edge of the box, he turned his marker and shot in one movement, sending a searing left-foot effort past the despairing lunge of Hamilton. Utter bedlam ensued. The whole contents of the Ayr bench emptied onto the pitch as the linesman struggled to cope and the fans reached new heights of delirium in the stand. Futile attempts by stewards and police to have the fans return to their seats ended when 3 or 4 people were ejected, guilty only of enjoying themselves.
A minute later, Billy Findlay embarked on a mazy dribble before shooting over the bar, but he was only finding his range for later on. Thistle threw everything they could into attack as they sought the two goals they required for safety. In truth, they had little to offer and Ayr's outstanding rearguard coped admirably with everything that came at them.
Around the hour mark, two more chances fell Ayr's way. They were turning on the style with some inch-perfect passing and one such pass from Djaffo released Shepherd down the right. He sent the ball into the box to Ferguson but Hamilton did well to hold the striker's effort.
Djaffo himself was next to try his luck and after dribbling past a couple and running clear, he shot wide of Hamilton's far post with a left-foot drive.
The same combination of Djaffo sending Shepherd down the right to cross for Ferguson almost brought a third goal as the striker laid it back to the loan star to shoot just over.
It was all Ayr now and as the minutes ticked away, the uneasy feeling that it was too late for Thistle descended on some of their fairweather fans. They began to drift off , starting as a trickle of ones and twos, quickly growing to a river of orange and yellow, they poured out of their seats, unable to watch as their team slipped into the oblivion of Division 2. In stark contrast, Ayr's followers were in full voice and some rather unkind songs suggesting that Partick weren't very good and hadn't any money were being belted out from the main stand.
With 20 minutes remaining Ferguson should have delivered the final nail in their coffin. Archibald was penalised for handball outside the box and with everyone expecting Henderson to have a shot, the ball was played to Shepherd, who squared it to Fergie 7 yards out. Sadly, his effort flew high over the bar, but I'm sure it bounced off the surface onto his shin at the vital moment.
The final 10 minutes belonged to Billy Findlay. Many people doubted his fitness when he arrived, but he has quickly settled into the defensive midfield role and links very well with John Davies. Saturday was his best game in an Ayr jersey. As legs tired and strength was sapped in the heat, he seemed to be getting faster. He chased, harried and chipped away at the Partick defence, never letting them settle on the ball, always on hand to play or receive a pass. Having sent Djaffo clear and Henderson in on goal, he decided to have a go himself. In injury time, he collected a loose ball in his own half and set off on a run which was to end in a contender for goal of the season. Striding forward from the halfway line, Partick backed off him and he faced no resistance until the edge of the box. He cut inside onto his right foot and lost Watson in the move. Next he mesmerised Nicky Henderson with a bit of trickery before making space and from 22 yards, he flashed a right foot shot high into Hamilton's top left corner. Once again, the fans were in raptures, only this time, we knew we were safe. Findlay milked the applause of the faithful whilst dotted around the turf were the crumpled figures of Thistle players. There was barely enough time to restart the game before the ref sounded the final whistle and the real celebrations began. Each and every player walked along the lines of fans, collecting scarves, flags and hats and it really makes you wonder what we would do if we actually won something worth celebrating. Several minutes after they had gone into the dressing room, some of the players reappeared after chants of 'We want Ayr'. Only 3 or 4 made it out this time as for some reason, the stewards wouldn't let the rest back on. However, I'm sure they would have acted the same had Thistle won....
So there it is, a bit of an epic, and I apologise if the actual match content is a little thin. At times my recording of the match became rambled and incoherent. Other times, it was drowned out by some damn fine singing. Ahh, who cares ? "We're staying up, we're staying up, we're staying, Ayr are staying up !"
Team:
Castilla, Shepherd, Miller, Millen, Traynor, Anderson, Donowa (Djaffo 52), Davies, Ferguson, Findlay, Henderson Unused subs Duthie, McKeown
Ref Graham Allison (6/10 - after a poor start, he did let the game flow more later on. Probably his best performance actually. (I'm feeling generous !)
