Ladbrokes League One

STRANRAER 1

AYR UNITED 5

by Calum Campbell

AYR started 2018 off with a bang as they tore Stranraer apart at Stair Park and helped to soothe the wounds of Saturday's loss at home to Forfar.

"It devastated me on Saturday," said manager Ian McCall.

"We had more chances against Forfar, but we scored five and it could have been eight today’. United’s front four of McDaid, Moffat, Shankland, and Forrest were on top form, a constant threat throughout the match with Adams and Rose shoring up the midfield.

McCall added: "We genuinely looked like scoring every time we went forward in the second half. Forrest was right back at it, and he’s shown us what we know he can be: a terrific footballer’.

It didn’t take Ayr long to get over the New Year blues, taking the lead in only seven minutes. The visitors moved forward with some good interplay between Moffat, Shankland and McDaid, with McDaid then cutting inside before finding Jamie Adams in the box. Adams went one-on-one with Belford, but the keeper blocked his shot which spun up high and towards the back post where Shankland rose to nod in.

Ayr came close again in 13 minutes when Michael Rose headed into Belford’s hands from a Forrest corner.

It had been a fairly open start to the game although United looked the more dangerous going forward and again Belford came to the home side’s rescue with a good save at his near post following a McDaid drive on 20mins.

Stranraer then began to grow in confidence and had their best spell of the match. In 22 minutes, experienced defender Jamie Hamill fired in a perfect cross from the right and could only watch in disbelief as his in-rushing forwards all failed to make contact. One minute later a Chris Higgins misdirected header looped up over keeper Hart and was somehow cleared off the goal line.

Stranraer may have felt unlucky not to have carved out an equaliser but United always looked likely to find their second, and that came in 38 minutes Shankland did well to slip the ball to Moffat on his right who smashed the ball off the far post and into the net, giving Belford no chance.

In 44 minutes, it could, and probably should, have been three for Ayr. McDaid, who had been creating havoc for the Stranraer defence, cut in from the left and tried a shot which was blocked and flew across the face of the goals to Moffat who contrived to hit the ball wide with an empty net beckoning.

McCall's troops were comfortably ahead at half-time but were clearly determined to increase their lead.

In 49 minutes, Forrest intercepted a loose ball near the halfway line, beat one defender then charged forward into the penalty area before confidently firing past Belford to put Ayr three to the good.

Ayr United looked unstoppable and when the fourth arrived three minutes later no one was surprised, but it came with a lot of help from the Stranraer back line. A long goal kick from Hart crossed the halfway line and Neill inexplicably ducked under it and the ball carried through to Shankland who made his way into the box, under pressure from Robertson, and slotted home.

A hopeful cross-field pass from right to left should have been easily dealt with but somehow Ayr got the advantage and Shankland slotted home.

Four became five in 62 minutes when McDaid cut in from the right then slipped the ball left to Forrest who again found the back of the net.

This match, as a contest, was well and truly over but Stranraer kept pushing forward and finally managed a consolation counter in 79 minutes. Substitute Cameron Elliot cut the ball across the box and found Stranraer’s stand-out midfielder, Kyle Turner, who knocked the ball past Hart from close range.

An impressive performance from United, giving their travelling faithful a great start to 2018.

Ayr’s next match is this Saturday when the visitors to Somerset Park will be Arbroath.

STARMAN:

Alan Forrest 3

Declan McDaid 2

Lawrence Shankland 1

STRANRAER: Belford; Robertson, Neill, Woods, Bell, Anderson, McGowan, Turner, Beith, Hamill, Thomson. Subs: McLaren (GK), Agnew, Okoh, Elliot, Gray, Scott, McKinlay.

AYR UNITED: Hart; Ferguson, Reid, Higgins, Boyle, Rose, Adams, McDaid, Moffat, Shankland, Forrest. Subs: Avci (GK), Gilmour, Moore, McGuffie, Hilton, Faulds, McCowan.

Referee: Grant Irvine

Attendance: 1,143