Ayr United 1 Queen’s Park 2

Head Coach Callum Davidson made one change in personnel with Jack Turner coming into midfield with Alex Bannon moving to the substitutes’ bench and Jack Thomson dropping into a defensive role.

Captain Dom Thomas kicked off with a back-pass to Thomson who launched the ball forward to the left wing where a posse of Spiders had gathered however an Ayr head nodded clear.

A Queen’s breakaway was mopped up in three minutes and that allowed Ayr to attack and Danny Wilson showed his experience by being in the right place to head clear a dangerous looking Nick McAllister cross.

The first visiting attack came two minutes later when Louis Longridge picked out Sheridan and after his header was blocked, the Black and White Hoops recovered possession and earned the game’s first corner.

With eight minutes played Thomas robbed Harry McHugh of the ball 25 yards from the Ayr goal and slipped Ruari Paton free on the left. The 20-goal striker sent a pass across the face of the Ayr goal that looked perfect for Sheridan to tap in only for McHugh to make amends as he slid in and sent the ball wide.

Seconds later Davidson’s side came close again with a Wilson flicked volley from a Josh Scott cross that was saved by Josh Clarke and as the pressure was kept on Paton worked the ball onto his left foot before shooting off-target.

Shortly afterwards Thomas whipped over a wicked cross that was crying out to be put into the Ayr goal but unfortunately there were no takers. Skipper Thomas then sent over a couple of dangerous set-pieces before winning a corner himself on 17 minutes when his 20 yarder was deflected a foot wide.

A deserved goal arrived on 19 minutes and 20 goal striker PATON became 21 goal striker Paton as he headed home from 6 yards after Longridge picked him out with a delightful cross after some fine build-up play from Thomas and Turner.

Paton’s goal made it four from four against The Honest Men this season for the Irishman!
Just after the half-way mark in the first half Sheridan forced another corner that was played back to Thomas at the edge of the box with Clarke equal to his driven shot.

Paton’s determination to win the ball back after being harshly judged to have committed a foul saw him charge down a clearance, and set up Thomas after retrieving the loose ball, with the home defence regrouping at the expense of a corner.

Appeals for a penalty for a push on Sheridan went unanswered seven minutes from the break when the striker looked to reach an inviting cross from Scott two yards from the home goal.

A clever flick from Faser Bryden looked to have set up an Ayr attack until Thomson stepped in and was fouled for his troubles with the danger passing as a result.

QP forced a corner as the first half drew to a close with Clarke rising to hold Sean Welsh’s cross. As the Ayr shot-stopper looked to build up an attack by rolling the ball out Queen’s missed a glorious opportunity for a second as Turner won possession and created a 3 on 1 situation.

The midfielder passed right to Sheridan, who returned the ball to the all alone Turner 12 yards out with Clarke spreading himself to stop a certain goal when the Englishman shot.

Half time – Ayr United 0 Queen’s Park 1

Ayr reshuffled at the break with Scott Tomlinson and Aiden McGeady coming on as well as positional changes in their defence.

Callum Ferrie made an early catch before play raced to the other end and Longridge showed neat footwork as he collected a long ball on his right before sending in a low effort with his left that was saved.

Ferrie was called into serious action for the first time on 54 minutes when Anton Dowds dived and headed goalward with the Queen’s number one pushing the ball away at the expense of a corner.

Longridge created another shooting chance for himself on 58 minutes when he picked up a Turner pass and charged forward 20 yards before slicing wide from the edge of the Ayr box.

From the resultant by-kick Queen’s grabbed a second goal as pressure from Paton won the ball from Jack Sanders to create another 3 on 1 position which SHERIDAN scored from with a delicate chip after Paton had passed to him.

On 64 minutes a third for the visitor was only an inch away as Longridge passed up the wing to Sheridan who sent a 40-yard pass to Paton on the other side of the pitch.

Paton fed Thomas who sent a delicate chip over Clarke from 18 yards only for the ball to clip the underside of the bar and bounce down on the wrong side of the line.

Longridge was forced to come off midway through the second half after being on the end of what looked like an unnecessary shove on the red grit at the side of the park with Zach Mauchin brought on as his replacement.

Mauchin was quickly involved as he picked up the loose ball after a Paton drive had been pushed out however he was unable to get the ball back into the danger area.

Ayr pulled a goal back with 12 minutes left when Sanders reached a McHugh corner and headed high into the net from 10 yards.

Sheridan was pulled down 25 yards out with six minutes left and from the free-kick Wilson was only inches out after nodding Thomas’ dead-ball goalward.

Liam McLeish was inches out with his first touch on 86 minutes as he burst clear only to have his shot touched wide.

Thomson did well to scoop the ball away after a quick Ayr raid with Queen’s under some late pressure as they were down to ten men as skipper Thomas was injured and came off but could not be replaced as three substitutions had been made at three separate times.

Queen’s Park – Calum Ferrie, Jack Thomson, Danny Wilson, Tommy Robson, Louis Longridge (Zach Mauchin 67), Jack Turner (Mackenzie Carse 79), Sean Welsh, Josh Scott, Dom Thomas, Cillian Sheridan (Liam McLeish 85), Ruari Paton.
Unused substitutes – Jack Wills (G/k), Alex Bannon, Will Tizzard, Cameron Bruce, Stuart McKinstry, Scott Williamson,

Ayr United – Josh Clarke, Nick McAllister (Scott Tomlinson 46), George Stanger, Sean McGinty, Jack Sanders, Harry McHugh, Roy Syla, Jamie Murphy (Aiden McGeady 46), Fraser Bryden, Mark McKenzie (Francis Amartey 74), Anton Dowds.
Unused substitutes – Charlie Albinson (G/k), Paul Smith, Max Guthrie, Lucas McRoberts, Shaun Donnelly.

Referee – Colin Steven.