Preview Ayr United

Ladbrokes Championship: Saturday 23rd February 2019, 3.00pm kick off at Somerset Park

Since the turn of the year Ayr United have certainly not hit the high spots that they did in the first half of the season. Nevertheless they are still real title challengers sitting just two points behind leaders Ross County, albeit Ayr having played one more fixture.

Working with a smaller squad than some of his promotion rivals, Ayr manager and former Pars player, Ian McCall has kept his troops in the race and an important win over Dundee United and another away win at Alloa have kept the points coming in.

Usually a trip to Somerset Park holds no fears for the Pats have a great record there - indeed they had been undefeated there since 2009 - but the first league match of the season between the two saw Ayr win convincingly 4-1 with former Pars Lawrence Shankland and Michael Moffat both scoring in the match.

The Pars record versus the Honest Men shows just two defeats in the last 21 meetings.

Milestones v Ayr United (away)

Last League Victory | 12/03/16 | 2-0 | League One
Last League Defeat | 25/08/18 | 1-4 | Championship
Best League Victory | 12/03/94 | 4-0 | First Division
Worst League Defeat | 07/04/51 | 0-8 | Div Two (old)

Dunfermline have only won one of the last six meetings against Ayr United but Ayr United have only one victory to show for the last twelve Dunfermline visits to Somerset Park. In the last twelve fixtures Dunfermline have won six, drawn three and lost three.

Last Twelve League Meetings v Ayr United
Date | H/A | F-A | W D L | League

22/12/18 | H | 0-0 | D | Championship
25/08/18 | A | 1-4 | L | Championship
18/03/17 | H | 0-1 | L | Championship
07/01/17 | A | 2-0 | W | Championship
03/12/16 | H | 1-1 | D | Championship
01/10/16 | A | 0-0 | D | Championship
12/03/16 | A | 2-0 | W | League One
13/02/16 | H | 3-2 | W | League One
12/12/15 | A | 2-1 | W | League One
12/09/15 | H | 0-2 | L | League One
07/03/15 | H | 2-1 | W | League One
31/01/15 | A | 2-0 | W | League One

The sides met five times in the season before last. Dunfermline won four and Ayr United one.

The last meeting at Somerset Park
Saturday 25th August 2018
Ayr United 4 Dunfermline 1

Ayr United took the lead after only five minutes. A simple pass picked out Michael Moffat on the left and despite the close attentions of Lee Ashcroft the former Pars striker was able to get in the cross that saw 21 year old Alan FORREST head home from 12 yards out. 1-0

The home side increased their advantage with a really well taken goal in 37 minutes. Mark Durnan’s clearance was gathered by Ayr and FORREST drove forward, including Moffat with a neat interchange before driving into the box and poking the ball past the advancing Robinson. 2-0

Worse was to follow within two more minutes as SHANKLAND accepted a cross from the right edge of the Pars box to stick the ball in the bottom left corner of the net. 3-0

A simple cross evaded everyone to drop for Jackson LONGRIDGE to net in 55 minutes at the left upright. 3-1

Shankland took advantage of a defensive mistake to lift the ball over from the right to MOFFAT at the far post for an easy 81st minute finish. 4-1

AYR UNITED: Ross Doohan: Andy Geggan, Jamie Adams (c), Michael Rose, Liam Smith: Alan Forrest (Declan McDaid 78), Robbie Crawford (Steven Bell 73), Mark Kerr, (Craig McGuffie 84), Andy Murdoch: Michael Moffat, Lawrence Shankland.
SUBS NOT USED: Craig Moore, David Ferguson, Ross Docherty, Ellis Hare-Reid (GK)

DUNFERMLINE: Lee Robinson: Lee Ashcroft (c), Mark Durnan, Danny Devine (Myles Hippolyte 29): Ryan Williamson, James Vincent, Louis Longridge, James Craigen (Aidan Connolly 69), Jackson Longridge: Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Andy Ryan (Kallum Higginbotham 79).
SUBS NOT USED: Joe Thomson, Matthew Todd, Lewis McCann, Cammy Gill (GK).

Form Last Six Matches

DUNFERMLINE
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) W 1-0
Ross County (H) L 1-2
Morton (A) D 0-0
Raith Rovers (A) L 0-3
Dundee United (A) L 0-1
Alloa Athletic (H) D 2-2

AYR UNITED
Morton (A) D 0-0
Alloa Athletic (A) W 3-1
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) L 2-3
Dundee United (H) W 1-0
Auchinleck Talbot (A) L 0-1
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) L 0-1

League Form

In their last nine league matches since defeating Morton 3-0 at East End Park on 1st December, the Pars have won two, drawn four and lost three. This season away wins in the league have only come at Falkirk, Alloa and Tannadice.

Ayr United were undefeated at home this season until Falkirk’s visit on 5th January. They have however lost three of their last six league games, two of them at the hands of Inverness Caley Thistle. Like Dunfermline they have won only two of their last nine league matches.

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 7th
League Points: 28
Goal Difference: -6
Away League Record: P12 W4 D4 L4 GF15 GA16
Last Six League Match Form: WDLDLW

AYR UNITED
League Position: 2nd
League Points: 43
Goal Difference: +18
Away League Record: P13 W6 D4 L3 GF19 GA11
Last Six League Match Form: LLWLWD

Last time out

DUNFERMLINE (v Inverness Caley Thistle): Ryan Scully: James Craigen, Lee Ashcroft (c), Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge: James Vincent: Tom Beadling, Joe Thomson, Ryan Blair (Ryan Williamson 78): Aidan Connolly (Louis Longridge 70), Bruce Anderson (Mark Durnan 90+2)
SUBS NOT USED: Kallum Higginbotham, Myles Hippolyte, Matthew Todd, Cammy Gill (GK)

AYR UNITED (v Morton): Ross Doohan: Daniel Harvie, Michael Rose, Aaron Muirhead, Liam Smith: Robbie Crawford, Declan McDaid (Calvin Miller 68), Andy Murdoch, Ross Docherty (Nicky Cadden 69), Michael Moffat (Craig Moore 73), Lawrence Shankland.
SUBS NOT USED: Chris Higgins, Steven Bell, Jamie Adams, E Hare-Reid (GK).

Other Championship Fixtures
Falkirk v Dundee United
Inverness Caley Thistle v Morton
Partick Thistle v Ross County
Queen of the South v Alloa Athletic

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