Ayr United 0
Dunfermline Athletic 0
League (Championship)

Match Report

Ayr United and Dunfermline Athletic had to settle for a point apiece in front of a healthy crowd at Somerset Park.

The hosts have not beaten the Pars at home since 2009 but looked like changing that in the first half when Brian Gilmour, Conrad Balatoni and Allan Forrest all forced visiting goalkeeper Sean Murdoch into good saves.

Dunfermline threatened more after the break, particularly when substitute Farid El Alagui's scissor-kick tested Greg Fleming.

Gaps opened up towards the end as play moved from end to end but neither side could capitalise.

It means there was no home win against Dunfermline at the 10th attempt, in front of a 2883 crowd who had paid only five pounds to get in on the day former chairman Donald Cameron was remembered by a minute's silence.

But there had been plenty of chances for the Honest Men to take the lead in the opening 45 minutes.

Gilmour's volley from 25 yards brought out the best in Murdoch as the ex-Hibernian man tipped the effort over the bar, before clutching Balatoni's header from the ensuing corner kick.

The Pars' 'keeper earned his corn again as he kept out Forrest's header at the back post.

Dunfermline lost Nicky Clark and John Herron in the first half but El Alagui's introduction speared their attack in the second half and in addition to his acrobatic effort he almost assisted a Joe Cardle strike but it was ruled out because of a push by the French-born Moroccan.

It was interesting to watch the effective role Ayr United midfielder Jamie Adams played in the match.

The 29-year-old former Kilmarnock, Queen of the South and Dundee man has had an injury-blighted career, even spending some of last season at South of Scotland outfit Wigtown and Bladnoch to build fitness.

Several fans at Somerset Park label him 'the disrupter' due to his ability to "run about the pitch and break up play all over the place". That quality was certainly evident today and the Stranraer-born player nearly scored as well.

Ayr United manager Ian McCall: "It's our home game so you're never happy, but I thought it was a really good game for a 0-0.

"I thought we shaded it and worked their goalie more than ours was - but overall a fair result. We're getting performances and getting points."

Dunfermline manager Allan Johnston: "I thought both clubs gave all they had and I felt we shaded it with the chances and possession we had.

"We had good control of the game but we've got to turn that into goals. The most pleasing thing for me was the clean sheet.

"John Herron's ankle is quite swollen and Nicky Clark was feeling his groin since Thursday and it was just starting to get a bit tight."

Match report written by BBC