Cup red mist does for Ayr
First half implosion kills off dream
Another super single winner for the VoR at the weekend.
And Bookie Dave, after two seconds in a row in the golf, hit the bar again with Phil Mickelson finishing third.
We go again this week with Nino Pajovic saying Bristol Rovers, Southampton and Sheff Wed.
Bookie takes Bubba Watson ( 22/ 1) to win the Genesis Open Golf.
And the VoR says Wycombe ( 6/ 5) look solid on the road.
AYR UNITED.......................................... 1 ST JOHNSTONE.................................... 2
Stuart Wilson at Somerset Park
Aaron Drinan bagged his first goal in Ayr colours – before watching a first half implosion kill their cup dreams.
The Irishman’s strike had given United big hope of another Somerset Park upset.
But a crazy eight minutes, which saw St Johnstone score twice either side of Aaron Muirhead’s sending off, sealed their fate.
Now Drinan, 21, is just looking to build on breaking his duck.
He said: “It’s a relief for a striker to get that first goal under your belt.
“I’ve felt it coming with the way I’ve been playing in the first three games.
“It was a good team goal and topped off the way we came out and started.
“We hoped to push on after that for another but we maybe stood off a little and should have stayed on the front foot.
“Obviously it was disappointing to concede so quickly and then so quickly again.
“Aaron apologised to the lads and felt he’d let them down, but we can keep our heads held high for the way we kept battling against a top division side.”
Ayr came roaring out of the traps on a woeful day for football and Drinan’s fourth minute goal was the perfect start.
Grant Gillespie, making his first start in place of the injured Ross Docherty, teed up Drinan with a lovely through ball and the on loan Ipswich man did the rest.
But as the wind played havoc with the game, Ayr would come unstuck in the 17th minute.
A David Wotherspoon cross from the left hung in the swirling gale and
Muirhead got the final touch to glance the ball past the rooted Ross Doohan.
Within minutes, Muirhead was off the park for a crude lunge on Liam Craig, leaving Ayr with a mountain to climb.
And before they could regroup, Cal Hendry had headed home a Drey Wright cross for what proved the winner.
Wotherspoon and Stevie May both hit the post as Saints went close to extending their lead after the break.
Ayr boss Mark Kerr said: “Aaron’s second challenge was so close to the first yellow that it’s stupid.
“You’ve got to just hold back a wee bit and I think Aaron knows that.”
PROFIT DEN