Ladbrokes Championship

AYR UNITED 1

DUNDEE 2

By Stewart McConnell

NEW United boss Mark Kerr saw his dreams of a winning debut shattered on Friday night as the Honest Men crashed to a Dundee side who posted their first away victory.

Hopes of a second half comeback failed to materialise as the hosts fell to a third straight defeat.

United were looking to avenge defeat at Dens Park on the second week of the season and aiming to help get Kerr off to a winning start, following his midweek appointment.

Home goalie Ross Doohan had to race out and beat Kyle Hemmings to the ball in four minutes. Then a minute later at the other end a rifling drive from 12 yards by Michael Moffat was well saved by Conor Hazard.

At the other end, in seven minutes, a 25-yard free-kick from Graham Dorrans glanced well wide of target.

A ferocious effort from 10 yards by Alan Forrest was blocked by the legs of Hazard in 12 minutes during a frenetic start.

However in 16 minutes, former Ayr United man Declan McDaid came back to haunt his old club as he netted with a low drive from 22 yards into the bottom corner of the net.

Skipper Ross Docherty set up Moffat, whose fierce effort was saved by Hazard in 26 minutes and the ball broke to Alan Forrest, whose effort from eight yards trickled wide.

Hemmings then sent an overhead kick from 12 yards over the bar two minutes later.

Dundee blasted into a 2-0 lead in 32 minutes when a Dorrans free-kick broke to Paul McGowan to shoot home from 10 yards.

United were right back in the match in 39 minutes when Aaron Muirhead set up Luke McCowan to head home from eight yards.

Sam Roscoe headed a corner into Hazard’s arms in 50 minutes.

Substitute Craig Moore injected some pace in to the United attack and set up McCowan to shoot narrowly wide from eight yards in 57 minutes.

Forrest shot just wide from 12 yards in 61 minutes.

A 12-yard left-footed drive from Forrest was saved by the visiting goalie in 72 minutes as Ayr kept battling.

McCowan shot narrowly wide from 18 yards in 74 minutes.

Skipper Ross Docherty headed a Forrest cross just wide from eight yards in 85 minutes as the Tayside team saw out the game to rack up a second successive win over Ayr.

AYR UNITED: Doohan; Houston, Muirhead, Roscoe, Harvie, Geggan (Moore 48) Docherty, Kelly, Forrest (McGuffie 85); Moffat McCowan (Doolan 87) Subs not used: Hare-Reid, Ecrepont, McKenzie.