Kerr makes Ayr exit

AYR UNITED player/manager Mark Kerr and his assistant Mick McArdle have left Somerset Park ‘by mutual consent’, chairman David Smith has told fans.

In a statement published on the Championship club’s website, Smith revealed that the decision had been taken following a board meeting yesterday morning.

Head of academy David White and goalkeeping coach Derek Stillie will take charge of the first team in the interim as the Ayrshire side look for Kerr’s successor.

LEWIS FERGUSON has challenged his Aberdeen team-mates to conquer their crisis of confidence as the Dons fell to another defeat against Celtic.

Despite the result, and the fact they have won just two of their last 12 matches, Ferguson says he can see signs of a recovery on the horizon for Derek McInnes’ men. But, he says, it is down to each player to pull the team out of their nose-dive in form.

“It is hard to keep your confidence high when you are losing games,” Ferguson said. “Everyone will tell you that. It comes from something deep within yourself to try and bring that out and to try to spread it to the other boys in the dressing room. If you are going through a bad spell you need a bit of confidence.

“I thought we did that [against Celtic]. Our more experienced players throughout the squad did that and it has helped us.

“I am just looking forward to getting as many points as possible.”

Ferguson admits that third place is now firmly in Hibernian’s grasp, but he says Aberdeen will try to push them all the way.

“Hibs are obviously in control of that so it is down to them and whether they want to get that spot or not,” he said. “We can just do all we can as we are pushing as hard as possible.

“We have plenty of games to go and if we can pick up as many points as we want then you never know – it might get us that third spot.”

McInnes was left frustrated by his side not being able to get on the scoresheet.

He told RedTV: “I’m just annoyed we didn’t take anything from the game because the collective spirit and work rate from this team were there to be seen. But we also have to take ownership of that, in that we have to put the ball over the line.

“Although we had umpteen chances and the set-play delivery was good and we carried a threat against a team that have struggled against set-plays, we were disappointed that we haven’t managed to get something from the game.”

ST JOHNSTONE winger Craig Conway vowed to enjoy their Betfred Cup triumph as much as possible despite the “weird” experience of receiving the trophy in an empty stadium.

Conway set up Shaun Rooney’s headed winner in a 1-0 victory over Livingston to help Saints to their second major trophy.

The 35-year-old netted twice for Dundee United in their 2010 Scottish Cup final triumph when almost 30,000 Tannadice fans descended on Hampden, and Conway could only imagine how Saints fans were enjoying their day at home.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t different, especially at the end when you have won it and you’re receiving the cup and the medals,” said Conway, who has also won promotions with Cardiff and Blackburn. “I have experienced both Covid-free and Covid, so it was strange. But it still means the same and it’s still written the history books.

“The lads are buzzing, it’s the same feeling as players to achieve something like that and I’m sure there’s a lot of happy people back in Perth.”

Saints players celebrated on the pitch and back in the dressing room but they were quickly heading home, with the lockdown restrictions compounded by the need to prepare for a midweek league game at Hamilton.

“There’s not really much you can do,” Conway said “I think the lads will celebrate it in their own way, and rightly so.”