Shankland on target to take Ayr to the brink of Premiership play-offs
Ayr United took a big step towards securing a playoff berth after a Lawrence Shankland penalty closed the gap to six points on secondplaced Dundee United who they meet on Friday.
Shankland’s goal, his 33rd of the season, piled on the relegation worries for toiling Queen of the South who have won only one of their last 11 games.
Ian Mccall’s Honest Men were desperate for a flying start and they almost got one after only two minutes.
On-loan Celt Calvin Miller fired in a rocket shot which Jack Leighfield couldn’t hold but Shankland was unable to force home the loose ball.
Michael Rose fizzed a drive wide from a Nicky Cadden free-kick as Ayr kept up their hot start.
Little was seen of Queens as an attacking force before Jordan Marshall sent a 25-yarder skidding just wide but that was only a brief respite.
Ayr should have taken the lead after 23 minutes when great work by Miller set up Shankland, pictured, with a perfect cutback but the normally reliable striker blazed wildly over.
Queens suffered a real blow five minutes later when 40-goal Stephen Dobbie, who is only two short of breaking a club record set 87 years ago, hobbled off clutching his hamstring.
Ayr eventually got the goal their play deserved two minutes before the interval. A Mark Kerr free-kick was headed back by Stevie Bell but as Robbie Crawford prepared to pounce, he was brought down by Josh Todd. Shankland gave Leighfield no chance from the spot as he lashed the ball in off the underside of the bar.
Queens should have been level after 54 minutes when Todd fired over an inviting cross which the leaping Ian Mcgrath headed wide with the goal gaping. Shankland was just inches away from connecting with a Declan Mcdaid cross before beavering his way into the box only to be blocked by Leighfield. AYR: Doohan, Smith, Bell, Rose, Harvie, Geggan (Murdoch 70),Kerr, Robert Crawford, Cadden (Mcdaid 61), Shankland, Miller (Moore 77). Subs not used: Hare-reid, Moffat, Forrest, Docherty.
QOS: Leighfield, Mercer, Doyle, Maguire, Marshall, Stirling,jacobs (Murray 82), Wilson (Fordyce 70), Todd, Dykes, Dobbie (Mcgrath 28). Subs not used: Ivison, Ross Irving, Mehmet, Brownlie.