Stranraer 0
Ayr United 1
League (Second Division)

Match Report

Ayr United finally broke their away duck in the new year with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Stranraer at Stair Park, their first win on the road since September’s 3–2 success at East Fife.

The match was decided by a single first-half goal from David Winters, who converted in the 38th minute to give Mark Roberts’ side a slender but crucial advantage. The striker’s finish proved enough to secure all three points in a tight, low-scoring encounter.

Stranraer, sitting just below Ayr in the table, struggled to create clear chances against a disciplined visitors’ defence. Ayr, in turn, were content to protect their lead after the interval, absorbing pressure and limiting the home side to long-range efforts and set-pieces.

The result lifted Ayr to seventh in the Scottish Second Division, while Stranraer remained eighth, still only a handful of points clear of the relegation play-off spot. For Roberts, the win provided a much-needed boost after the heavy 5–1 home defeat to Queen of the South three days earlier.

Match report written by AU Archive