Ayr United 0-0 Livingston

Saturday 15^th October 2011 – Ayr United FC 0-0 Livingston FC

It was back to league business for the Lions after the disappointment of losing out to Hamilton at the semi-final stage of the Ramsdens Cup.

In the 6 days between the games, Gary Bollan had added two new faces to the squad in the shape of Mark Fotheringham and Maurice Ross. Ross wasn’t fit for this one but Fotheringham was one of two changes to the starting select, coming into the midfield in place of David Sinclair with Marc McNulty starting upfront ahead of Kenny Deuchar.

This, the battle of the promoted teams, begun in similar fashion to the Hamilton game with both teams creating chances in an early end-to-end encounter. Ayr’s first chance came after Michael McGowan’s cross found it’s way across the box to Jonathon Tiffoney but the defender lashed his shot high and wide of Andy McNeil’s goal. Bobby Barr was causing trouble down the other end, gliding past Tiffoney on the left wing and when his cross was only cleared as far as Fotheringham, the new-boy fired a 25 yard shot goal wards but could only come as close as clipping the cross bar.

A quick free kick from Andy Geggan presented Michael Moffat with another chance for Ayr but the striker was quickly closed down by Jason Talbot and didn’t get good contact on his shot, which was easily saved by McNeil. Barr instigated another Livi chance with a quick free kick of his own, laying the ball to McNulty but his fierce shot deflected off Chris Smith and wide for a corner.

Bobby Barr was now becoming central to all Livi attacks and was again involved as the Lions went close. After picking the ball up in his own half, Barr skipped past three Ayr players before firing a low cross into the box which defender John Robertson cleared over his own crossbar despite not really knowing too much about it. A high ball forward from Talbot was misjudged by Ayr ‘keeper Kevin Cuthbert, allowing Barr to nick the ball round him but he couldn’t stop it from running out for a goal kick.

Despite this Livi pressure, Ayr were still getting forward too and on the stroke of half-time, Tiffoney again went close, this time showing great close control in the box before firing just wide.

Into the second-half and the end-to-end feel of this game continued, although both teams looked to be lacking that killer touch in front of goal. James McKernon and Mark Roberts combined well to send Tiffoney down the right but his teasing cross into the box was headed clear by Paul Watson. This sent Bobby Barr on an attack, outpacing Eddie Malone on the wing, but his cross wasn’t latched onto by either of the Livi front pair, despite Robertson’s slip in the box.

The impressive Fotheringham was next to press on for Livi, but after collecting McKernon’s misplaced pass, he didn’t connect properly with his shot and it trundled through to Cuthbert. Soon after, Liam Fox’s cross-field pass was collected by Bobby Barr and he picked McNulty out at the back-post but the youngster couldn’t react quick enough to control the ball and it ran through his legs and was cleared to safety. Stefan Scougall tried his luck next but after being teed up by Barr, his rasping, long-range effort was just off target.

It did look like Livi would break the deadlock and had it not been for some quick reactions from Cuthbert, Barr almost did. A low, bouncing cross from Talbot was miscontrolled by Chris Smith and Bobby Barr picked up possession, spun his man on the edge of the box and had a shot at goal. Cuthbert only got a hand to it and the ball spun behind him, heading for goal, but he managed to react quickest to pounce on it before any Livi player could convert.

A great bit of one-touch passing play from Livi created the next chance but Fox snatched at his shot and sent it wide.

After seeing Livingston spurn chance after chance, Ayr were next to come close to opening the scoring but the woodwork denied them. A deep cross from Roberts found McGowan at the back-post but his looping header bounced off the crossbar and over. Minutes later, from an almost identical position, substitute Gareth Wardlaw headed wide from an Alan Trouten cross after beating Kyle Jacobs in the air.

Before Ayr’s next attack, Fotheringham tried his luck with another long-range effort but Cuthbert easily saved. A corner up the other end gave Roberts a chance but the veteran forward put his shot over the bar.

Scougall watched another effort fizzle wide of the post before the match ended on a bit of a sour note. A high punt forward from McNeil sent Rory Boulding and Chris Smith on a chase to win the ball but as Boulding challenged, he inadvertently barged Smith into the on-coming keeper, with Smith taking the full impact of Cuthbert’s knee in the face. The game was stopped as Smith received treatment but to everyone’s relief, he stood himself up before climbing on the stretcher to leave the park. It was later revealed he’d picked up a concussion and a few stitches in his mouth for his troubles but no serious injury was caused.

Another draw it was, moving the Lions up one place in the table and completing the first round of fixtures against each team with only one defeat inflicted.