Arbroath 0
Ayr United 0
League (Championship)


Arbroath 

0 - 0

Ayr United


League (Championship)
Saturday, January 13th, 2024
Attendance: 1,598


Goalscorers
None. None.

Team Managers
Jim McIntyre Lee Bullen

Starting Eleven
1 Adams
20 Walker
5 O'Brien
3 Hamilton
15 Delaney
14 Stowe
7 Gold
26 Lyon
12 Stewart
9 McIntosh
27 Bird
Charlie Albinson
George Stanger
Patrick Reading
Sean McGinty
Roy Syla
Jamie Murphy
Nick McAllister
Ben Dempsey
Ahkeem Rose
Anton Dowds
Logan Chalmers

Bench
10 Jacobs
18 Mackinnon
19 Robinson
25 Candé Baldé
31 Welsh
62 Dünnwald-Turan
Robbie Mutch
Elicha Ahui
Dylan Watret
Jack Young
Jack Senga
Mark McKenzie
Paul Smith
Fraser Bryden
Franny Amartey

Substitutions
20 Walker for Jacobs 51'
5 O'Brien for Robinson 40'
15 Delaney for Mackinnon 12'
Jack Young for Jamie Murphy (69)
Fraser Bryden for Ahkeem Rose (69)
Elicha Ahui for Nick McAllister (79)

Cautions
Mcintosh Patrick Reading
Jack Young

Red Cards
None. None.

Match Officials

Euan Anderson (Referee)





Photography by SNS Group

Match Report


Both sides were denied by the woodwork as Scottish Championship strugglers Arbroath and Ayr United fought out a stalemate Gayfield Park.

Ahkeem Rose and Sean McGinty went close for the visitors in the first half then Leighton McIntosh glanced a header against the post at the other end.

Rose threatened again, firing wide after rounding Ali Adams, who then denied the forward one-on-one.

Adams had to look lively again, tipping away Francis Amartey's low effort.

Ayr continued to apply the pressure and it was their turn to be denied by the woodwork when a Logan Chalmers shot hit the post.

It was a costly day on the injury front for Arbroath, with Gordon Walker, Thomas O'Brien and Zak Delaney all going off with knocks.

Arbroath are now two points adrift at the foot of the battle while Ayr drop to second bottom, behind Queen's Park on goal difference.

Arbroath manager Jim McIntyre: "Today we go in, we make three signings, it is probably the strongest team and the most of people playing in their natural positions that we have had and within 10-15 minutes it happens again and then we pick up two or three injuries and we have to make substitutions - then we have to go back to playing midfielders at the back, we end up with three midfielders in the back four again.

"So we are getting tested unbelievably at the moment. It is probably the worst I have ever had in football and we just need a break, we need a bit of luck to actually get players back, keep them back. It is really tough at the moment, really tough, but the players can be really proud of themselves, because they dug in."

Ayr United head coach Lee Bullen: "A lot more solid defensively, which we have not been, which is great - to get a clean sheet. Fourteen shots and two on target probably sums it up - when you are down there, these chances they come along and the breaks don't go your way.

"We battled, we did the dirty side of the game really well. It was a war of attrition at times, but I felt we did enough to win the game. I'm confident it will turn and we are capable of climbing the table."

Match report written by BBC



Squad Statistics (as at January 13th, 2024)


2023-24 All Time
Age
Charlie Albinson (GK)27 17 - 68 -
Roy Syla23 16 - 16 -
Sean McGinty30 2511025
Patrick Reading24 26 - 1373
George Stanger23 201201
Ben Dempsey24 1426710
Nick McAllister22 171632
Jamie Murphy34 215215
Ahkeem Rose25 214214
Logan Chalmers23 186299
Anton Dowds27 157157
Elicha Ahui (sub)20 14 - 14 -
Jack Young (sub) - 19 - 19 -
Fraser Bryden (sub)19 204527






League Table (as at January 13th, 2024)


Pld W D L Pts
1. Dundee United 20 13 5 2 44
2. Raith Rovers 21 13 5 3 44
3. Partick Thistle 21 10 6 5 36
4. Airdrieonians 20 8 3 9 27
5. Morton 20 7 5 8 26
6. Dunfermline Athletic 19 6 5 8 23
7. ICT 21 5 6 10 21
8. Queen's Park 20 5 5 10 20
9. Ayr United 20 5 5 10 20
10. Arbroath 20 5 3 12 18