Ayr United have flown the flag for SFL clubs extremely well in cup competitions in recent seasons and they are doing it again this weekend when they face Hibernian for the second year running, this time at the Quarter Final stage of the Scottish Cup.
The Honest Men defeated the Edinburgh side in a Fourth Round replay last January and this season enhanced their cup specialist reputation further by seeing off Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Heart of Midlothian and St. Mirren in the Scottish Communities League Cup on their way to a Hampden Semi-Final with Kilmarnock.
In-between times, the only part-time side in the First Division have been punching above their perceived weight in the League and Tuesday night’s 2-1 success over hosts Livingston was their third win in four games and moved the Somerset Park side up into eighth place.
During the last 18 month period that included a Promotion Play-Off success over Brechin City, one young player has become a fixture in the Ayr team and he has put the disappointment of a high profile own goal behind him to score his first ever senior goal and earn a call up to a Scotland Under-21 training camp.
Jonathan Tiffoney was more than delighted to be interviewed the morning after Ayr’s midweek 2-1 success at Livingston and he said: “That was a great midweek win and got us out of the bottom two. Staying there is our aim this season.”
Tiffoney started his SFL career at Queen’s Park and played for their Under-17 and Under-19 sides as he explained: “I really enjoyed my time at Lesser Hampden and it is quite funny that Alan Trouten was one of the first team players when I was there and now he is a team-mate of mine here.
“I left Queen’s Park at the Under-19 age group and went out to Junior side East Kilbride Thistle for six months and that is where Ayr signed me. Playing in the Juniors was good and not as rough and tumble as people make out. I enjoyed it and it taught me a lot.”
Tiffoney added: “I came in and joined Ayr United’s Academy and also did a college course for a year. I went there as a right midfielder but the Manager Brian Reid put me in the first team as a right back and apart from one gap, I have been a regular ever since the start of last season.”
The now 21-year-old made his debut in an ALBA Challenge Cup game against Airdrie United at Alloa Athletic’s Recreation Park as the Diamonds' artificial surface at The Excelsior Stadium was not quite ready at the end of July 2010.
Tiffoney said: “That was one of the best days of my life and I did well enough to keep my place until the Manager brought in Jim Lauchlan, who is a very experienced player, at the start of 2011. I was sent off a couple of times in quick succession and that allowed Jim to get in so I was out for a wee while.”
Ayr had finished second to Livingston in last season's Second Division Championship and after seeing off Forfar Athletic in the Play-Off Semi-Final, they faced Brechin City in the two legged Final. The first game ended tied at 1-1 and that was still the aggregate score when Tiffoney came off the bench three minutes from half-time to replace an injured Lauchlan in the second leg at Glebe Park.
Within seconds, disaster struck as Tiffoney explained: “I scored a cracker of an own goal when I simply passed it away from our goalkeeper Alan Martin and into the net. He was a cracking goalie but between the two of us, we really got that one wrong.”
The half-time whistle sounded and Tiffoney said: “My stomach was still sinking when I went into the dressing room and to be honest, the boss gave me a bit of a row but then said to just get on with things.”
Tiffoney did more than just get on with things as he explained: “I set up one of the goals, we won 2-1 and I ended up winning the Man-of-the-Match award. There was a huge backing from the Ayr fans that day in the stand behind the goal and down the side of the pitch.
“It was a great fight back and a great party back in Ayr afterwards.”
The youngster's form in an Ayr strip last season saw him invited into join Billy Stark’s Scotland Under-21 squad just over a year ago at a training event and he also got to wear dark blue in a game.
“That was a fantastic experience and I was mixing with SPL players like Gregg Wylde and Kyle Hutton. I am only part-time but the days I am not playing I go to the gym to do fitness work and it must be paying off.
“Billy was the first team Head Coach when I was a youngster at Queen’s Park and occasionally, he would take sessions when I was in the Under-19s so it was great to be working with him again.”
Tiffoney added: “I must have been playing well with Ayr to be included and I got on in the friendly game they played against Morton for the last half hour. I loved being involved and it would be great to be involved in another event like that again.”
Ayr have carried on this season where they left off the last one with Tiffoney saying: “This season has been excellent and we have beaten three SPL teams in cup competition so far and it would be great to make that four. ”
Tiffoney also found the net at the right end for his first goal in senior football this season and it really was at the right end as he said: “I scored with a diving header against Raith Rovers on Boxing Day. The goal I scored at is the one that the Ayr fans stand behind at Somerset Park and they told me my header was in by cheering as I had my eyes closed when I met it.”
The following month Ayr travelled to Glasgow in a huge game with Tiffoney saying: “We got to The Scottish Communities League Cup Semi-Final at Hampden which was a new ground for me to play at as I had only ever played at Lesser Hampden when I had been there.
“That day was the best experience I have ever had at a football club and we almost held out for the entire game. It was really hard to take to lose by a goal in extra-time but we have bounced back well. We have managed to pick up some good results in the League and are doing well after a run of not winning games.”
The battle for League survival can be forgotten about for this weekend with Tiffoney saying: “I played against Hibs in the two games last season and it was great to win the game that went out live on Sky Sports. Their Manager Pat Fenlon came to spy on us at Livingston on Tuesday and I would imagine he was impressed as we played well and deserved our win.
“We beat them last year with a piece of magic from Mark Roberts and Marko can always produce a piece of magic so hopefully, he will do so again this weekend. We have a good chance and we have shown before that we can win games like this.”
.png){kind=logo}
