Cove Rangers 0
Ayr United 5
League (Championship)


Cove Rangers 

0 - 5

Ayr United


League (Championship)
Friday, January 27th, 2023
Balmoral Stadium
Attendance: 785


Goalscorers
None. Nick McAllister (21)
Ben Dempsey (55)
Josh Mullin (61)
Fraser Bryden (82)
Josh Mullin (89)

Team Managers
Paul Hartley Lee Bullen

Starting Eleven
12 Fox
3 Naismith
6 Neill
15 McClelland
2 Logan
8 Yule
4 Scully
28 Paterson
9 Megginson
18 Weston
11 McIntosh
Charlie Albinson
Patrick Reading
Sean McGinty
Alex Kirk
Jayden Mitchell-Lawson
Nick McAllister
Michael Hewitt
Josh Mullin
Ben Dempsey
Dipo Akinyemi
Paul Smith

Bench
5 Ross
14 Virtanen
16 Vigurs
17 Longstaff
23 Gourlay
25 Glass
26 Reynolds
Aiden McAdams
Jordan Houston
Dylan Watret
Kinlay Bilham
David Bangala
Mark McKenzie
Daire OConnor
Fraser Bryden
Sam Ashford

Substitutions
15 McClelland for Virtanen 45'minutes
4 Scully for Vigurs 76'minutes
9 Megginson forGlass 76'minutes
18 Weston for Longstaff 59'minutes
Jordan Houston for Patrick Reading (17)
David Bangala for Paul Smith (73)
Sam Ashford for Michael Hewitt (79)
Fraser Bryden for Jayden Mitchell-Lawson (79)
Mark McKenzie for Dipo Akinyemi (79)

Cautions
McClelland None.

Red Cards
None. None.

Match Officials

Graham Grainger (Referee)



Photography by SNS Group

Match Report


Ayr United moved a point behind Scottish Championship leaders Queen's Park with an emphatic victory against Cove Rangers at Balmoral Stadium.

Nick McAllister got the first, poking home a loose ball after Kyle McClelland misjudged a Josh Mullin free-kick.

Mullin's terrific cross was finished by Ben Dempsey then the provider made it three after a fine Dipo Akinyemi pass.

Fraser Bryden's strike into the top corner and Mullin's free-kick in off the crossbar completed the rout.

Leaders Queen's Park play third-placed Dundee - who are four points behind Lee Bullen's Ayr but have two games in hand - on Saturday.

Ayr and Paul Hartley's Cove meet again on Tuesday for a place in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup at home to Elgin City.

Match report written by BBC



Squad Statistics (as at January 27th, 2023)


2022-23 All Time
Age
Charlie Albinson (GK)26 24 - 35 -
Patrick Reading23 27 - 923
Alex Kirk20 172172
Sean McGinty29 232583
Jayden Mitchell-Lawson - 191191
Ben Dempsey23 286356
Josh Mullin - 178178
Michael Hewitt22 9 - 22 -
Nick McAllister22 191321
Dipo Akinyemi25 28162816
Paul Smith20 13 - 22 -
Jordan Houston (sub)23 181991
David Bangala (sub)25 7 - 7 -
Mark McKenzie (sub)22 263987
Sam Ashford (sub)27 23 - 362
Fraser Bryden (sub)18 101222






League Table (as at January 27th, 2023)


Pld W D L Pts
1. Queen's Park 21 12 4 5 40
2. Ayr United 22 11 6 5 39
3. Dundee 20 10 5 5 35
4. Partick Thistle 21 10 3 8 33
5. Morton 20 8 6 6 30
6. ICT 21 8 6 7 30
7. Raith Rovers 22 8 5 9 29
8. Cove Rangers 22 5 7 10 22
9. Arbroath 22 3 9 10 18
10. Hamilton Academical 21 3 5 13 14