Division 2 – United Struggle For Consistency or Passion
The 2012/13 season was the 116th season of competitive football in Scotland. The season began on 28 July 2012, with the start of the Challenge Cup The season was Ayr United’s 98th season of competitive football in the clubs history and saw Mark Roberts replace Brian Reid as manager at the start of the season in a player-manager role as the club adjusted to life back in the Second Division after relegation through the play-offs the previous season.
An inexperienced Mark Roberts began about leading the new club back up the league. A mixed-bag of pre-season results, including 1-1 draws in a closed door game at Queen’s Park, at home to Northern Irish side, Glentoran and at home English side, Bolton Wanderers as well as 4-0 win over Premier League side, Motherwell and a thumping 4-1 defeat at home to Partick Thistle.
An early defeat to East Stirling in the Ramsdens Cup was insignificant but a 6-1 win against Clyde in the league cup send hopes sky high for a good season.
Alas it wasn’t to be and results were not as hoped leaving United at the foot of the table. Some improvement helped the league position before Christmas. The small division of 10 clubs did not help as a few good wins put Ayr on the edge of the promotion play-offs but similarly a few defeats had them plunge into relegation trouble. A 5-1 defeat by Queen of the South enhanced Queens’ title challenge but sent Ayr hearts plummetting.
Ayr United welcomed Inverness Clachnacuddin to Somerset Park for the Third Round of the Scottish Cup, with the Highland League club proving stern-opposition as they took an early lead only for Michael Moffat to score two second half goals. The Fourth Round of the Scottish Cup saw Ayr United make another trip up to Station Park to face fellow Second Division side, Forfar Athletic and David Sinclair gave The Honest Men an early lead but his goal was later cancelled out by two second half Forfar goals saw Ayr exit the competition
At least by the time that United beat Albion Rovers 5-2 at Somerset Park in February it looked certain automatic relegation for the tn_Albion Rovers (h) 16 Feb 2013Coatbridge men. Further good results saw Ayr United once again flirting with promotion and four goals from striker Michael Moffat at Arbroath in March lightened hearts. The new manager was all things considered producing a competant and improving side.
Two bad 2-1 defeats at home against Stenhousemuir and Brechin City mitigated against Ayr entering a play off position by mid-March. However United conceded points too easily in the later stages of the season. The few wins that were obtained ensured that relegation was avoided, the win against Albion Rovers in April being the all important win, but even then the play off promotion places were on the horizon.
However losses were ensuring that this option was denied the Honest men. The season generally ‘died’ with United seemingly unable to offer anything that may constitute a serious challenge with many odd goal defeats that a little extra effort may have seen them win and attain promotion.
Ayr’s formed remained inconsistent throughout the rest of the season; with six wins including a 5-2 win at home to Albion Rovers in which Michael Moffat and a 4-1 win at Arbroath where Moffat got all four of Ayr’s goals, nine loses including a devastating 4-0 loss at Stenhousemuir that lead to Ayr losing the next and last two games of the season at home to Arbroath and Away to Forfar Athletic .The later games of the season were marred by indiscipline with Ayr having players sent off in almost every game.
Supporters clamboured for a beeter effort and ethos in the following season.
|
Date |
Opponents |
H/A |
Competition |
Score Ayr First |
Att |
Programme Issued |
Comments |
|
14/07/2012 |
Motherwell |
H |
Friendly |
4-0 |
825 |
Yes |
Combined Programme |
|
16/07/2012 |
Partick Thistle |
H |
Friendly |
1-4 |
|
Yes |
Combined Programme |
|
18/07/2012 |
Bolton Wanderers |
H |
Friendly |
1-1 |
|
Yes |
Combined Programme |
|
21/07/2012 |
Glentoran |
H |
Friendly |
1-1 |
|
Yes |
Combined Programme |
|
28/07/2012 |
East Stirling |
A |
Ramsdens Cup |
1-3 |
493 |
Yes |
|
|
04/08/2012 |
Clyde |
H |
Scottish League Cup |
6-1 |
1,022 |
Yes |
|
|
11/08/2012 |
Stenhousemuir |
H |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
1,253 |
Yes |
|
|
18/08/2012 |
Arbroath |
A |
2nd Division |
2-4 |
714 |
Yes |
|
|
25/08/2012 |
Forfar Athletic |
H |
2nd Division |
2-3 |
1,094 |
Yes |
|
|
29/08/2012 |
St Mirren |
A |
Scottish League Cup |
1-5 |
|
Yes |
|
|
01/09/2012 |
Stranraer |
A |
2nd Division |
0-2 |
772 |
Yes |
|
|
15/09/2012 |
Queen of the South |
H |
2nd Division |
2-4 |
1,373 |
Yes |
|
|
22/09/2012 |
East Fife |
A |
2nd Division |
3-2 |
|
Yes |
|
|
29/09/2012 |
Brechin City |
H |
2nd Division |
3-0 |
993 |
Yes |
|
|
06/10/2012 |
Albion Rovers |
H |
2nd Division |
2-1 |
1,023 |
Yes |
|
|
20/10/2012 |
Alloa Athletic |
A |
2nd Division |
0-1 |
595 |
Yes |
|
|
27/10/2012 |
Arbroath |
H |
2nd Division |
2-0 |
1,062 |
Yes |
|
|
03/11/2012 |
Inverness Clachnacuddin |
H |
Scottish Cup 3rd Rnd |
2-1 |
1,032 |
Yes |
|
|
10/11/2012 |
Stenhousemuir |
A |
2nd Division |
1-1 |
586 |
Yes |
|
|
17/11/2012 |
Stranraer |
H |
2nd Division |
2-1 |
1,006 |
Yes |
|
|
24/11/2012 |
Queen of the South |
A |
2nd Division |
0-2 |
1,953 |
Yes |
|
|
01/12/2012 |
Forfar Athletic |
A |
Scottish Cup 4th Rnd |
1-2 |
505 |
Yes |
|
|
15/12/2012 |
East Fife |
H |
2nd Division |
2-3 |
943 |
Yes |
|
|
26/12/2012 |
Albion Rovers |
A |
2nd Division |
0-2 |
509 |
Yes |
|
|
29/12/2012 |
Alloa Athletic |
H |
2nd Division |
0-0 |
927 |
Yes |
|
|
02/01/2013 |
Queen of the South |
H |
2nd Division |
1-5 |
1,216 |
Yes |
|
|
05/01/2013 |
Stranraer |
A |
2nd Division |
1-0 |
803 |
Yes |
|
|
12/01/2013 |
Forfar Athletic |
A |
2nd Division |
1-2 |
479 |
Yes |
|
|
19/1/2013 |
Stenhousemuir |
H |
2nd Division |
Postponed |
|
Yes |
|
|
26/01/2013 |
East Fife |
A |
2nd Division |
3-3 |
514 |
Yes |
|
|
09/02/2013 |
Alloa Athletic |
A |
2nd Division |
2-2 |
521 |
Yes |
|
|
16/02/2013 |
Albion Rovers |
H |
2nd Division |
5-2 |
1,064 |
Yes |
|
|
19/02/2013 |
Brechin City |
A |
2nd Division |
1-2 |
412 |
Yes |
|
|
23/02/2013 |
Forfar Athletic |
H |
2nd Division |
2-1 |
1,008 |
Yes |
|
|
26/02/2013 |
Stenhousemuir |
H |
2nd Division |
1-2 |
821 |
No |
Programme from 19th Jan used |
|
02/03/2013 |
Arbroath |
A |
2nd Division |
4-1 |
651 |
Yes |
|
|
05/03/2013 |
Brechin City |
H |
2nd Division |
1-2 |
631 |
Yes |
|
|
09/03/2013 |
Queen of the South |
A |
2nd Division |
0-2 |
1,471 |
Yes |
|
|
16/03/2013 |
Stranraer |
H |
2nd Division |
2-1 |
1,022 |
Yes |
|
|
23/03/2013 |
Brechin City |
A |
2nd Division |
1-2 |
427 |
Yes |
|
|
30/03/2013 |
East Fife |
H |
2nd Division |
2-1 |
956 |
Yes |
|
|
06/04/2013 |
Alloa Athletic |
H |
2nd Division |
0-2 |
898 |
Yes |
|
|
13/04/2013 |
Albion Rovers |
A |
2nd Division |
3-1 |
475 |
Yes |
|
|
20/04/2013 |
Stenhousemuir |
A |
2nd Division |
0-4 |
497 |
Yes |
|
|
27/04/2013 |
Arbroath |
H |
2nd Division |
0-1 |
834 |
Yes |
|
|
04/05/2013 |
Forfar Athletic |
A |
2nd Division |
1-2 |
622 |
Yes |
|
|
|
2nd Division |
Pld |
|
Home |
|
Away |
|
Overall |
|
Pts |
GD |
||||||||||||
|
2012/13 |
|
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
Queen of the South |
36 |
|
15 |
3 |
0 |
41 |
9 |
|
14 |
2 |
2 |
51 |
14 |
|
29 |
5 |
2 |
92 |
23 |
|
92 |
69 |
|
2 |
Alloa Athletic |
36 |
|
9 |
4 |
5 |
31 |
19 |
|
11 |
3 |
4 |
31 |
16 |
|
20 |
7 |
9 |
62 |
35 |
|
67 |
27 |
|
3 |
Brechin City |
36 |
|
12 |
1 |
5 |
44 |
30 |
|
7 |
3 |
8 |
28 |
29 |
|
19 |
4 |
13 |
72 |
59 |
|
61 |
13 |
|
4 |
Forfar Athletic |
36 |
|
10 |
2 |
6 |
39 |
38 |
|
7 |
1 |
10 |
28 |
36 |
|
17 |
3 |
16 |
67 |
74 |
|
54 |
-7 |
|
5 |
Arbroath |
36 |
|
9 |
4 |
5 |
28 |
22 |
|
6 |
3 |
9 |
19 |
35 |
|
15 |
7 |
14 |
47 |
57 |
|
52 |
-10 |
|
6 |
Stenhousemuir |
36 |
|
8 |
5 |
5 |
27 |
22 |
|
4 |
8 |
6 |
32 |
37 |
|
12 |
13 |
11 |
59 |
59 |
|
49 |
0 |
|
7 |
Ayr United |
36 |
|
8 |
2 |
8 |
30 |
30 |
|
4 |
3 |
11 |
23 |
35 |
|
12 |
5 |
19 |
53 |
65 |
|
41 |
-12 |
|
8 |
Stranraer |
36 |
|
7 |
4 |
7 |
27 |
33 |
|
3 |
3 |
12 |
16 |
38 |
|
10 |
7 |
19 |
43 |
71 |
|
37 |
-28 |
|
9 |
East Fife |
36 |
|
5 |
4 |
9 |
25 |
28 |
|
3 |
4 |
11 |
25 |
37 |
|
8 |
8 |
20 |
50 |
65 |
|
32 |
-15 |
|
10 |
Albion Rovers |
36 |
|
5 |
2 |
11 |
28 |
39 |
|
2 |
1 |
15 |
17 |
43 |
|
7 |
3 |
26 |
45 |
82 |
|
24 |
-37 |
