match stats
ayr united 1
Muirhead (pen, 77)
qos 2
Semple (40), Dobbie (pen, 58)
Ayr thought they had rescued a point deep in stoppage time but referee David Lowe ruled Mark Mckenzie’s effort hadn’t crossed the line.
It’s now only one win in seven games for United. Goals from Callum Semple and Stephen Dobbie won it for the Doonhamers with Ayr’s fightback yielding only an Aaron Muirhead penalty. Queens boss Allan Johnston admitted: “It became frantic towards the end but the boys are 100% that the ball was not over the line and we also felt it was a dubious penalty against us.
“We are starting to get in touch with the top four and we know we are capable of getting results against the teams above us.”
Ayr should have taken the lead inside 20 seconds. Steven Bell’s ball forward from defence sent Michael Moffat clear but keeper Robby Mccrorie raced off his line to making a fine blocking save.
It proved a costly miss as Queens took the lead with their first attack. Darren Lyon forced a corner which was delivered into the box by Faissal El Bakhtaoui and Semple climbed high to thunder a header into the net.
The visitors could have doubled their lead after 21 minutes when Connor Murray found himself clear but Ross Doohan saved well.
Ayr hit back and Luke Mccowan twice went close, his second effort headed off the line by Lee Kilday.
Winger Alan Forrest then weaved his way into the box and found Moffat with a low, driven cross but the striker fired over from three yards.
Ayr started the second period well but were dealt a hammer blow after 58 minutes when Dobbie was brought down by Muirhead for a penalty. The veteran wrong-footed Doohan from the spot.
Bakhtaoui struck the bar as Queens went close while Danny Harvie and Mccowan both forced top saves from Mccrorie before Ayr’s pressure at last paid off. Abdul Osman pushed Bell for a penalty which Muirhead blasted high into the net.
Ayr No 2 Michael Mcardle admitted: “We are not happy with a lot of individual errors which we are getting punished for. We need to eradicate them.”