Ayr United 1
St Mirren 2
Scottish Cup (Fourth Round)

Match Report

Two goals from Craig Dargo helped ensure a St Mirren victory that denied Ayr another Scottish Premier League scalp in the Scottish Cup.

Hibernian's conquerors were a goal behind after seven minutes when Dargo hit the net with a low, 20-yard drive.

The Buddies were deservedly two ahead on the stroke of half-time when Dargo broke clear to score.

Mark Roberts ensured a tight finish with a successful 58th-minute penalty after Darren McGregor handled.

Dargo had returned to the St Mirren starting line-up along with David van Zanten as Paddy Cregg missed out through injury and Jure Travner dropping to the bench.

Ayr's personnel problems meant that Ross Robertson, Stuart Bannigan and Chris Smith started in the absence of the injured Willie Easton, cup-tied Michael Moffat and suspended Alan Trouten.

And the restructured home defence was breached early on as Michael Higdon chested the ball into the path of van Zanten and, when the defender's pass found Dargo, the striker curled a low drive through his marker's legs from 20 yards and inside the near post.


McGregor loped forward before slicing well wide and Paul McGowan tried a snap shot from just outside the area without troubling goalkeeper David Crawford as the Buddies looked to build on that lead.

Somerset Park's tight terracing can be an intimidating arena on big occasions, but St Mirren's early dominance had the home support all but silenced.

Bannigan attempted to lift their spirits after being sent into the penalty box following a clever Ryan McCann run, but the forward's audacious attempt from an almost impossible angle struck the outside of the post and wide.

Higdon was lucky to escape with only a yellow card after a lunging tackle that left Ayr defender Eddie Malone requiring treatment.

Just as Ayr began to exert some pressure in the dying seconds of the first half, St Mirren extended their lead.

As Higdon was tackled on the halfway line, the ball spun off the striker and behind the home defence, where Dargo raced clear, rounded the goalkeeper then outfoxed two defenders as he turned back towards what was now a gaping goalmouth to score.


It looked like St Mirren were going to finish off the Ayr challenge when Dargo twice squandered chances to complete his hat-trick.

However, he sent a low drive just past the far post after being put clear by Higdon's flick-on and then sliced another well wide.

Higdon sent a powerful header into the arms of Crawford, but Ayr survived before pulling a goal back after a spell of pressure of their own.

A McCann drive was deflected for a corner and, when the ball was swung in, it struck the arm of defender McGregor.

Roberts, the hero of the previous round's replay victory over Hibs, sent goalkeeper Paul Gallagher the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Ayr pushed for a winner against an increasingly nervy Paisley side, but it was the visitors' McGowan who was next to threaten with a 16-yard drive saved by Crawford at the second attempt.

A ball over the top from Roberts found Robertson, but the young Ayr man could only get enough of his big toe on the ball to turn it straight into Gallagher's arms and St Mirren survived to secure a quarter-final place.

Match report written by BBC