RAISING THE TITANIC
LEAGUE ONE GLORY BECKONS Ayr can make history again today after maiden title win on same weekend as doomed ship in 1912
AYR’S first title win at Somerset Park was secured the same weekend of tragedy that saw the Titanic plunge to the bottom of the Atlantic.
Today they can make history by beating Stranraer – and hope Raith don’t get the better of Queen’s Park or the champagne will be corked for another week.
The free-scoring Honest Men are tantalisingly close to the League One title and an instant return to the Championship after relegation last year.
That success would be sweet enough but it would be even more special to clinch it in front of their own fans for only the third time in Ayr’s existence.
The last time being in 1928 and the first coming in 1912 as the world’s most famous ship made its doomed voyage.
But boss Ian McCall doesn’t want his players to let title talk distract them on what could be another historic weekend.
McCall said: “I have read quite a few things over the last week and sensed an attitude from a lot of fans that the league is over.
“This is far from over, football has a habit of kicking you in the teeth when you least expect it.
“We have approached this game exactly the way we have the last 10 matches.
“Our focus is on this match and nothing else as we know if we win then nobody can do anything about it.
“So winning the league is not on our minds. It’s the type of season that comes round once in a generation but there’s no way we can think we are at the end yet. We need to take care of business on Saturday and beat a good Stranraer team.”
Having banged in 88 goals already this campaign, Ayr are a formidable outfit at Somerset winning their last four at home with 13 goals without conceding.
But they’ll have their hands full against a Stranraer side who need to win to keep alive their fading play-off hopes.
Blues full-back Christopher McGowan said: “We need three wins from three games and for results to go our way. As long as there is something to play for we will keep going. We would have bitten your hand off for this a few games ago.
“It would be great to do it at Ayr. It will be a great atmosphere and they can win the league but hopefully we can upset them.”
Trailing Ayr by five points with three games left, second-placed Raith can stay within touching distance for at least one more game if they beat a rock-bottom Spiders side that Rovers boss Barry Smith expects to scrap to the bitter end.
Only goal difference separates Queen’s Park from Albion Rovers in the relegation play-off spot and he said: “Queen’s Park are fighting for their lives. They aren’t a poor team but we’ve got to focus on ourselves.”