Division 1 – Relegation as United Celebrate Centenary Season
The 2009/10 season was the 113th season of competitive football in Scotland and was Ayr United’s 95th competitive season and the clubsAUFC_Centenery_badge_small 99th season in total in the clubs history.
Having been promoted the previous season, United begin their Centenary Season in Scotland’s first division with high hopes of at least surviving in the higher division.
United began the season in traditional fashion, losing to a 3rd division club in the early cup competition – 2-0 by Albion Rovers. United had a good win against 2nd division Stirling Albion away in extra time.
Ayr’s long awaited return to the 1st division saw them draw 1-1 in an exciting home match against Partick Thistle and United looked strong at Inverness the following week. However turned sour on the Honestmen and a bad 2-0 home defeat against potential relegation rivals Morton was followed by another 2-0 away defeat to a high flying Queen of the South. Sandwiched between these two league defeats was another 2-0 reverse, this time at home to premier league St Mirren in the cup.
No goals in four matches had to change as the season moved into September.
On 12th September Ayr expected to record their first win against Airdrie United who they had beaten in the promotion play off only a few months earlier. However Ayr could only managed a disappointing 1-1 draw and followed this up with a 2-1 defeat at Dingwall. Raith Rovers were next. United’s fellow promotion partners were top of the league when they visited Somersaet park on 26th September. Despite this United managed to dominate the match and record a morale boosting 1-0 win.
The good form didnt continue and Ayr lost 3-1 to Dunfermline on 10th October although they fought back from 2-0 down to produce a super 2-2 draw at home to Dundee on 14th October. A 2-0 defeat at Partick was followed by a disaterous 5-1 loss at home to Inverness. Aidrie United then rubbed salt into the wounds with a 3-1 win at Broomfield.
Ayr United were bottom of the league when they lost 1-0 at home to Queen of the South. However two consecute draws, 1-1 at home to Ross County and 0-0 away to Raith Rovers meant that Ayr had moved ahead of Airdrie by the time the Scottish Cup match at Highgland league club Deveronvale came around. A 1-0 win against the Highlanders boosted confidence and that was bolstered by a superb 1-0 home league win against Dunfermline. There was a difficult trip to Dundee who were top of the league and unbeaten on 12th December 2009. Not suprisingly United lost 3-1 but this was after going 1-0 up and playing extremely well maintaining optimism that survival in division 1 could be possible.
The big freeze meant that Ayr did not play another match until the Scottish Cup tie on 18th January 2010 against Brechin City which the Honest men won by 1-0. When league duty returned Ayr United lost two consecutive without even scoring a goal. Ayr bowed out of the Scottish Cup on 6th February after a hard fought 2-1 defeat at Dens Park.
However, with league points vital for 1st division survival, Ayr recorded a sensational 1-0 win at East End Park winning 1-0 for their first away win of the season. It was also only their third league win, co-incidentally nall against Fife teams, against Raith and home and away against the Pars. United travlled to Inverness the following week with a very bad record at that venue. 2-1 up at half time United were leading 3-2 until Caley were awarded a penalty in the last minute of the match to draw level at 3-3.
A vital 2-0 win over Morton on 6th March meant that Ayr had one their last three home matches, albeit they stretched back to mid December due to many postponements in a long hard winter. Neverthless there was a chance that Ayr could snatch that important 8th place in the league to ensure league survival. On 11th March a 1-0 for Ayr at home to Partick Thistle made it three wins out of four for Ayr and it took them out the bottom two for the first time since September.
United’s unbeaten run continued with two 1-1 draws. The first away to relegation rivals Airdrie United saw Ayr lose a 92nd minute equaliser from Airdrie. However, they secured an excellent 1-1 draw against table toppers Dundee on 17th March. Ayr’s revival continued when they went seven matches unbeaten scoring a superb 3-0 win over high flyers Queen of the South on 20th March 2010.
With four wins and four draws in eight matches United had hoisted themselves into a position to escape relegation. Having caught the pack Ayr then lost four out of four including a bad 2-0 defeat at home to fellow strugglers Raith Rovers.
A 1-0 away against Partick Thistle in April once again gave United hope with four matches to go. However, it was not to be and Ayr lost all four remaining league matches. Three goals in as many minutes at Somerset Park against Airdrie saw United trail by 3-1 down mid way through the second half with Airdrie eventually winning by 4-1. This was a set back against fellow relegation rivals with a match against promoted Inverness to come up.
This matchy could not have been more disasterous for Ayr, losing 7-0 to the new champions. Not only did Ayr lost the points but their goal deficit was now worse than their other relegation rivals. United’s third home match in a row against Cup finalists Ross County also saw Ayr leave the field with nothing, losing by 1-0.
It came down to the last match of the season away to relegation threatened Morton. Ayr had to win this match and hope that Airdrie did not win. United went 1-0 up through McKay in 20 minites and with Airdrie behind optimism abounded. Howver United’s leaky defence was breached again with two late Morton goals which meant relegation for Ayr in their centenary season..
|
Date |
Opponents |
H/A |
Competition |
Score – Ayr First |
Comments |
Att |
Programme Issued |
|
11/07/2009 |
SV Wacker Burghausen |
N |
Friendly |
3-0 |
Venue- Bischofshofen, Austria |
|
No Issue |
|
15/07/2009 |
Unirea Urziceni |
H |
Friendly |
1-2 |
|
970 |
No Issue |
|
18/07/2009 |
St. Mirren |
H |
Friendly |
0-1 |
|
1,183 |
No Issue |
|
20/07/2009 |
St. Johnstone |
H |
Friendly |
0-2 |
|
581 |
No Issue |
|
25/07/2009 |
Albion Rovers |
H |
Challenge Cup |
0-2 |
|
979 |
No Issue |
|
01/08/2009 |
Stirling Albion |
A |
Scottish League Cup – 1st Rnd |
2-1 aet |
|
802 |
Yes |
|
08/08/2009 |
Partick Thistle |
H |
1st Division |
1-1 |
|
3,078 |
Yes |
|
15/08/2009 |
Inverness C T |
A |
1st Division |
0-0 |
|
3,247 |
Yes |
|
22/08/2009 |
Morton |
H |
1st Division |
0-2 |
|
2,304 |
Yes |
|
26/08/2009 |
St. Mirren |
H |
Scottish League Cup – 2nd Round |
0-2 |
|
1,652 |
Yes |
|
29/08/2009 |
Queen of the South |
A |
1st Division |
0-2 |
|
3,034 |
Yes |
|
12/09/2009 |
Airdrie United |
H |
1st Division |
1-1 |
|
1,718 |
Yes |
|
19/09/2009 |
Ross County |
A |
1st Division |
1-2 |
|
1,885 |
Yes |
|
26/09/2009 |
Raith Rovers |
H |
1st Division |
1-0 |
|
1,783 |
Yes |
|
10/10/2009 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
A |
1st Division |
1-3 |
|
2,460 |
Yes |
|
14/10/2009 |
Dundee |
H |
1st Division |
2-2 |
|
1,710 |
Yes |
|
17/10/2009 |
Partick Thistle |
A |
1st Division |
0-2 |
|
3,055 |
Yes |
|
24/10/2009 |
Inverness C T |
H |
1st Division |
1-5 |
|
1,609 |
Yes |
|
31/10/2009 |
Airdrie United |
A |
1st Division |
1-3 |
|
1,184 |
Yes |
|
07/11/2009 |
Queen of the South |
H |
1st Division |
0-1 |
|
2,453 |
Yes |
|
14/11/2009 |
Ross County |
H |
1st Division |
1-1 |
|
1,236 |
Yes |
|
21/11/2009 |
Raith Rovers |
A |
1st Division |
0-0 |
|
1,460 |
Yes |
|
28/11/2009 |
Deveronvale |
A |
Scottish Cup – 3rd Rnd |
1-0 |
|
192 |
Yes |
|
05/12/2009 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
H |
1st Division |
1-0 |
|
1,625 |
Yes |
|
12/12/2009 |
Dundee |
A |
1st Division |
1-3 |
|
4,323 |
Yes |
|
19/12/2009 |
Partick Thistle |
H |
1st Division |
Postponed |
|
|
Yes |
|
26/12/2009 |
Morton |
A |
1st Division |
Postponed |
|
|
Yes |
|
02/01/2010 |
Queen of the South |
A |
1st Division |
Postponed |
|
|
Yes |
|
16/01/2010 |
Airdrie United |
H |
1st Division |
Postponed |
|
|
Yes |
|
18/01/2010 |
Brechin City |
H |
Scottish Cup – 4th Rnd |
1-0 |
|
1,139 |
Yes |
|
23/01/2010 |
Ross County |
A |
1st Division |
0-1 |
|
1,935 |
Yes |
|
06/02/2010 |
Dundee |
A |
Scottish Cup – 5th Rnd |
1-2 |
|
2,852 |
Yes |
|
13/02/2010 |
Dundee |
H |
1st Division |
Postponed |
|
|
Yes |
|
16/02/2010 |
Queen of the South |
A |
1st Division |
0-3 |
|
1,721 |
Yes |
|
20/02/2010 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
A |
1st Division |
1-0 |
|
2,429 |
Yes |
|
27/02/2010 |
Inverness C T |
A |
1st Division |
3-3 |
|
2,843 |
Yes |
|
01/03/2010 |
Airdrie United |
H |
1st Division |
Postponed |
Programme from 16th January used with insert |
No Issue |
|
|
06/03/2010 |
Morton |
H |
1st Division |
2-0 |
|
2,145 |
Yes |
|
11/03/2010 |
Partick Thistle |
H |
1st Division |
1-0 |
Programme from 19th December used with insert |
1,505 |
No Issue |
|
13/03/2010 |
Airdrie United |
A |
1st Division |
1-1 |
|
1,122 |
Yes |
|
17/03/2010 |
Dundee |
H |
1st Division |
1-1 |
Programme from 13th February used with insert |
1,326 |
No Issue |
|
20/03/2010 |
Queen of the South |
H |
1st Division |
3-0 |
|
2,139 |
Yes |
|
27/03/2010 |
Raith Rovers |
A |
1st Division |
1-1 |
|
1,872 |
Yes |
|
30/03/2010 |
Morton |
A |
1st Division |
0-1 |
|
1,289 |
Yes |
|
03/04/2010 |
Dundee |
A |
1st Division |
0-3 |
|
4,270 |
Yes |
|
07/04/2010 |
Raith Rovers |
H |
1st Division |
0-2 |
|
1,376 |
Yes |
|
10/04/2010 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
H |
1st Division |
1-2 |
|
1,347 |
Yes |
|
17/04/2010 |
Partick Thistle |
A |
1st Division |
1-0 |
|
1,877 |
Yes |
|
21/04/2010 |
Airdrie United |
H |
1st Division |
1-4 |
Programme from 16th January used with insert |
1,400 |
No Issue |
|
24/04/2010 |
Inverness C T |
H |
1st Division |
0-7 |
|
1,804 |
Yes |
|
28/04/2010 |
Ross County |
H |
1st Division |
0-1 |
|
1,247 |
Yes |
|
01/05/2010 |
Morton |
A |
1st Division |
2-2 |
Ayr United relegated |
1,874 |
Yes |
|
1st |
|
Pld |
|
Home |
|
|
|
|
Away |
|
|
|
|
Overall |
|
|
|
|
Pts |
GD |
|||
|
|
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
|
|
||
|
1 |
Inverness Caledonian Thistle |
36 |
|
11 |
4 |
3 |
36 |
20 |
|
10 |
6 |
2 |
36 |
12 |
|
21 |
10 |
5 |
72 |
32 |
|
73 |
40 |
|
2 |
Dundee |
36 |
|
12 |
4 |
2 |
30 |
13 |
|
4 |
9 |
5 |
18 |
21 |
|
16 |
13 |
7 |
48 |
34 |
|
61 |
14 |
|
3 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
36 |
|
9 |
3 |
6 |
31 |
23 |
|
8 |
4 |
6 |
23 |
21 |
|
17 |
7 |
12 |
54 |
44 |
|
58 |
10 |
|
4 |
Queen of the South |
36 |
|
10 |
4 |
4 |
30 |
15 |
|
5 |
7 |
6 |
23 |
25 |
|
15 |
11 |
10 |
53 |
40 |
|
56 |
13 |
|
5 |
Ross County |
36 |
|
9 |
6 |
3 |
28 |
20 |
|
6 |
5 |
7 |
18 |
24 |
|
15 |
11 |
10 |
46 |
44 |
|
56 |
2 |
|
6 |
Partick Thistle |
36 |
|
9 |
3 |
6 |
23 |
15 |
|
5 |
3 |
10 |
20 |
25 |
|
14 |
6 |
16 |
43 |
40 |
|
48 |
3 |
|
7 |
Raith Rovers |
36 |
|
6 |
6 |
6 |
20 |
19 |
|
5 |
3 |
10 |
16 |
28 |
|
11 |
9 |
16 |
36 |
47 |
|
42 |
-11 |
|
8 |
Greenock Morton |
36 |
|
6 |
4 |
8 |
21 |
24 |
|
5 |
0 |
13 |
19 |
41 |
|
11 |
4 |
21 |
40 |
65 |
|
37 |
-25 |
|
9 |
Airdrie United |
36 |
|
5 |
6 |
7 |
25 |
22 |
|
3 |
3 |
12 |
16 |
34 |
|
8 |
9 |
19 |
41 |
56 |
|
33 |
-15 |
|
10 |
Ayr United |
36 |
|
5 |
5 |
8 |
17 |
30 |
|
2 |
5 |
11 |
12 |
30 |
|
7 |
10 |
19 |
29 |
60 |
|
31 |
-31 |
