WAKE UPAND GETGOING
Bullen’s message to Ayr stars after sleepy start hands Queens points
Lee Bullen has demanded an immediate reaction from his Ayr players after their progress was checked by Queen of the South.
The head coach insists he will not allow standards to drop on his watch following the 1-0 defeat by the league’s bottom dogs.
And he has ordered a quick return to form when Ayr hit the road this weekend at Raith.
Bullen told the Post: “We cannot allow Saturday’s type of performance to creep into our game.
“After the highs of the previous two results, it was very disappointing to start the game in the manner we did and I just felt it set the tone for us.
“That’s not to take anything away from Queens, who I felt played pretty well on the day, but we had to be far better than we were.
“But we also need to look at the bigger picture and the overall progress has been good of late, so nobody here will be losing the head after Saturday.”
Bullen admits home form – where Ayr have scored just once in four games – can prove crucial moving forward.
But he insisted: “I am a glass half full type of guy.
“All told we’ve won two of the last three and if we keep doing that, we’ll be on the right track.
“At the same time, I want Somerset to be a fortress and I won’t accept teams coming here and being allowed an easy time of it.
“We need to wipe Saturday from our minds very quickly and the good thing is that we get a chance to do that at Stark’s Park.
“Our standards have come too far to drop off the back of one game and it won’t be happening.”
Bullen hopes to have Andy Murdoch back for the trip to Kirkcaldy after he missed the Queens clash with a calf knock.
•A new quiz night launches in the Hub’s Cameron’s Bar this Friday night, kick-off 7pm.