Published: Tuesday, 13th January, 2009 12:43pm

All square for Academy under-19s and under-17s

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Both held to one-all draws at the weekend

SFL Youth Division Under 19: STIRLING ALBION 1 AYR UNITED 1

United were denied victory in controversial fashion at Stirling on Sunday as the home side snatched a last gasp equaliser EIGHT minutes into injury time!

The Ayr youngsters had looked set for a deserved three points on the road after taking the lead through a stunning first half strike from Aaron Scoular until the referee found it appropriate to add on the lengthy period of stoppage time.

In the first half it was the home side who had the better of the play with their number six and number eight running the show in the middle of the park but with 10 minutes of the half remaining, Scoular fired Ayr ahead with a 25-yard drive that gave the home keeper no chance.

At the break United changed their system to deal with the Albion midfield threat and were now the attacking force in the game with Boyle and Connolly wreaking havoc with the home defence.

United were dominant and went close on several occasions, hitting the bar and the post.

The Albion keeper also made an outstanding save to deny a fizzing strike from Aaron Connolly that was heading into the top right hand corner. However their failure to take their chances was punished deep into injury time and they had to settle for a point.

Coach Malky Boyle said," The positives, after getting to grips with the middle of the park, I feel we controlled the game and possibly played some of the best football of the season. The negatives are we lose our concentration and start to try to do to much on the ball, if the players can improve this aspect of their game, then they are going in the right direction".

SFL Youth Division Under 17: AYR UNITED 1 ROSS COUNTY 1

The wind denied United"s under 17"s all three points in a game that was ruined as a spectacle by atrocious weather conditions.

With the game tied at one-each in the second half, United"s Dale Moore broke clear and chipped the advancing keeper.

As he ran away celebrating what he thought was a fine winning goal, a gust of wind caught the ball and blew it back into play to earn County a point.

Ayr adapted to the conditions better in the first half and both Brian Taylor and Scott Arthur went close early on but it was County who took the lead against the run of play when a lack of communication between two United defenders allowed the visitor's number eight to race clear and beat keeper Ross McBride.

United were level 10 minutes before the break when Paul Bunten used the conditions to score directly from a corner kick.

Ryan McMunn kept Ayr level going into the break when he cleared the ball off the line after McBride had done well to save a one on one situation but McMunn got back to clear the strikers second attempt.

In the second half, United dominated possession but other than that freak incident that denied Moore, they couldn"t turn their dominance into points.

Manager John Stewart said that the 'only winner today was the weather. In normal circumstances it would probably have been called off but the Ross County players had travelled over five hours to play the game and although the boys did well considering the conditions, this was not the type of game in which to judge abilities."