Ayr United 1 Dunfermline 1
Saturday, 30th Nov 2013Ross Millen in for Ryan Williamson; Andy Geggan (13) 0-1; Michael Donald (58) 1-1;
MATCH PICTURES
The Fourth Round of the Scottish Cup did not pair Dunfermline with fresh opponents, rather it was the side sitting just below them in League One. The first game between the sides ended up with an impressive 5-1 win after Michael Moffatt had put the Somerset Park side into an early lead.
For the cup tie Jim Jefferies was able to bring back Ross Millen and Ryan Williamson dropped back on to the bench. Stephen Husband was injured so Chris Kane found himself on the bench. Ayr United manager Mark Roberts brought in Brian Gilmour for Kyle McAusland.
After a minutes silence respecting the victims of the horrific helicopter accident in Glasgow the previous night, the tie got underway with Dunfermline in turquoise attacking the goal at the home end. First shot in fourth minute came from Millen on the end of a Ryan Wallace lay off but from 28 yards he sent the ball wildly over the bar.
The visitors forced the first corner of the day but Millen`s delivery from the left was easily cleared. Then in seven minutes Ayr got their first opportunity. Kevin Kyle controlled the ball and drilled a powerful shot from 25 yards that Scully parried out. Wallace squeezed in a shot at the other end but Alan Lithgow blocked that.
In 12 minutes the ball was cleared off the Pars line twice. It was Michael Donald who started the move in his own half and when the ball was swung over to Adam Hunter on the right a shot came in that was defended only as far as Anthony Marenghi and his effort from the edge of the box was cleared by Morris.
The corner was defended but obviously all this woke the Fifers up because when Millen crossed the next time from the right, Andy GEGGAN got the deft touch eight yards out to send the ball into the left side of the net. His sixth of the season made it 1-0 to the Pars.
There was then a fright for the home side when their keeper took a swish at a pass back but Ryan Thomson failed to capitalise on the chance. At the midpoint of the first half Kyle broke through again and Scully`s save saw the ball squirm under him and travel just wide of the right upright. From the resultant corner Lithgow headed narrowly wide.
Dunfermline won a corner in 26 minutes when Thomson`s header on a Wallace cross was deflected behind. Three minutes later Gilmour played Robbie Crawford into the Pars box but Scully saved although he took out Alex Whittle in the process. The Pars had eased up a bit until there was a good shot from Shaun Byrne. His left footed effort from 28 yards out was just inches over the top.
Byrne continued to cause Ayr problems, Scott McLaughlin bringing him down to award the Pars a free kick and then very quickly after that Byrne supplying the touch that almost got Thomson in on goal. Scully then held a Marenghi free kick from 30 yards and in 42 minutes Moffat got much closer beating Scully but sending the ball trundling wide right of target.
There was an uncomfortable end to the first half for the Pars defence with Scully again being severely tested. In the circumstances the half time whistle was very welcome. Everyone had been wary of Ayr`s top goalscorer Moffatt but it had been a first 45 minutes where Kevin Kyle had proved himself to be a considerable handful for the visitors` defence.
Half Time: Ayr United 0 Dunfermline 1
Ryan Thomson drove an early effort narrowly wide of the right goalpost and pressure was maintained with the first corner of the second half. Allan Smith was off target with a shot from 25 yards and Whittle sent over a good ball from the left but Ayr survived.
In 56 minutes Josh Falkingham escaped around the two defenders drawn out to him at the right corner flag but his fine cutback to Wallace was despatched out of the ground! Ayr could have been two behind but they then scored an equaliser. A long ball from the left successfully sought out the head of Kevin Kyle and it was DONALD who accepted the nod down to power his shot in from 18 yards past Scully. 1-1
The match got tougher with Morris getting away with stopping a Marenghi break in the centre cirlce and then the same player covering back to challenge Geggan and concede a corner. Morris got in a shot as the ball got jammed in the Ayr box and next Byrne punctuated his driving run with a fine effort that was just wide left.
Falkingham also crashed in two attempts from outside the box but still the Pars couldn`t find the net. Play did flow from end to end and Morris did really well to cover back and snuff out Moffatt on 74 minutes. Geggan swept the ball from left to right where Millen sent Falkingham powering into the box but his final ball was booted clear.
In 78 minutes Craig Dargo who had replaced Allan Smith slipped the ball through for Falkingham to break. Josh played a one two off Thomson before laying the chance off for Wallace but again his shooting sights were set too high. A fantastic move with a deeply disappointing finish.
Byrne fed Whittle another great chance with six minutes remaining but from closer in he too sent the ball out of the ground. Dunfermline pushed to try for the winner with Wallace working hard in search of an opening. Byrne looked as though he might have found it but he tried to beat too many challenges and the winning chance was gone. Ayr replied as the clock ran down but their efforts were weak when they got in front of goal.
In the end it will take a replay to see which of these clubs go through and that will be at East End Park on Wednesday 4th December.
NEXT MATCH: Scottish Cup (home) v Ayr United
Wednesday 4th December 2013, kick off 7.45pm
SUBS NOT USED: Willie Muir (GK), Craig Malcolm, Craig McCracken, Michael McGowan
SCORERS: Donald (58)
YELLOW CARD: Kyle (41)
DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully, Ross Millen, Kerr Young, Callum Morris, Alex Whittle; Shaun Byrne, Andy Geggan, Josh Falkingham (c), Allan Smith (Craig Dargo 71), Ryan Thomson, Ryan Wallace.
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Martin, Ryan Ferguson, Jordan Moore, Ryan Williamson, Chris Kane, Ryan Goodfellow (GK).
SCORERS: Geggan (13)
YELLOW CARD: Wallace (41)
REFEREE: Stephen Finnie
WEATHER: Fine 7C
ATTENDANCE 1391
NEXT MATCH: Scottish Cup Replay (home) v Ayr United
Wednesday 4th December 2013, kick off 7.45pm
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Preview Ayr United
Wednesday, 27th Nov 2013William Hill Scottish Cup: Ayr United defeated Queens Park 3-2 in Round Three and Dunfermline won through 5-3 at Elgin.
The William Hill Scottish Cup sends the Pars to Somerset Park on Saturday to play a side immediately below them in League One. The sides have already met this season on 28th September and Dunfermline recorded a resounding 5-1 victory at East End Park. That day after going behind to a Michael Moffat goal in the second minute, the home side hit back to be 4-1 up at half time. Whittle, Geggan and Falkingham hit good goals after Wallace had equalised from the spot. Wallace added another in the second half to thoroughly see off their opponents.
The sides have been drawn against each other six times and its 3-3 on progress with one tie being drawn. Ayr United have won the last two cup ties, winning 2-1 in Dunfermline in January 1993 and winning 3-0 in the last meeting in Ayr. That was in 2002 when Jimmy Calderwood`s much fancied side were dumped out of the Cup with Gus MacPherson scoring a spectacular own goal.
Cup Record
The Ayrshire club went on to knock out Dundee United that season before succumbing to Celtic. Since then they have never lost a Scottish Cup tie by more than two goals but on seven occasions out of the eleven they have exited in front of their own fans.
| Season |
AYR UNITED |
DUNFERMLINE | ||||||
| 2012-13 | A | Forfar | 1-2 | H | Hamilton | 0-2 | Round 5 | |
| 2011-12 | H | Hibs | 0-2 | H | Inverness CT | 1-3 | Round 4 | |
| 2010-11 | H | St Mirren | 1-2 | A | Aberdeen | 0-1 | Round 5 | |
| 2009-10 | A | Dundee | 1-2 | H | Celtic | 2-4 | Round 5 | |
| 2008-09 | A | Kilmarnock | 1-3 | N | Falkirk | 1-3 | Semi Final | |
| 2007-08 | A | Partick | 1-2 | A | Partick Thistle | 1-2 | Round 4 | |
| 2006-07 | H | St Johnstone | 4-5 | N | Celtic | 0-1 | Final | |
| 2005-06 | H | Inverness CT | 0-2 | H | Airdrie United | 3-4 | Round 3 | |
| 2004-05 | H | St Mirren | 0-2 | H | Celtic | 0-3 | Round 4 | |
| 2003-04 | H | Falkirk | 1-2 | N | Celtic | 1-3 | Final | |
Ayr United are five points behind the Fifers in the league but Moffat is the league`s top goalscorer with thirteen goals and the Scottish Cup record against Ayr United has been poor of late.
| Ayr United | Dunfermline |
| Current League Position | |
| 3 | 2 |
| Recent Results | |
| WWWLDW | WWLWWW |
| League Points | |
| 23 | 28 |
| Goal Difference | |
| +8 | +3 |
| Home / Away League Record | |
| P7, W3, D2, L2 | P7, W4, D1, L2 |
Dunfermline have won five of their last six matches and Ayr four of their last six. The Somerset Park club have scored twelve goals in the their last four home games, while the Pars have scored eleven in their last four away games so it could be quite a cup tie.
| Recent Form this season - home / away | ||||||
| Ayr United (home) |
|
Dunfermline (away) | ||||
| Stenhousemuir | W | 4-3 | Airdrieonians | W | 3-0 | |
| Stranraer | L | 3-6 | Rangers | L | 1-3 | |
| Queens Park | W | 3-2 | Elgin City | W | 5-3 | |
| Arbroath | W | 2-0 | Stranraer | W | 2-1 | |
| Rangers | L | 0-2 | Forfar Athletic | L | 0-4 | |
| Brechin City | D | 2-2 | Brechin City | D | 1-1 | |
Ayr United defeated Queens Park 3-2 in Round Three and Dunfermline won through 5-3 at Elgin.
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Brechin City): Ryan Scully, Ryan Williamson, Kerr Young, Callum Morris, Alex Whittle; Shaun Byrne, Andy Geggan, Josh Falkingham (c), Allan Smith (Ryan Ferguson 91), Ryan Thomson (Craig Dargo 81), Ryan Wallace, .
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Martin, Jordan Moore, Stephen Husband, Luke Johnston, Ryan Goodfellow (GK).
AYR UNITED (v Stenhousemuir): David Hutton; Kyle McAusland, Alan Lithgow, Greg Pope, Adam Hunter, Anthony Marenghi, Robbie Crawford (Alan Forrest 63), Michael Donald, Scott McLaughlin, Kevin Kyle, Michael Moffat.
SUBS NOT USED: Michael Wardrobe; Willie Muir, Craig Malcolm, Jackson Longridge, Josh McArthur, Michael McGowan
Referee will be Stephen Finnie.
Pie Watch
The Ayr United pies are made by Brownings who also make the Killie Pie. They do a Steak and Ale Pie, could be worth reserving a space for one!
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