Ayr United 3
Dundee 0
Scottish League Cup

Match Report

Dundee target Lawrence Shankland scored twice as Ayr United shocked their Premiership hosts to reach the last eight of the League Cup.

The home side were reduced to nine men amid a farcical conclusion.

Sofien Moussa was booked twice in 15 minutes after coming on, and Genseric Kusunga was shown a straight red.

Shankland already had Ayr one-up when Moussa was dismissed and added a second with four minutes remaining. Michael Moffat then wrapped up the win.

Ayr rejected a £150,000 bid from an unnamed English club for Shankland earlier in August, just days after Dundee signalled their interest in the striker.

Shankland has averaged a goal a game in his Ayr United career - he had nine already this term before kicking off at Dens Park - and he, Moffat and Robbie Crawford all went close early on.

Ayr were not the only side showing a willingness to get forward, though. Ayr goalkeeper Ross Doohan had to dive sharply to his left to turn away a low effort from Dundee's Adil Nabi.

But it was scant surprise that the opening goal came from Shankland. The 23-year-old outpaced the Dundee defence to latch on to a simple long ball, chest it down and finish beyond Hamilton.

The Championship side were comfortable and that sense was heightened when substitute Moussa contrived to get himself sent-off by earning two yellow cards in 15 minutes.

The Tunisian looked more than keen to make a quick impact but a yellow card for a foul on Andy Geggan was likely not what manager Neil McCann had in mind.

Moussa then avoided a second yellow for a needless challenge on Daniel Harvie, which sparked a heated exchange with his manager.

If that prompted McCann to consider taking him off, he was too late as the striker clattered into an aerial challenge and was ordered off by referee John Beaton.

Ayr ruthlessly exploited the man advantage and Shankland grabbed his second after excellent play by Daniel Harvie, before the scoring was competed two minutes from time as Moffat tapped in.

Dundee's miserable afternoon was completed by a straight red card for Kusunga in stoppage time.

'Moussa leaves team-mates bemused'- analysis
Who would be a manager? Neil McCann brought on Moussa, Dundee's top scorer last season, after his side went behind but he but could not have foreseen his striker would last only 15 minutes.

Moussa left his teammates bemused and Ayr exploited the numerical superiority for a fully deserved win.

'I think 3-0 flattered us' - reaction
Dundee manager Neil McCann: "If I'm honest, 3-0 probably flattered us. It's difficult to put my finger on it, because it's not often that so many fundamental things go wrong from start to finish.

"I have no complaints about the result. Its a sore one and I've told them that."

Ayr manager Ian McCall: "Really, we should have been a couple up at half-time but we went out in the second half and played just as well and got the goals.

"I feel for Neil [McCann] as one of his players let him down. I heard him tell Moussa he was on a yellow card - how does a manager legislate for that?"

Match report written by BBC