Ladbrokes League One

AYR UNITED 2

STRANRAER 1

By Stewart McConnell

UNDERSTRENGTH United pulled out all the stops to complete a hat-trick of wins against the Blues and seal a playoff place.

A glorious opportunist second half strike from teenage midfielder Michael Wardrope - his first in Senior football - saw the Honest bounce back from two straight defeats with a hard-earned victory.

The hosts had five key players out through injury and suspension but still had more than enough to see off a visiting team managed by former Somerset Park boss Brian Reid.

Manager Ian McCall was impressed with his team’s performance and said afterwards: “We thoroughly deserved to win the game with half a team and missed two or three absolute sitters to put the game to bed. For their goal there was a stonewall foul on our goalie. But I am really proud of the players as they worked their socks off.”

It was the visiting side who made the brighter start and in the opening minute Andy Graham played the ball back to goalie Greg Fleming following a 25-yard free-kick from Ryan Thomson.

Then former Killie and Dunfermline man Willie Gibson dodged two challenges inside the box in four minutes before whipping a cross into the box which was booted clear by Mikey Donald.

Less than a minute later a thunderous 25-yard drive from Craig Pettigrew glanced just over the bar. A Gibson effort from 22 yards went across the face of goal and spun inches wide in eight minutes.

However Ayr quickly came into the game and forged their first opening in 11 minutes when Ryan Stevenson sent a precision pass to Alan Trouten who volleyed inches wide from yards in 11 minutes.

Stevenson had an effort from the edge the box deflected wide two minutes later.

However the deadlock was broken in 17 minutes when Wardrope sent a superb pass to Trouten who blasted a shot in off the post from 10 yards.

Ayr won a free-kick in 25 minutes when Paul Cairney clattered into Jordan Preston. But the set-piece from Peter Murphy was cleared by the visiting defence. Andrew Stirling burst into the box for the visitors and set up Mark McGuigan who took a tumble inside the box but was rightly booked for diving nine minutes later.

Murphy dispossessed McGuigan after Fleming came out of his goal two minutes later.

As Stranraer pushed, Liam Dick whipped in a cross which was confidently headed clear by Graham in 42 minutes. Stranraer came close a minute after the break when Thomson found Gibson to shoot inches wide from eight yards.

Then in 47 minutes goalscorer Trouten curled in an effort from 12 yards which curled just high and wide. Home striker Jordan Preston did all the hard work in 52 minutes, shrugging off two challenges and racing into the box before having his effort from 12 yards blocked by visiting goalie Cameron Belford.

The visitors had another opening in 57 minutes when Dick shot wide from 18 yards. Then a long range effort from 25 yards by Dick was well saved by Fleming on the hour.

However two minutes later United snatched the lead when Belford came out of his goal following a pass back but his first touch was too much. He failed to clear and lost a challenge to Stevenson and the ball broke to Wardrope who lobbed it over the keeper’s head and into the empty net from 35 yards.

As Ayr kept pushing a Stevenson shot from the edge of the box was deflected wide in 64 minutes.

The visitors pulled a goal back in 72 minutes when following a mix-up in the home defence Thomson headed the ball home from six yards.

United were unlucky not to score again in 80 minutes when Stevenson made a run and glanced an effort from 18 yards inches wide of target.

The Blues had a half chance four minutes from time when Scott Robertson shot just over the bar from 25 yards. A minute later a Wardrope shot from the edge of the box was skilfully turned round the post by Belford.

Then the keeper made a stunning reflex save to foil the same player from 25 yards as Ayr comfortably saw the game out for a vital win.

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

STARMAN: Alan Trouten 3

Michael Wardrope 2

Ryan Stevenson 1.