EXACTLY 55 years after John F Kennedy went head-to-head with Richard Nixon in a pivotal US Presidential Election TV debate, United put their credentials as frontrunners to the test.

But while Kennedy emerged victorious in what was a landmark moment in TV history as he went on to win the 1960 Election, the Honest Men failed to deliver a knockout punch.

The leaders conceded a last gasp goal to deny them the opportunity to seize momentum in the form of a significant lead in the race for promotion.

However in common with Kennedy all those years ago, they are still in the box seat and others have to catch them.

They remain a point clear at the top of the table and when you consider the dramatic end to last season - which saw them stay up by the skin of their teeth with victory away to Forfar Athletic - that is quite a transformation.

Boss Ian McCall has instilled in the team a winning mentality but now they are the summit they must look to ensure they stay there.

Later McCall conceded it was a chance missed by his side and said: “I don’t think we deserved to get beaten, but don’t feel we did enough to win the game. The real dominant part of the game was the 20 minutes after we scored when we played a wee bit like we can and we had two or three great opportunities to kill the game off and we should have done that and that’s why the players are gutted. We have come accustomed to winning games.” United went into this match on the crest of a wave with five wins from their previous six league matches and were looking to keep the pressure on their promotion rivals.

However McCall adopted a more cautious approach than he had been suggesting in midweek with just two - Jordan Preston and Craig Moore playing upfront.

The Blue Toon Forged the first opportunity in two minutes when Rory McAllister ran on to a long through pass but home goalie Greg Fleming raced out to beat him to the ball just outside the box. Then two minutes later United defender Gerry McLauchlan made a telling challenge on the same player 20 yards out as he was about to shoot.

United had a great opportunity in 10 minutes when Peter Murphy swung a cross into the box which was deflected into the path of Jordan Preston to shoot over the bar from 12 yards.

At the other end Shane Sutherland sent a cross into the box but Paddy Boyle easily cleared the danger in 14 minutes.

Home skipper Nicky Devlin made a superb block inside the box to keep out a Nicky Riley shot two minutes later.

Moore had a shot from 10 yards saved in 16 minutes as play moved from end-to-end.

United were awarded a free-kick in 21 minutes. The set-piece from Brian Gilmour was saved by Graeme Smith but broke back to the same player to shoot over the bar from 25 yards.

Murphy then sent a 40-yard free-kick straight into Smith’s arms in 26 minutes.

Robbie Crawford had an effort from 30 yards well saved four minutes later. McLauchlan made a superb challenge on McAllister just outside the box as was about to shoot in 35 minutes. Cammy Kerr shot well over the bar for Peterhead in 43 minutes.

A minute after the break home goalie Fleming made a superb reflex save to keep out a McAllister shot from 12 yards.

United were awarded a free-kick 22 yards out a minute later after Devlin made a 30-yard run only to be chopped down by Jamie Redman. But Murphy’s delivery was straight into Smith’s arms.

Ayr came close when the ball broke to Jordan Preston 16 yards out in 51 minutes, but the young striker shot just over the bar.

Moore saw his shot spectacularly tipped over the bar by Smith in 53 minutes. However from the resultant corner by Gilmour, Devlin powerfully headed home at the back post, sending the home fans into raptures.

Preston made a surging run into the box and had his shot deflected wide in 65 minutes. Then a minute later Preston sent a precision pass to Moore whose angled shot from eight yards was well saved by Smith.

Leighton McIntosh shot home from six yards for Peterhead in 71 minutes but the flag was up for offside.

Fleming saved on the line to foil Jamie Redman in 71 minutes.

McLauchlan made a great challenge to foil McAllister just outside the box in 83 minutes. A minute later he was adjudged to have fouled the same player just outside the box. But the resultant set-piece from McAllister went just over the bar.

Ayr always looked like they would need a second goal and their failure to cash in on other chances came back to haunt them four minutes from time when Redman outjumped the home defence to power home a header from a Kevin Dzierzawski corner-kick.

AYR UNITED: Fleming; Devlin, Boyle, Docherty, McLauchlan, Murphy, Gilmour, Crawford (Donald 73); Preston (Graham 80); Moore, Trouten. Subs not used: Newman, Forrest, Caldwell, Muir, McCracken.

STARMAN Brian Gilmour 3 Nicky Devlin 2 Jordan Preston 1.

Leaderboard Brian Gilmour 9 Ross Docherty 7 Gerry McLauchlan 6 Greg Fleming 5 Jordan Preston 5 Alan Forrest 5 Gerry McLauchlan 4 Martyn Campbell 4 Peter Murphy 4 Jamie Adams 3 Craig Moore 3 Alan Trouten 2 Ross Caldwell 1.