Airdrieonians 2
Ayr United 1
League (Championship)

Match Report

Airdrieonians produced a dramatic late comeback to beat Ayr United 2-1 at the Albert Bartlett Stadium on 25 April 2026, with Robbie Mahon and Charlie McArthur scoring the goals that kept the Diamonds’ Championship survival hopes alive. Ayr had taken the lead through Leon King in the first half, but the home side fought back with two second-half strikes to win a theatrical contest.

The match began with Airdrie enjoying the better of the opening stages, though their early penalty appeals were waved away by referee Lloyd Wilson. Ayr gradually grew into the game and took a deserved lead in the 26th minute when Leon King met a Stuart Bannigan corner to power home a close-range header.

Airdrie responded early in the second half and brought on Robbie Mahon at the hour mark, and the Irishman made an immediate impact. With his very first touch in the 68th minute, Mahon flicked home from inside the six-yard box after Craig Ross had got his head to Dom Thomas’s corner to level the score.

The decisive moment came in the 84th minute when Charlie McArthur, the January signing, shaped up and smashed an outstanding left-footed volley beyond Ayr goalkeeper David Mitchell to put Airdrie ahead. Ayr pushed hard for an equaliser, with Ben Dempsey almost nicking a last-minute point from a curling corner, but Airdrie goalkeeper Harry Stone was alert to grab the ball as it sneaked under the bar.

The result was a huge boost for Airdrie, whose Championship destiny remained in their own hands after the victory. The Diamonds were left within two points of eighth-placed Morton, with a vital last-day visit to face Ian Murray’s side at Cappielow to secure their top-flight status.

Match report written by AUFC Archive