Lichties denied by late goal for leaders

A late goal denied Arbroath victory on a bitterly cold and windy evening at Gayfield while the result allowed Ayr to move ahead of Raith Rovers at the top of League One.

Lichties’ assistant manager Ian Campbell was frustrated with the outcome but felt his side did well in the difficult conditions.

He said: “We’re disappointed not to win because I think we were the slightly better side.

“Ayr didn’t look like scoring but in the end they got a good goal, although it came after a free-kick was given against us out of nothing.

“The conditions were terrible but I thought both sides handled it pretty well.”

Arbroath started with the strong wind at their backs but Ayr created the first real opportunity in the 11th minute when Michael Moffat’s header looked to be heading in at the far post until Ricky Gomes got his hand to the ball and Jamie Adams sent the rebound wide.

The visitors began to assert themselves and Lawrence Shankland came close in the 20th minute with a low shot which flashed narrowly wide.

The Lichties responded with Colin Hamilton sending Gavin Swankie clear on the left but the forward’s cross was too heavy and the wind carried it clear of the danger area.

A Danny Denholm volley was blocked and Blair Yule’s follow up whistled beyond Jack Ruddy’s post as Arbroath began to create more openings.

Play swung to the other end and Robbie Crawford curled a shot narrowly past.

But the home side were quickly back in the ascendancy and Bobby Linn came close when shooting across the face of the goal

The Lichties broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time, Denholm firing powerfully home from the edge of the box.

Arbroath made a bright start to the second period and Ryan Wallace was inches away from making it 2-0 with a downward header.

Ayr replied with a long range effort from Adams which sailed over the bar then Gomes did well to dive full length to save a Shankland header.

But the Lichties always looked dangerous coming forward with Tom O’brien heading narrowly past, while a Linn effort from the edge of the box wasn’t far away.

Ayr stunned the home side with just four minutes to go when substitute Craig Mcguffie jinked through the home defence and fired powerfully beyond Gomes for a dramatic equaliser.

The keeper then came to the rescue in the final minute when he once again denied Shankland and in stoppage time the Arbroath number one prevented the Ayr striker from grabbing an unlikely winner.

The point leaves Dick Campbell’s side in third place, a point ahead of Alloa, but 12 points behind joint leaders Ayr and Raith Rovers.

Danny Denholm: fired Arbroath ahead just before half-time.