League 1 – Dismal Start For Ayr Spells End for Manager Roberts
The 2014/15 season was the 118th season of competitive football in Scotland. The domestic season began on 26 July 2014, with the start of the Challenge Cup. The Scottish Professional Football League season commenced on 9 August, the weekend after the conclusion of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Ayr United began the season in confident mood with manager Mark Shanks at the helm. A good early start by Ayr in the league was already beginning to fall apart bytn_Morton (h) 9 Aug 2014 September and United found their league position move from promotion hopeful to relegation likelies.
A change of manager was called for and the board waited far too long in sacking Mark Robertsand bringing in Ian McCall.
Results did not immediately improve and it seemed that the rot in the Ayr camp was too deep to be resolved in the current season. With Ayr still in safety ahead of Stenhousemuir in the relegation slot, hope still persisted. A chance to consolidate that position was lost in early March when Ayr could only manage a 0-0 home draw with Stenhousemuir.
Only two draws were obtained in the run into the season end and good results for ‘Muir had placed Ayr in the relegation play-off position though only by a point.
Manager McCall re-emphasised his belief in the players and in the second last match of the season Unitedtn_Dunfermline Ath (h) 10 Oct 2014 Lge 1 recorded a glorious 4-0 win at home to Stirling putting them ahead of Stenhousemuir.
But Ayr had to travel to Forfar for the last match of the season needing a win for certain safety and although Athletic were seeking automatic promotion with a home win, Ayr knew that they had beaten Forfar on a few occasions in the season.
Sensationally Ayr produced one of their best performances of the season and recorded a fantastic 3-1 sending Stenhousemuir into the relegation play –offs and leaving Forfar Athletic to play out the promotion play-offs.
League 1 football was guaranteed for another season with new hopes of Championship football.
|
Date |
Opponents |
H/A |
Competition |
Score – Ayr First |
Crowd |
Programme Issued |
Comments |
|
16/07/2014 |
Queens Park |
A |
Friendly |
3-2 |
|
No Issue |
|
|
19/07/2014 |
Crusaders |
H |
Friendly |
1-1 |
|
No Issue |
|
|
21/07/2014 |
Hurlford United |
A |
Friendly |
5-3 |
|
No Issue |
|
|
26/07/2014 |
Clyde |
A |
Challenge Cup – 1st Rnd |
0-2 |
689 |
Yes |
|
|
02/08/2014 |
East Stirlingshire |
A |
Scottish Communities Cup – 1st Rnd |
4-0 |
295 |
Yes |
|
|
09/08/2014 |
Morton |
H |
League 1 |
1-0 |
1,617 |
Yes |
|
|
16/08/2014 |
Stirling Albion |
A |
League 1 |
3-1 |
823 |
Yes |
|
|
23/08/2014 |
Forfar Athletic |
H |
League 1 |
2-0 |
1,156 |
Yes |
|
|
26/08/2014 |
Kilmarnock |
A |
Scottish Communities Cup – 2nd Rnd |
0-1 |
8,877 |
Yes |
|
|
30/08/2014 |
Stenhousemuir |
A |
League 1 |
1-1 |
669 |
Yes |
|
|
13/09/2014 |
Stranraer |
H |
League 1 |
0-2 |
1,414 |
Yes |
|
|
20/09/2014 |
Brechin City |
A |
League 1 |
4-2 |
537 |
Yes |
|
|
27/09/2014 |
Airdrieonians |
H |
League 1 |
2-3 |
1,185 |
Yes |
|
|
04/10/2014 |
Peterhead |
A |
League 1 |
0-2 |
506 |
Yes |
|
|
10/10/2014 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
H |
League 1 |
0-1 |
1,457 |
Yes |
|
|
18/10/2014 |
Morton |
A |
League 1 |
1-0 |
1,744 |
Yes |
|
|
25/10/2014 |
Brechin City |
H |
League 1 |
0-2 |
1,060 |
Yes |
|
|
01/11/2014 |
Alloa Athletic |
H |
Scottish Cup – 3rd Rnd |
1-1 |
784 |
Yes |
|
|
08/11/2014 |
Stranraer |
A |
League 1 |
1-3 |
630 |
Yes |
|
|
11/11/2014 |
Alloa Athletic |
A |
Scottish Cup – 3rd Rnd Replay |
0-4 |
420 |
Yes |
|
|
15/11/2014 |
Peterhead |
H |
League 1 |
2-3 |
792 |
Yes |
This match was subsequently declared void and to be replayed due to Peterhead fielding an ineligible player |
|
22/11/2014 |
Forfar Athletic |
A |
League 1 |
0-2 |
562 |
Yes |
|
|
06/12/2014 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
A |
League 1 |
2-4 |
2,509 |
Yes |
|
|
13/12/2014 |
Stenhousemuir |
H |
League 1 |
2-3 |
646 |
Yes |
|
|
20/12/2014 |
Stirling Albion |
H |
League 1 |
2-2 |
880 |
Yes |
|
|
27/12/2014 |
Airdrieonians |
A |
League 1 |
0-3 |
1,023 |
Yes |
|
|
03/01/2015 |
Stranraer |
H |
League 1 |
0-2 |
1,235 |
Yes |
|
|
10/01/2015 |
Brechin City |
A |
League 1 |
1-2 |
504 |
Yes |
|
|
17/01/2015 |
Morton |
H |
League 1 |
1-1 |
1,217 |
Yes |
|
|
24/01/2015 |
Stenhousemuir |
A |
League 1 |
1-1 |
651 |
Yes |
|
|
31/01/2015 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
H |
League 1 |
0-2 |
1,149 |
Yes |
|
|
07/02/2015 |
Airdrieonians |
H |
League 1 |
Postponed |
|
Yes |
|
|
14/02/2015 |
Stirling Albion |
A |
League 1 |
4-1 |
785 |
Yes |
|
|
21/02/2015 |
Peterhead |
A |
League 1 |
0-2 |
560 |
Yes |
|
|
28/02/2015 |
Forfar Athletic |
H |
League 1 |
1-0 |
1,017 |
Yes |
|
|
03/03/2015 |
Peterhead |
H |
League 1 |
3-1 |
693 |
No Issue |
Programme from 15th November used |
|
07/03/2015 |
Dunfermline Athletic |
A |
League 1 |
1-2 |
2,467 |
Yes |
|
|
10/03/2015 |
Airdrieonians |
H |
League 1 |
0-1 |
835 |
No Issue |
Programme from 7th February used |
|
14/03/2015 |
Stenhousemuir |
H |
League 1 |
0-0 |
1,055 |
Yes |
|
|
21/03/2015 |
Morton |
A |
League 1 |
1-2 |
1,552 |
Yes |
|
|
28/03/2015 |
Brechin City |
H |
League 1 |
2-2 |
986 |
Yes |
|
|
04/04/2015 |
Stranraer |
A |
League 1 |
0-1 |
1,010 |
Yes |
|
|
11/04/2015 |
Peterhead |
H |
League 1 |
2-4 |
998 |
Yes |
|
|
18/04/2015 |
Airdrieonians |
A |
League 1 |
0-2 |
881 |
Yes |
|
|
25/04/2015 |
Stirling Albion |
H |
League 1 |
4-0 |
1,608 |
Yes |
|
|
02/05/2015 |
Forfar Athletic |
A |
League 1 |
3-1 |
1,916 |
Yes |
|
|
Pos |
Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Greenock Morton (C, P) |
36 |
22 |
3 |
11 |
65 |
40 |
+25 |
69 |
Promotion to the Championship |
|
2 |
36 |
20 |
7 |
9 |
59 |
38 |
+21 |
67 |
Qualification for the Championship play-offs |
|
|
3 |
36 |
20 |
6 |
10 |
59 |
4 |
+55 |
66 |
||
|
4 |
36 |
15 |
14 |
7 |
58 |
46 |
+12 |
59 |
||
|
5 |
36 |
16 |
10 |
10 |
53 |
39 |
+14 |
58 |
|
|
|
6 |
36 |
14 |
9 |
13 |
51 |
54 |
-3 |
51 |
||
|
7 |
36 |
13 |
9 |
14 |
46 |
48 |
-2 |
48 |
||
|
8 |
36 |
9 |
7 |
20 |
45 |
60 |
-15 |
34 |
||
|
9 |
Stenhousemuir (O) |
36 |
8 |
5 |
23 |
42 |
63 |
-21 |
29 |
Qualification for the League One play-offs |
|
10 |
Stirling Albion (R) |
36 |
4 |
8 |
24 |
35 |
84 |
-49 |
20 |
Relegation to League Two |
