Ayr United 0
Raith Rovers 0
League (Second Division)

Match Report

AYR are still looking for their first win of 2006 after a poor game ended goalless at Somerset Park.

Both sides struggled to play football during a hard fought 90 minutes and results elsewhere mean it's status quo at the foot of the Second Division.

United stuck with the same side which performed so well at Partick last week with Jerome Vareille playing in a lone striker role.

And Ayr picked up where they'd left off from the Thistle performance with a confident start which saw them create their best chance of the match in the ninth minute.

Man of the match Paul Weaver swung over a cross for Raymond Logan and the skipper ghosted in unmarked at the backpost but could only get the slightest of touches on his header to send it wide.

Raith offered little in attack and it was Ayr dominating the midfield with their 4-5-1 system but chances in front of goal were few and far between.

Chris Strain had a good run and shot from the edge of the box easily saved before Kieran McAnespie sent Vareille through on goal but the ball eluded the Frenchman as he aimed to wrongfoot Raith keeper Ally Brown.

Weaver and Logan combined again on the stroke of half-time and the skipper this time got his header on target but Brown was equal to the task.

The second half got off to a bright start as Raith created the first real scoring chance of the match just seconds after the restart when Chris Silvestro crossed for Steven Bonar to head wide from eight yards.

But the game was stuck in a rut after that and neither side had the cutting edge to find a breakthrough. Ayr threw on joint top scorer Gareth Wardlaw for Vareille and did carry more of a threat in front of goal in the closing stages.

Strain flashed an effort just wide from the edge of the box as the clock ticked down before he played in Wardlaw who had a powerful drive saved and Dougie Ramsay slammed the rebound effort just past the post.

But it was Raith who had a glorious chance to win it at the end when Neil Jablonski hit the byline and his cutback found ex-Ayr man Mark Crilly, only for the midfielder to slam his effort high and wide from twelve yards.

Match report written by Ayr United FC Official Website