OBADEYI MAGIC HAS McKINNON SMILING AS UNDER-PAR UNITED PUNISH LUCKLESS AYR
AYR UTD 0 DUNDEE UTD 1
DUNDEE UNITED manager Ray McKinnon was ‘over the moon’ after his side beat Ayr United at Somerset Park, despite being far from their best.
Tope Obadeyi’s first-half goal was enough to seal victory as a combination of resolute defending and wayward finishing from the hosts ensured the visitors kept a clean sheet.
McKinnon knows that the three points his side won are worth the same as the ones they took against promotion rivals Hibs last time out, despite the differing performance levels.
He said: ‘It’s the same three points we got against Hibs last week but that’s probably the worst we’ve been in terms of keeping the ball and passing it.
‘Fair play to Ayr. They gave us a really tough game. We weren’t at our best. We had to defend something like 20 corners and we did because we wanted to win the game, so I’m proud of them.
‘It’s our first dip in three months so, to get the win, I’m over the moon.’
The game started at a frantic pace, with the guests taking the lead after just six minutes, thanks to a blistering counter-attack.
Ayr should have been ahead when Gary Harkins had an eternity to let the ball drop inside the sixyard-box and unleash a volley at goal but his shot was well blocked and the ball was cleared to Obadeyi.
The pacy striker was then able to race clear on the counter and dribbled the length of the pitch, evading the desperate challenges of the back-tracking Ayr defenders, before rounding goalkeeper Greg Fleming and calmly slotting the ball into the empty net.
Ian McCall’s men responded well, however, with a Harkins effort deflected just over the bar.
Paul Cairney should have pulled Ayr level after 15 minutes but he missed the target after his mazy run had taken him into the box. Then Ross Docherty fired a tame half-volley wide.
Ayr had their best opportunity of the half on 38 minutes. Docherty’s lovely pass played in Nicky Devlin, who rolled the ball across the goal, but somehow Lewis Toshney managed to divert Jamie Adams’ effort over when the pair were almost under the crossbar.
Early in the second half, Dundee United’s Tony Andreu found himself with space and time just outside the home box but flashed his effort just past the post.
Ayr substitute Andy O’Connell almost grabbed a late equaliser on 82 minutes.
Daryll Meggat’s deep free-kick to the back post was knocked down into the path of O’Connell but his half-volley was deflected just over the bar.
Ayr assistant Neil Scally faced the Press in place of manager McCall, who wasn’t in ‘any mood’ to discuss the match.
Scally said: ‘It’s gutting to lose the game. We had a lot of good chances. We’re just not being clinical enough.’