The Sunday Post (Inverness)

Honest Men guilty of missing chances

- By Danny Stewart SPORT@SUNDAYPOST.COM

AYR UNITED 1 Adeloye (55) DUNDEE UNITED 1

Clark (80)

(aet time, Dundee Utd won 4-3 on penalties) Deserved conquerors of Rangers in the league last week, Tam Courts’ side rode their luck hard here to add a cup quarter-final qualificat­ion to their early-season haul.

Having conceded the opener to Ayr’s powerful striker Tomi Adeloye, the Tangerines looked like they weren’t getting out of it as their Championsh­ip opponents swarmed round their goal.

But when referee Nick Walsh awarded them a softlookin­g penalty late on, Nicky Clark was able to covert from the spot to keep them in the competitio­n.

The official also dismissed Jack Baird, who had earlier been booked, for the tussle with Ryan Edwards as the pair struggled to reach a deep cross from Charlie Mulgrew.

Even the numerical advantage was not enough to see the visitors home with victory only arriving in the penalty shoot-out.

Marc Mcnulty, back on loan again to replace Lawrence

Shankland who had been sold during the week for £1 million to Beerschot of Belgium, missed United’s first kick.

Keeper Ben Siegrist was bang on, though, with his saves from Ayr pair Patrick Reading and Jonathan Afolabi helping the Premiershi­p side edge it 4-3.

Manager Tam Courts’ starting formation suggested confidence and found favour with the 900-strong travelling support.

He had three up front with 18-year-old debutant Darren Watson and Peter Pawlett, a comparativ­e veteran at 30, lining up either side of Nicky Clark.

A slight and pacey winger, Watson has a style reminiscen­t of a young Kevin Gallacher in his Tannadice days and he was quickly into his work darting down United’s flank.

Ayr boss David Hopkin insisted his Championsh­ip side would have a go and the players proved true to his word.

They pushed forward from the word go with James Maxwell firing a shot high and wide of the goal after cutting in from the left.

Tomi Adeloye, a bustling powerhouse of a striker, went close when sending a fierce low drive past the far post.

After the interval Ayr returned rejuvenate­d.

Michael Hewitt was left holding his head in his hands after Siegrist denied him with

a save he appeared to know nothing about.

However, the home side grabbed the lead shortly before the hour.

A mix up between Jamie Robson and Charlie Mulgrew saw Mark Mckenzie’s through ball land at the feet of Adeloye inside the six-yard box.

The striker stabbed the ball goalwards, Siegrist saved but the rebound was kind to the Ayr man who passed the ball into the net.

Having made the breakthrou­gh, Ayr then piled forward in search of a second with the impressive Hewitt again going close.

Courts had to do something and he turned to his bench in search of salvation.

Off came Adrian Sporle, replaced by Mcnulty, then Chris Mochrie went on for Ian Harkes.

The changes worked as they won a penalty and hauled the tie back – but that was more about the official.

Ayr should have had victory tied up by then having produced a flurry of chances, the pick of which saw Siegrist produce a stunning save on to the crossbar to deny Mark Mckenzie.

It was a taster of what was to come in the penalty shoot out with the Swiss making two fine stops to allow the scores of Mulgrew, Pawlett, Robson and Clark to prove decisive.

 ??  ?? Tomi Adeloye opens the scoring for Ayr United but it wasn’t enough to pull the tie
Tomi Adeloye opens the scoring for Ayr United but it wasn’t enough to pull the tie
 ??  ?? Charlie Mulgrew and Tomi Adeloye clash
Charlie Mulgrew and Tomi Adeloye clash

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