Loan star Willoughby reveals health scare
AYR UNITED .............................................. 5 ARBROATH ................................................ 0
Stuart Wilson at Somerset Park
Kurt Willoughby told how doctors were left scratching their heads when he landed up in hospital.
Now the striker is delivering his own best medicine after getting back on the goal trail.
Willoughby wound up in a ward and was wired to a drip for two days after suffering chronic stomach pains.
Medics couldn’t get to the bottom of the issue, but thankfully for Willoughby he is now back on track.
After leading the 5-0 rout which officially relegated Arbroath on Saturday, the on loan Oldham hitman said: “It was a bit of a struggle for a while.
“I went into the hospital with terrible stomach pains and at first they thought my appendix had burst.
“Thankfully that proved not to be the case, but it’s still a bit of a mystery what was actually wrong.
“It set me back a good bit but Saturday was the first time I felt back to my old self on the pitch.”
Willoughby won and converted the spot kick which got Ayr off and running before Frankie Musonda nodded home a second.
Anton Dowds added another penalty before half time and United then eased through the second half with further goals from Ben Dempsey and sub Logan Chalmers.
Willoughby revealed: “The gaffer has put a real emphasis on getting a clean sheet so it was the perfect day all round.
“The team has been capable of putting in a performance like that and now we’ve
Ayr’s women beat Rossvale 2-1 to secure at least the playoff spot and cut the gap at the top of the SWF Championship to three points, albeit with a +22 goal difference advantage for the Glasgow side.
After a nervy and goalless first half on Sunday, Ayr striker Paige Henry missed a penalty shown what we can do. We need to try and take that into next week now.”
Boss Scott Brown added: “It would have been easy to switch off at half time being 3-0 up but we had the mentality to keep going.
“If we lose that game today we’re in a proper relegation battle for ninth place.
“Now we need to show consistency until the end of the season and keep this going early in the second, the ball crashing off the crossbar to allow Rossvale‘keeper Rhind to gather.
Lauren McBlain had United in front before Henry made amends with her side’s second in the 80th minute.
Rossvale pulled one back in final moments but were made to wait for a title party for the second week in a row. - it’s not done.
“This takes us six points above Queen’s Park but we still have three hard games to go and you can’t count your chickens.”
Doomed Lichties boss Jim McIntyre confessed:
“If we’re being honest, the Championship has been a right struggle the last couple of seasons.”
AYR: Clarke, McAllister, Stanger, Sanders, Musonda; Amartey (Bryden 65), Dempsey, McHugh (McKenzie 57), Murphy (McGeady 73); Dowds, Willoughby (Chalmers 73).
ARBROATH: Boruc, Stewart, Steele, Teale, Delaney; Gold, Murray (Bird 56), Slater (McKenna 56), Mackinnon; McIntosh (Stowe 75), Dow.
Referee: Scott Lambie; Attendance: 1,849.
Rossvale play Dryburgh Athletic next week in the Championship and League One Cup final before travelling to Inverness for the final game of the Championship season.
Only a heavy loss and a huge win for Ayr against East Fife will prevent them being crowned champions on the final day.