Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Boss bemoans injury setbacks as their hosts tie up League One title
Ayr United ..........2 Albion Rovers ....0
Mark Pirie It was a nerve-jangling day at Somerset Park with Ayr looking to seal promotion and Albion Rovers battling to avoid the drop.
Both sides’ fate could have been dictated away from Ayrshire, at Hampden where Queen’s Park played Arbroath, and in Kirkcaldy where Raith hosted Alloa.
Queen’s Park immediately put down a marker for the day at Hampden by scoring early – piling on the pressure for Rovers relegation plight.
The injury-hit Rovers, who were missing star man Alan Trouten, skipper Gary Fisher and centre-back Jason Marr, were immediately on the back foot at Somerset.
The home side almost took the lead after six minutes when Craig Moore met a shot in the centre of the goal but Kieran Wright stood up to the shot and palmed it away.
However, Rovers were looking dangerous on the counter attack, and Michael McMullin missed a crucial chance in their bid to avoid the drop.
Lone-striker Sean Higgins won the ball and his mazy run led to a shot which fell to 21-year-old McMullin. However, he put the ball wide from just yards out with an open goal gaping in 26 minutes.
The miss seemed to sum up their season – so close yet so far. The strong numbers who travelled down from Coatbridge must have felt it was a turning point.
Despite Rovers showing some spark, the Honest Men continued to dominate and took the lead in 33 minutes. Jamie Adams headed across goal from a corner and Moore met the ball to score.
The goal put his side top with Raith being held by the Wasps – and sent Rovers bottom. The news from Hampden got worse with Queen’s Park doubling their lead. However Rovers came out with a more attacking intent in the second half.
Both Daniel Baur and Ross Davidson had shots from range that sailed over the bar.
Tensions were high as Gus MacPherson’s Spiders continued to ramp up the pressure with a third goal – and a speculative shot from former Ayr skipper Scott McLaughlin nearly changed the title and relegation picture, but it curled just wide of the top corner in 77 minutes.
However, the game was put beyond Rovers in the 86th minute when Michael Moffat slipped the ball to Declan McDaid in the six-yard box for him to double the lead.
In the end, Rovers finished bottom for the first time this season – signalling a heartbreaking relegation.
“We knew what some of the outcomes could have been at the start of the game and the worst possible outcome has come true,” said gaffer Brian Kerr at the final whistle.
“When Mick McMullin puts the ball over from a yard out you start to think, again , this is not our day.
“We matched them for most of the game without having that end product that wins games.
“When you look at the course of the season we’ve had very few times where we haven’t had three or four players out. We can’t afford that.”