Arbroath keep eyes on Killie
ARBROATH 1 J Hamilton (5) AYR UNITED 0
Jack Hamilton’s precise header from a Michael Mckenna corner secured three vital points for Arbroath as they kept Kilmarnock firmly in their sights whilst opening up an eight-point lead over third-placed Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
With Arbroath manager Dick Campbell forced to watch the game from the stands through suspension it was his brother, assistant manager Ian Campbell, who was leading from the dugout.
“Winning is everything and three points are worth working for,” was his assessment. A decision to have the players in early on Saturday morning for a training session was justified by the performance.
The Lichties were without No 1 Derek Gaston for the first time all season so Calum Antell was given his Championship debut. James Craigen and Nicky Low were also recalled.
Ayr had the advantage of the wind in the first half and they looked the more dangerous side with Celtic loanee Kerr Mcinroy firing wide from distance after just three minutes.
Arbroath captain Thomas O’brien was shown a yellow card after just seven minutes for a foul on James Maxwell but Mcinroy wasted the free kick from the edge of the 18-yard box as he blasted it straight into the Arbroath wall.
Jack Hamilton created a chance out of nothing in the 22nd minute as he took on the Ayr defence alone but Sean Mcginty made an excellent block, denying the striker just as he pulled the trigger.
Whilst Arbroath had shown their defensive strength in the first half, with the wind at their backs for the second half they started to show Ayr how to harness its power as they went on the attack from the restart. The pressure paid off just five minutes in as Mckenna’s curling corner kick was flicked into the far corner of the net by the head of Jack Hamilton for his third Championship goal since returning to Gayfield.
Arbroath had their tails up and Mckenna had a shot saved from distance before in the 57th minute Colin Hamilton unleashed a thunderous strike from 25 yards which was narrowly over the bar.
Low, on his return from injury, was at the heart of everything going forward for Arbroath but made some outstanding tackles as he pushed his side on.
Ayr’s afternoon took a turn for the worse when Sam Ashford was shown a straight red card for a very late tackle on Jason Thomson in the 78th minute. The home side squandered chances to kill the game off, but were rarely threatened by the Honest Men in the second half.
The part-time team have shown with only six games to go they are ready to fight to the death.
ARBROATH:
(4-4-2) Antell 7, Thomson 7, Little 7, O’brien 7, Col Hamilton 7, Craigen 7 (Stewart 82 5), Chr Hamilton 9, Mckenna 8, Low 9 (Gold 79 5), Wighton 7 (Donnelly 6 71), Jack
Hamilton 9. AYR UNITED:
(4-4-1-1) Mcadams 7, Houston 7, Muirhead 7, Mcginty © 8, Reading 7, Mckenzie 7, Murdoch 7, Mcinroy 8, Maxwell 7(Baird 80 3), Kenyon 6 (Bryden 3), Ashford 3.