United in Battle

Ayr edged out by Tangerines in Youth Cup

After all the pre-match hype had settled down, Ayr United and Dundee United took to the turf at Somerset Park in front of 194 hardy souls who braved the damp and cold conditions.

With senior squad members Darren Brownlie, Mark Shankland & Roddy Paterson all additions to the current under 19s side, Ayr’s team looked in a confident mood as they started proceedings.

The visiting side looked a tough opposition going into this match after leading the SPL under 20 league for the majority of the current season but Ayr were not allowing their opposition to overawe them and right from the starting whistle, took the game to the opposition looking for an opening that would break the deadlock.

Ayr were to get an early chance through Roddy Paterson on the edge of the box but watched as the big Dundee United keeper Phil Anderson stuck out his hand to fingertip the ball round the post but the games momentum had been set at an electric pace that would not stop until the final whistle.

The Dundee United players were showing great composure on the ball and worked from front to back with efficiency, gaining ground down the flanks with overlapping runs from the offensive minded wide men.

It was a break down the flank that created the opening goal for the visiting side as Ayr’s Jackson Longridge was adjudged to have fouled Jordan Moore in the box and the referee pointed to the spot after a long discussion with the stand side assistant.

Moore picked himself up to take the spot kick, slotting home into the bottom right hand corner despite the best efforts of Ayr’s keeper Wullie Muir.

Ayr might have been behind but they were anything but out of this match as the game continued to swing from end to end.

Wullie Muir was involved again minutes later, this time with a boot to the face from the impressive Ryan Gauld but to his credit, the keeper jumped to his feet to defend the attacker from the yellow card wielding referee but his defence was in vain as the your striker received the first booking of the game.

Ayr’s Mark Dyer received a talking to from the man in the middle after dumping an orange shirted midfielder on the deck on 35 minutes in a spell that saw Ayr pressing the Terrors defensive line probing for an opening – looking for a goal.

Neil Slooves played a tremendous ball through to Dyer but he was muscled out to win a corner just prior to Mark Shankland lofting a ball over the top for Roddy Paterson and despite his pace and the excellent ball, the opposition defender managed to toe poke the ball away from danger as Paterson appeared to be bearing down on Anderson in the Tangerine goal.

Darren McGill for Ayr went into the book despite winning a free kick on the half way line after reacting to a heavy challenge just before the break but the resultant free kick danger drifted away in the wind to end the first half action with Dundee United leading by the penalty goal that had been dispatched earlier in the half.

Dundee United were an impressive unit in the opening 45 minutes, in particular Ryan Gauld, Jordan Moore, Scott Fraser & Ryan Ferguson all proving to be a handful when on the offensive but Ayr’s Steven Hutchison, Mark Dyer, Darren McGill & Jackson Longridge were just as dynamic as their counterparts in thwarting attacks and starting offensive probes into their opponents defensive areas.

Ayr started the second half with all guns blazing and almost grabbed an equalizer straight from the off as McGill burst into the box, fighting to win the ball over and over before driving in a shot that drifted past the near post but the intent to push for a goal was apparent in bucket loads but in keeping with the end to nature of the game thus far, Dundee United steamed back up the field but Muir in the Ayr goal was equal to Scott Smiths strike.

Paterson was next up with an effort for Ayr and as he saw his shot blocked, up popped Shankland to pick up the loose ball but again the Tangerines defence were alert and pushed the young striker wide of goal to snuff out the danger.

This game was a joy to watch as the result continued to hang in the balance. With every attacking move, every pass, every save by the keepers the game moved like fog rolling in from the surrounding Ayrshire hills.

However, it was Dundee United that would strike home a nail in Ayr’s quarter final hopes when the ever impressive Ryan Gauld darted through the Ayr backline to poke a shot goal bound only to see it bounce back from the post and just when it looked like Ayr had been let off the hook, it was Gauld that reacted quickest to the rebound to slot it home under the goalie to give his side a 2-0 lead.

Gauld had been a real thorn in the side of the Ayr players all match and his runs down the wing were impressive and greyhound like even when up against Jackson Longridge, who is no slouch when sprinting from the blocks.

Dyer was next to blast over from the edge of the box for Ayr and moment’s later McGill tee-d up Longridge whose bullet shot whizzed past the far post with Anderson in goals rooted to the spot.

Time was running out for the Honest Men and a third goal would have ended any realistic hope of clawing their way back into this game.

A third goal nearly arrived in the form of a Moore strike but only the foot of the post kept the score line at 2-0 and from the clearance, Ayr broke up field in a three man move with Shankland playing in Paterson who laid the ball off to Hutchison but up popped Darren Petrie in defence to block the run into the box to clear the counter attack by the home side.

Brownlie managed a header on goal with 15 minutes remaining; Paterson ran through on goal but his shot went wide from six yards whilst under pressure from Paddy Barratt and a Steven Hutchison cross nearly caught the keeper out at the front post and although the big stopper did manage to re-adjust his feet, he fumbled it out of play in a real heart in mouth moment.

Ferguson, Moore, Fraser and Gauld all had efforts aimed at the Ayr goalie in the remaining time with Muir in goal needing to be on his toes to keep the ball from bulging the goal net behind him but when the last grains of sand looked to be filtering from the time clock, up popped Mark Shankland to slot home from 18 yards low into the bottom left hand corner after a route one ball from his keeper.

The score line read 2-1 as the game entered into injury time at the end and despite a valiant effort to further penetrate the visitors rear-guard, the referee blew his whistle to end the game in the Tangerine shirted Dundee United side.

Both sides had put everything into this match and it was a shame to had to end but it was the high flying Dundee United side that progress to the next round of the cup but Ayr can hold their heads held high that they strained every sinew and fibre in attempting to overcome the odds in defeating the SPL side.

Ayr coach Tom Robertson said afterwards: “That was a thrill a minute and when we scored near the end, it was a heart in mouth moment as we fought to try and get another in the few minutes that remained. After losing the penalty in the first half, I thought the players showed real spirit and created some decent chances to equalize but Dundee United added another in the second half and it left us a mountain to climb.”

“We can have no complaints, we played well but Dundee United scored more goals than us and that’s what football is all about. We wish them all the best in the quarter finals.”

By Marc Roseblade