TEN-MAN Ayr United salvaged a valuable point with a gritty second-half display against Airdrie at Somerset Park.
At half-time, you would not have given much for their chances, trailing to a magnificent 25-yard rocket from Kevin McDonald in the 44th minute and then reduced to ten men less than a minute later when Chris Robertson stupidly kicked out at the goal
scorer.
To be fair to the Honest Men, they dominated this match, but simply could not put the ball in the net for a long time. Indeed, the closest they came to a first-half goal was a Murray Henderson header against the crossbar in the 23rd minute.
The second half began badly for the home side, with Gareth Wardlaw booked in the 47th minute and manager Brian Reid, severely lectured after the Robertson red card, and then sent to the stand for his reaction to the Wardlaw booking.
Ayr lived dangerously for a time, but, with Airdrie unable to add to their slender lead, the home side's confidence grew, and in the 67th minute skipper Eddie Forrest rose unchallenged to powerfully head home an inch-perfect corner from Ryan Stevenson.
Indeed, after pulling level, it was Ayr who came closest to snatching victory, but alas for a team mired in a battle to avoid the relegation play-offs, they could not find a way past Robertson.
Ayr United: McGeown, Forrest, Robertson, Henderson, McGowan, Vareille, Stevenson, Keenan, Weaver, Wardlaw, Williams. Subs not used: Stewart, Campbell, McLeod, Easton, Marshall. Sent Off: Robertson (45). Booked: Keenan, Wardlaw, Williams, Stevenson.
Airdrie United: Robertson, McKenna, McDonald, Smyth, Lovering, Smith, Andreoni (Watt 78), Donnelly, Waddle, Russell, Noble (Prunty 76). Subs not used: Hollis, Campbell, Gillies. Booked: Russell, Lovering.
Referee: S Nicholls.
Attendance: 1,104.
The full article contains 307 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
