Ladbrokes League One

AYR UNITED 1

PETERHEAD 2

by Stewart McConnell

PUNCHLESS Ayr crashed to their third defeat in four games against an on-form visiting side who leapfrogged them into second spot.

It was their second loss of the season against the Blue Toon, who defeated them 3-0 at Balmoor back in December and are now unbeaten in 12 games.

United were strangely subdued against the spirited northerners and created few chances.

Strikers Craig Moore and Jordan Preston were not given the service we normally see from the midfield and that was certainly a factor.

Hopefully it was just a bad day at the office.

However the Honest Men don't have long to re-group as they face a crunch clash away to leaders Dunfermline Athletic on Saturday.

Manager Ian McCall was disappointed with the display although not with the effort and said: "We didn't do enough to win the game although we don't think we deserved to beaten. The two goals we lost were poor. Peterhead are one of the better sides in the league. I wasn't hard on the players because they gave everything there's no doubt about it."

Still on a high after the easy win at Albion Rovers two weeks earlier United began the game strongly.

They won a free-kick 30 yards out in the opening minute and Brian Gilmour's set-piece was cleared for a throw-in by Scott Ross.

A minute later at the other end Peter Murphy played the ball back to goalkeeper Greg Fleming to keep alert visiting striker Rory McAllister at bay.

The visitors had the best chance of the game in four minutes as a rasping 25-yard drive from Shane Sutherland was saved on the line by Fleming. Then in seven minutes the Ayr goalie saved at McAllister's feet.

McAllister threaded a through ball to Kevin Dzierzawski who ballooned a shot over the bar from eight yards in 16 minutes as the high-flying visitors underlined just why they are the form side in the division.

Ayr forged their best chance of the match in 20 minutes when Jamie Adams shot narrowly over the bar from 22 yards. Gerry McLauchlan was booked for a soft foul in 22 minutes and Shane Sutherland blasted the resultant free-kick from 20 yards into the top corner. Ayr had a lucky escape a minute later when the unmarked Sutherland shot narrowly wide from 20 yards. However it was all-square in 24 minutes when Moore intercepted a poor pass-back and rifled the ball home from 10 yards.

Home midfielder Brian Gilmour intercepted a pass aimed at McAllister just outside the box in 32 minutes. Then a minute later at the other end a speculative 25-yard from Mikey Donald was well saved by Graeme Smith.

However Peterhead restored their advantage in 41 minutes when Jamie Adams lost possession near the centre circle and the ball went over Gerry McLauchlan's head and broke to McAllister who shot home from eight yards, despite the best efforts of skipper Nicky Devlin to clear the ball.

A minute after the break McLauchlan saw his header from eight yards well saved. Then in 47 minutes Ryan Stevenson shot well over the bar from 25 yards. McLauchlan found himself in a good position in 53 minutes but shot just wide from eight yards. Adams set up Craig Moore who shot home from eight yards but the "goal' was chalked off for offside in 61 minutes. A minute later Ayr came close when a 20-yard Peter Murphy free-kick hit the top of the bar and went over.

Alan Trouten headed just over the bar from six yards two minutes later as Ayr battled to try and get back into the match.

Peterhead came close in 80 minutes when Sutherland saw his shot from eight yards well saved by Fleming.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men a minute from time when Scott Ross was harshly given a second yellow card after tripping substitute Alan Forrest just outside the box in 89 minutes.

Three minutes into injury-time a Stevenson free-kick was blocked by the wall as Jim McInally's side held on to win.

AYR UNITED: Fleming; Devlin, Donald, Murphy, McLauchlan, Stevenson, Gilmour (Forrest 61), Adams, Preston, Trouten, Moore (Wardrope 84). Subs not used: Newman, Graham, Crawford, Muir, McKenzie.

STARMAN: Nicky Devlin 3

Gerry McLauchlan 2

Mikey Donald 1.