Gary ref rant as reds cost Jags
Boss slams Dallas as Ayr beat nine-man Thistle
East Fife...............4 Raith Rovers.........2 netted a late consolation before Scott Agnew settled the nerves again but Young reckoned it should have been more. He said: “There was another couple of gilt edge chances and overall we were outstanding.
“But we are probably disappointed we didn’t make it five or six.” Forfar....................0 Clyde.......................0 it and our keeper had to make a couple of top-class saves to stop us losing the game.”
Clyde boss Danny Lennon said: “We had to dig deep in the first-half but controlled the game af ter the break. It ’s disappointing we didn’t get the points.” Gary Caldwell blamed Andrew Dallas as Thistle had two men sent off and lost from a winning position for the third game running.
Caldwell reckons defender Shea Gordon’s red was wrong and insists former Jags hero Kris Doolan’s strike that levelled the game was offside.
Stuart Bannigan – stripped of the captaincy – was also sent off and that allowed Ayr to come from behind to win and consign Thistle to last place.
Caldwell said: “The game was taken out of our hands today.
“The speed the red card comes out, it’s as if referees are desperate to do it.
“The first one isn’t a red card and it’s a game-changer for us. If the Gordon challenge is a red card, we’re going to have games of six-v-seven every week.
“I think at 11-v-11 we win the game so it’s a sore one to take but we take it and move on.
“We’ve given everyone else a head start. We didn’t want to do it but we have to fight and work to get back into a position where we’re in contention.”
Bannigan had the armband taken from him as Caldwell thought it would help him.
And it was his penalty in 14 minutes that gave Thistle the lead after Mark Kerr knocked over debutant Dario Zanatta.
But fellow new boy Ben Hall blundered at the other end when he gave the ball away to Luke McCowan who chipped keeper Jamie Sneddon. Then
Partick Thistle .... 2 Ayr United ........... 3
Bill McIntyre
came a mad minute when Gordon finished off a brilliant move started by Zanatta in 43 minutes only to be sent off for lunging at McCowan 60 seconds later.
Remarkably, Jags went down to nine men in 65 minutes and there was no dispute about this red card as Bannigan went over the top on Stephen Kelly.
Doolan got the Ayr leveller seven minutes later when he followed up after Steven Bell had hit the post.
The former Jag didn’t celebrate but the travelling Ayr fans certainly did.
Then with 12 minutes remaining Ayr won it when Alan Forrest teed up Kelly and he superbly placed a right foot shot into the right corner.
United boss Ian McCal l rubbed salt into the wounds when he said: “Ayr are a fantastic club but we shouldn’t be coming to Firhi ll and winning three on the bounce.”
McCall, who revealed he tried to sign Zanatta before Jags swooped, was also critical of ref Dallas. He said: “Doolan’s goal was offside.
“I didn’t see their f irst sending off but the players assure me it was a red card while the second one is red all day long. I don’t think they should have had a penalty.
“I tried to get Zanatta but I couldn’t get it done. He was excellent today.”