Division 2 – Relegation Avoided, Just!
The 2004/05 season was the 108th season of competitive football in Scotland.
The managerial merry-go-round was in full swing at Somerset Park as the club tried to bring itself out of its financial crisis.
Despite encouraging noises coming from the Board room, on the pitch success was far from evident. If relegation was bad enough the club were in free fall and successive relegations were feared by the supporters.
The result was the sacking of manager Mark Shanks and the appointment of ex-Ayr United player Robert Conner.
The season showed some good, but too few, wins such as 3-1 away win at Alloa and it was Alloa who suffered the loss of four goals at Ayr in November although they did reply with three. There were two devastating defeats where five goals were lost – at Brechin in December and at Alloa in January.
In the short term he managed to avoid dropping into the depths of Division Three, but only just. With six defeats and two draws from the last ten matches, it was the failure of other teams that saved Ayr.
|
Date |
Opponents |
H/A |
Competition |
Score – Ayr First |
Comments |
Att |
Programme Issued |
|
16/07/2004 |
Threave Rovers |
A |
Friendly |
7-0 |
|
|
No Issue |
|
17/07/2004 |
Royal Irish Regiment |
A |
Friendly |
5-0 |
|
|
Yes |
|
20/07/2004 |
Cumnock Juniors |
A |
Friendly |
2-0 |
|
|
No Issue |
|
21/07/2004 |
Hamilton Academical |
A |
Friendly |
1-2 |
Behind closed doors |
|
No Issue |
|
24/07/2004 |
Kilmarnock |
H |
West Sound Trophy (Ayrshire Cup) |
2-2 (Ayr won 5-4 on penalties) |
|
Yes |
|
|
27/07/2004 |
Queens Park |
A |
Friendly |
1-1 |
|
|
No Issue |
|
28/07/2004 |
Girvan |
A |
Friendly |
2-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
31/07/2004 |
Falkirk |
H |
Challenge Cup – 1st Rnd |
0-3 |
|
|
View |
|
07/08/2004 |
Dumbarton |
A |
2nd Division |
0-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
10/08/2005 |
Hamilton Academical |
A |
Scottish League Cup – 1st Rnd |
Match Postponed |
|
Yes |
|
|
14/08/2004 |
Berwick Rangers |
H |
2nd Division |
2-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
17/08/2004 |
Hamilton Academical |
A |
Scottish League Cup – 1st Rnd |
1-4 |
Programme dated 10th August from postponed match |
No Issue |
|
|
21/08/2004 |
Stranraer |
A |
2nd Division |
1-2 |
|
|
Yes |
|
28/08/2004 |
Morton |
H |
2nd Division |
2-0 |
|
|
Yes |
|
04/09/2004 |
Alloa Athletic |
A |
2nd Division |
3-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
11/09/2004 |
Forfar Athletic |
H |
2nd Division |
3-3 |
|
|
Yes |
|
18/09/2004 |
Arbroath |
A |
2nd Division |
0-0 |
|
|
Yes |
|
25/09/2004 |
Brechin City |
H |
2nd Division |
0-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
02/10/2004 |
Stirling Albion |
A |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
16/10/2004 |
Berwick Rangers |
A |
2nd Division |
1-0 |
|
|
Yes |
|
23/10/2004 |
Dumbarton |
H |
2nd Division |
0-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
30/10/2004 |
Morton |
H |
2nd Division |
1-0 |
|
|
Yes |
|
06/11/2004 |
Alloa Athletic |
H |
2nd Division |
4-3 |
|
|
Yes |
|
10/11/2004 |
Glasgow University |
A |
Friendly |
1-2 |
|
|
No Issue |
|
13/11/2004 |
Forfar Athletic |
A |
2nd Division |
3-2 |
|
|
Yes |
|
27/11/2004 |
Arbroath |
H |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
Programme dated 4/12/04 |
|
Yes |
|
04/12/2004 |
Brechin City |
A |
2nd Division |
0-5 |
|
|
Yes |
|
11/12/2004 |
Edinburgh City |
H |
Scottish Cup – 2nd Rnd |
3-0 |
|
|
Yes |
|
18/12/2004 |
Stirling Albion |
H |
2nd Division |
3-2 |
|
|
Yes |
|
27/12/2004 |
Dumbarton |
A |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
01/01/2005 |
Stranraer |
H |
2nd Division |
0-1 |
Combined programme |
|
Yes |
|
03/01/2005 |
Morton |
H |
2nd Division |
2-1 |
Combined programme |
|
Yes |
|
08/01/2005 |
Stranraer |
H |
Scottish Cup – 3rd Rnd |
3-3 |
|
|
Yes |
|
15/01/2005 |
Alloa Athletic |
A |
2nd Division |
1-5 |
|
|
Yes |
|
18/01/2005 |
Stranraer |
A |
Scottish Cup – 3rd Rnd Replay |
2-0 |
|
|
Yes |
|
22/01/2005 |
Forfar Athletic |
|
2nd Division |
|
Match postponed |
|
Yes |
|
29/01/2005 |
Arbroath |
A |
2nd Division |
0-2 |
|
|
Yes |
|
05/02/2005 |
St. Mirren |
H |
Scottish Cup – 4th Rnd |
0-2 |
|
|
Yes |
|
12/02/2005 |
Stirling Albion |
A |
2nd Division |
0-2 |
|
|
Yes |
|
19/02/2005 |
Stranraer |
A |
2nd Division |
3-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
26/02/2005 |
Berwick Rangers |
H |
2nd Division |
0-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
05/03/2005 |
Alloa Athletic |
H |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
12/03/2005 |
Morton |
A |
2nd Division |
1-2 |
|
|
Yes |
|
15/03/2005 |
Brechin City |
H |
2nd Division |
0-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
19/03/2005 |
Forfar Athletic |
A |
2nd Division |
0-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
26/03/2005 |
Forfar Athletic |
H |
2nd Division |
1-0 |
Programme dated 22/1/05 used |
|
No Issue |
|
02/04/2005 |
Arbroath |
H |
2nd Division |
2-2 |
|
|
Yes |
|
09/04/2005 |
Stirling Albion |
H |
2nd Division |
0-3 |
|
|
Yes |
|
16/04/2005 |
Brechin City |
A |
2nd Division |
0-3 |
|
|
Yes |
|
23/04/2005 |
Stranraer |
H |
2nd Division |
0-0 |
|
|
Yes |
|
30/04/2005 |
Berwick Rangers |
A |
2nd Division |
1-2 |
|
|
Yes |
|
07/05/2005 |
Dumbarton |
H |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
|
|
Yes |
|
2nd |
|
Pld |
|
Home |
|
|
|
|
Away |
|
|
|
|
Overall |
|
|
|
|
Pts |
GD |
|||
|
|
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
|
|
||
|
1 |
Brechin City |
36 |
|
12 |
1 |
5 |
47 |
25 |
|
10 |
5 |
3 |
34 |
18 |
|
22 |
6 |
8 |
81 |
43 |
|
72 |
38 |
|
2 |
Stranraer |
36 |
|
9 |
5 |
4 |
24 |
19 |
|
9 |
4 |
5 |
24 |
22 |
|
18 |
9 |
9 |
48 |
41 |
|
63 |
7 |
|
3 |
Greenock Morton |
36 |
|
13 |
2 |
3 |
35 |
14 |
|
5 |
6 |
7 |
25 |
23 |
|
18 |
8 |
10 |
60 |
37 |
|
62 |
23 |
|
4 |
Stirling Albion |
36 |
|
8 |
5 |
5 |
29 |
26 |
|
6 |
4 |
8 |
27 |
29 |
|
14 |
9 |
13 |
56 |
55 |
|
51 |
1 |
|
5 |
Forfar Athletic |
36 |
|
7 |
4 |
7 |
29 |
20 |
|
6 |
4 |
8 |
22 |
25 |
|
13 |
8 |
15 |
51 |
45 |
|
47 |
6 |
|
6 |
Alloa Athletic |
36 |
|
6 |
7 |
5 |
39 |
35 |
|
6 |
3 |
9 |
27 |
33 |
|
12 |
10 |
14 |
66 |
68 |
|
46 |
-2 |
|
7 |
Dumbarton |
36 |
|
5 |
7 |
6 |
22 |
23 |
|
6 |
2 |
10 |
21 |
30 |
|
11 |
9 |
16 |
43 |
53 |
|
42 |
-10 |
|
8 |
Ayr United |
36 |
|
6 |
6 |
6 |
22 |
23 |
|
5 |
3 |
10 |
17 |
31 |
|
11 |
9 |
16 |
39 |
54 |
|
42 |
-15 |
|
9 |
Arbroath |
36 |
|
6 |
3 |
9 |
18 |
30 |
|
4 |
5 |
9 |
31 |
43 |
|
10 |
8 |
18 |
49 |
73 |
|
38 |
-24 |
|
10 |
Berwick Rangers |
36 |
|
5 |
3 |
10 |
20 |
33 |
|
3 |
7 |
8 |
20 |
31 |
|
8 |
10 |
18 |
40 |
64 |
|
34 |
-24 |
