Forfar Athletic 1
Ayr United 0
League (Second Division)

Match Report

UNITED were dragged firmly into the relegation dogfight as their winless run extended to nine games at Station Park.

Michele Lombardi’s first half goal consigned Ayr to their third 1-0 loss in a row and leaves them just two points clear of the Loons, who still have two games in hand.

It was a familiar story for United as they created little against far from impressive opposition and with games against Gretna, Morton and Partick to come in the next month, the Honest Men require a drastic turnaround.

Robert Connor had reverted to a 4-4-2 system with Dougie Ramsay back in the midfield engine room alongside skipper Raymond Logan.

And there was a rare start in attack for Ian Cashmore who replaced Jerome Vareille, while James McKinstry shook off his knee knock and came in for Chris Strain who dropped to the bench.

Meanwhile, veteran Irvine Meadow goalkeeper Andy Smyth was drafted in as cover on the bench.

It was United who made the brighter start and they should have been ahead within two minutes when Cashmore reacted quickest to a rebound after Logan saw his powerful downward header parried by Sean Murdoch.

However, the little striker couldn’t lift the ball over the keeper and his effort was smothered from just a few yards out.

Sadly for Ayr, that was about as good as it got and from there on Forfar enjoyed the better chances of a hard fought first half.

Just six minutes were on the clock when Barry McLaughlin was loose with a header and Loons hitman Andy Jackson stole a march on the United defence to home in on goal but Mark McGeown saved well with his legs.

Ayr were breathing a sigh of relief in the 18th minute when Jackson again capitalised on indecision in the United backline and charged through on goal before a last ditch tackle from Martyn Campbell appeared to take the ball off the striker’s toes.

However, Paul Lunan was on hand to stroke the loose ball home but was flagged for offside with the officials giving Ayr the benefit of the doubt.

At the other end, United had loud calls for a penalty waved away on the half hour when Gareth Wardlaw pounced on a slack clearance from Allan Rattray before being felled in the box by the same player trying to make amends.

It looked a good shout but referee Craig MacKay was having none of it and Ayr were left to rue what could have been.

It was then that Forfar began to turn the screw and they dominated the remainder of the first half with Barry Sellars going close to a goal of the season candidate when he picked up a loose clearance from McGeown and sent an audacious 45 yard lob just wide of goal.

But the crucial goal came just moments later as Lombardi latched on to a Rattray header and coolly slotted past McGeown from 12 yards to leave Ayr climbing yet another mountain.

It could have been worse by half-time when Darren Gribben went on a mazy run down the left before cutting inside and firing just wide from the edge of the box as the Ayr defence clung on to the ropes.

The second half saw more urgency from Ayr at the start with plenty of possession and a string of corners, but chances were still few and far between.

A Craig Conway cross was almost reached by the diving McKinstry before Cashmore flicked a header wide from six yards after diverting a goalbound effort from Kieran McAnespie.

But that was only five minutes after the restart and Ayr barely created a chance after that as they failed to turn a huge pile of possession into anything in front of goal.

Chris Robertson replaced Cashmore midway through the second period but it did little to give Ayr new life and as the clock ticked down, there were few signs of a comeback to inspire the small travelling support.

The closest United came to even testing Murdoch in the Forfar goal was a Wardlaw header from a Conway cross in the 76th minute but even that was the simplest of tasks for the Loons keeper.

In the end it was another performance which summed up that Ayr have much work to do in the home straight of what is quickly becoming a battle for survival.

Match report written by Ayr United FC Official Website