AYR United boss Ian McCall feels his side can bounce back after losing two late goals in their 2-1 loss to St Mirren writes Stephen Bark.

John Sutton scored two in two minutes at the Paisley 2021 Stadium as the Buddies came from behind to reach the semi-finals of the IRN-BRU Cup.

Ayr Advertiser:

Ayr now turn their attentions back to the league with a difficult tie against Falkirk at Somerset Park on Saturday, November 19.

The Honest Men will look to consolidate their good start to the season which has stalled in recent weeks. Ayr have now lost their last three matches on the spin after having lost just once in their previous nine matches.

The United manager knows it won’t be easy against a play-off chasing Falkirk side.

McCall told Sportscene: “It will be difficult. They finished second in the league last season. They are a good side and we’ve played them twice already.

Ayr Advertiser: IMPORTANT WIN: United boss Ian McCall was encouraged with his team's showing.

“We beat them and they beat us so we go into it with a good chance.”

The sides last met on October 7 in the IRN-BRU Cup fourth round. A goalless 90 minutes saw Luke Leahy miss a penalty before Gary Harkins scored his only goal so far for the Honest Men to win the tie in extra time.

Ayr sit seventh in the Championship with 14 points and are five clear of Dunfermline in the relegation play-off place, with St Mirren, who occupy last place after a dreadful start to the league campaign, a further five adrift.

Falkirk sit two places, and five points, above United in fifth place, just two points off Raith Rovers and a potential play-off spot.

However, the Bairns haven’t won a league match at Somerset Park since 2004 when David Nicholls scored a late winner to seal a 3-2 win.

McCall feels his side can earn another result and begin to stretch the four point gap to Dumbarton in eighth.

He said: “Ironically we played better in the 2-0 defeat at Falkirk. We worked extremely hard that night and I felt we deserved it.

“There’s no reason we can’t do well again.”

McCall knows, however, that his side must improve on the display that saw them lose in Paisley. He said: “We didn’t play well at all on Saturday. Having said that, we weathered the storm got ourselves in front and were very much in control of the game.

“It was a crazy last six or seven minutes but sometimes that happens in football. I’m just glad it never happened in the league.”