AYR went one point clear at the top of the able following a tough encounter at the Excelsior Stadium.

But although the Honest Men returned home with all three points this wasn’t quite as convincing a performance as the previous week’s victory over Dunfermline.

Reflecting on the game United boss Ian McCall was concerned with his team’s first-half performance judging that they were “far too open in the first half”.

Once Airdrie got their goal very early on they sat right back and there was no space for our boys to get into” said McCall “and we didn’t play well in the first half but in the second we could have scored on numerous occasions and showed a bit more guile,” he added.

Airdrie set the tempo for the match with a blistering start, the first attempt on goal after 55 seconds when striker David Cox gathered the ball just outside the area but fired inches wide. Just two minutes later he again smashed the ball towards goal and his strike was only blocked by quick reactions from United’s Paddy Boyle who slid in on the edge of the six-yard line to deflect the ball for a corner.

Airdrie were not to be denied an early goal and from the corner Liam Watt played a quick one-two with Taylor Morgan which left the tricky midfielder in space at the front corner of the penalty area with time to compose himself and curl an exquisite ball into the top right-hand corner in just four minutes.

With the early goal the home team had the luxury of sitting deep and denying United any space while breaking at speed and in numbers with Watt and Morgan constant threats upfront. This provided the pattern for the half with Ayr unable to make any significant inroads into the final third or to cause any significant difficulties for the well-organised Airdrie defence.

Watt was providing a real danger to Ayr and he broke from midfield and danced past three United defenders at the edge of the box before slipping the ball to Morgan who, luckily for Ayr, mishit his shot and curled it well wide.

Ayr huffed and puffed but were restricted in their attempts on goal. Peter Murphy, however, repeatedly showed his experience as strolled forward before sending in probing balls towards the Airdrie penalty area, creating chances for Craig Moore, Jordan Preston and Alan Forrest which unfortunately they couldn’t take.

As the half drew on United came more into the game. First Jordan Preston tried his luck after some neat control which gained him a yard of space but his looped volley flew straight into the hands of keeper Neil Parry. Jamie Adams then burst into the box but his off-balance shot went wide.

Airdrie’s speedy attacks were always threatening and the home team could have made it two just minutes before half-time. Midfielder Scott Smith ran down the right before finding Cox in the penalty area. Cox, with his back to goal, neatly flicked the ball upwards before pivoting and bringing out a blocking save from United keeper Fleming. As the ball bounced away from the keeper Cox reacted swiftly to drive it goalwards but was denied as Gerry McLauchlan turned the ball away.

As half-time approached Ayr equalised out of nowhere. A strong forward header by Paddy Boyle crossed the halfway line and bounced high over the heads of both Moore and Airdrie’s Bain to Alan Preston who played the ball into the path of Moore and he composed himself with one touch then blasted a right foot shot from the edge of the penalty area past the hapless Parry.

Airdrie fans were furious as they felt that Moore may have barged Bain in the lead up to the goal but this appeared not to be so.

This late equaliser energised the Ayr team which restructured during the break with Michael Donald replacing Jamie Adams and Brian Gilmour stepping into midfield. Early exchanges suggested these changes had the effect was desired with the visitors making the better start to the second half and Gilmour having a strong influence.

The first of what would turn out to be a number of opportunities came to Gilmour early on but, although keeper Neil Parry failed to get down to the ball quickly enough, his shot from the edge of the box went narrowly wide.

Just as Ayr were beginning to take some control, Airdrie should have scored as Marc Fitzpatrick found himself with a yard of space inside the box but sent his volley high over the bar.

In 63 minute the game, which had always been competitive, took a nasty turn as some 20 yards off the ball United’s Ross Docherty was first prevented from rising from the ground by Taylor Morgan who then forcefully pushed the United midfielder down onto the turf where he landed awkwardly.

The referee and his assistants could not have had a clear view of what happened but play was stopped and there followed a melee where players confronted Morgan who then appeared to advance his head towards Ayr’s Peter Murphy. After consulting both his assistants referee Steven Kirkland decided the most appropriate action was to book both Morgan and Murphy, much to Murphy’s bemusement.