Ayr United 1
Gretna 3
League (Second Division)

Match Report

CHAMPIONS elect Gretna eased to a comfortable three points at Somerset Park as Ayr’s winless run continued.

First half goals from Kenny Deuchar and Stevie Tosh had the big spending Borderers in control before captain Chris Innes sealed an easy win in the second half.

Raymond Logan netted a consolation as Ayr rallied late on but it was far too little too late to rescue a game that was gone by half time.

United included former Albion Rovers left back Jered Stirling as a trialist in a side which showed six changes from last week’s loss at Partick.

But Ayr were chasing this game from the start when Gretna took an early lead through goal machine Deuchar who stooped to head home Ryan McGuffie’s cross from 12 yards.

The table toppers then moved through the gears and should have been two up inside 13 minutes but David Bingham wasted a great chance when lashing a Derek Collins cross into the ground with the goal gaping.

United were barely out of their own half during the early stages and suffered another blow when Dougie Ramsay limped off after a challenge with Bingham.

And matters worsened in the 27th minute when Gretna doubled their lead through a freak strike from Tosh whose cross floated into the top corner past a bemused Mark McGeown.

It took Ayr 40 minutes to threaten the visitors goal when Paul Weaver’s shot through a ruck of players was hooked off the line by Tosh but it was a mere flash during a first half of dominance from the league leaders.

And it was almost game, set and match within 60 seconds of the restart when a Gavin Skelton through ball evaded James McKinstry but Deuchar’s heavy touch prevented him from going on to beat McGeown.

But it wasn’t long before the killer goal arrived when McGuffie’s cross was left by Stirling at the backpost and Innes arrived to slam home.

Gretna were rampant with Bingham and James Grady both going close to a fourth until Ayr finally woke up with the introduction of Craig Conway.

His free-kick was headed inches wide by Gareth Wardlaw before he laid another on a plate for Logan who slid in to shoot just wide.

Logan was on a mission to score and saw Alan Main spill his shot on the turn as United pressed for a consolation.

It almost arrived in the 73rd minute when substitute Chris Strain looked to have scored from a Paul Hyslop corner but Main somehow clawed the header away from the top corner.

But Ayr’s reward for fighting back did come 60 seconds later when Hyslop’s cross was headed down by Chris Robertson and Logan steamed in to ram home from six yards.

However, it wasn’t enough to stop Ayr’s winless run extending and this Friday’s visit of Raith now takes on even more importance as the Honest Men search for that elusive victory.

Match report written by Ayr United FC Official Website