Stirling Albion 2
Ayr United 2
League (Second Division)

Match Report

UNITED let a two goal lead slip as Stirling fought back to claim a point at Forthbank.

Bryan Prunty crashed a super double inside 11 minutes to seemingly put Ayr on easy street.

But the Binos found a way back with Nathan Taggart and an Ian Harty penalty ensuring a share of the spoils.

But the point was enough to maintain Ayr's unbeaten start to the season and position on top of the league.

United were red hot from the start, with Prunty hungry for goals and a constant thorn in the side of the Stirling defence.

The former Airdrie striker tried his luck with a 25 yard volley on the turn as United began brightly.

It was merely a warning shot of what lay in store as Prunty burst through the Binos’ defence in the ninth minute to fire a fine drive past Myles Hogarth.

The lead was doubled two minutes later with a tremendous goal which saw Ryan Stevenson run 60 yards before feeding Prunty who curled a wonderful effort into the top corner.

Ayr looked untouchable and were playing football on a different level to their hosts, who looked ready to call it a day at 3.11pm.

But the game quickly changed in the 19th minute when Taggart clipped a shot over Stephen Grindlay from 18 yards to put things back in the melting pot.

Both sides threw caution to the wind in a feast of football for the neutral and Prunty rattled the bar as he hunted his hat-trick after a Stevenson header had set him up.

Scott Agnew and Willie Easton then combined with a cracking 1-2 before Agnew hit the byline and found Prunty, whose 18 yard shot whistled centimetres past the post.

But worrying signs of weakness saw Stirling blow two great chances on the stroke of half time, as Scott Walker twice came to the rescue for United with last ditch clearances.

Ayr were still a threat every time they went forward and Prunty almost grabbed his hat-trick early in the second half when he hit the bar again with a neat lob.

Martin Grehan then rattled the bar for Stirling as United sensed a threat to their three points, and they were duly snatched away in the 66th minute.

Martyn Campbell was penalised for a shove in the box on Harty, who dusted himself down and buried the spot kick.

That sparked Ayr into a cavalry charge at the end of the game and sub Ryan Borris fired straight at Hogarth as United went in vain for the win.

Match report written by Ayr United FC Official Website