Ladbrokes League One

DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC 3

AYR UNITED 2

by Angus Hyde and Calum Campbell

THE Honest Men left East End Park bitterly disappointed after seeing a two-goal lead being overturned and falling to 13 points behind league leaders Dunfermline and five behind second-place Peterhead.

It was tough to take as United appeared in control until right on the stroke of half-time when influential midfielder Brian Gilmour was sent off for intentional handball in the penalty area and former striker Michael Moffat brought Dunfermline back into the game from the penalty spot.

Manager Ian McCall could not hide his own frustration at the cruel circumstances which led to his team’s defeat. and said: "I felt all the key decisions went against us, one in particular should have been our penalty yet Greg Moore gets booked, and if that was a penalty it would have been 3-0 and it’s hugely disappointing. In the second half Greg Fleming didn’t have a save to make, the equaliser was deflected and their third took two deflections."

In six minutes Dunfermline had the first major chance when winger Joe Cardle was fouled but Michael Paton’s strike from the free-kick swung high and wide into Ayr’s travelling support. Ayr immediately replied with a Jamie Adams header going just wide.

There then followed the first of a number of moments of controversy. Craig Moore received the ball and tried to create space for himself in the box and appeared to be brought down. Instead the striker was booked for simulation.

Then in 26 minutes Dunfermline thought they had taken the lead when ex-Ayr manAndy Geggan smashed the ball home from 25 yards,. but the "goal" was correctly chalked off as Joe Cardle was in an offside position.

Adams, who is just back from injury, was at the end of some harsh treatment and was forced to come off in 27 minutes.

Alan Forrest was unlucky not to open the scoring with a beautifully curled drive towards the bottom right hand corner but was kept out by a high quality save from Sean Murdoch in the Pars goal.

In 40 minutes Ayr went ahead when Gilmour delivered a superb corner which was brilliantly headed home by former Pars man Andy Graham. Only two minutes later Craig Moore was brought down in the box for a penalty which he slotted away coolly to double United’s advantage.

But a dream first half soon turned into a nightmare with another controversial decision. A goalward header by former Ayr player Andy Geggan appeared to be deflected away by the front of Gilmour’s shoulder but referee Nick Walsh awarded a penalty and sent the midfielder off.. Moffat calmly dispatched the resultant penalty kick.

The sending-off proved to be the turning point.

United had lost the imposing Adams and the creative Gilmour but re-jigged the side and seemed more than capable of holding out.

However in 56 minutes Dunfermline equalised. Jason Talbot’s delightful chip into the box found Cardle who, from a tight angle, hit the ball across the front of the goals and off the helpless Nicky Devlin and into the net.

Just nine minutes later Faissal El Bakhtaoui fired the hosts ahead but again this would have an element of luck. Although it was a well struck shot, had it not been for a double deflection first off Graham and then Peter Murphy, Fleming would have saved.

Although reduced to just 10 men, United still created some moments of brilliance with Alan Forrest wriggling his way into the Dunfermline box only to be thwarted by Murdoch. Peter Murphy dribbled from his own half before being chopped down as he raced towards goal, and a delightful shot by Ryan Stevenson almost sneaked in at the front post.

AYR UNITED: Fleming, Devlin, Donald, Murphy, Graham, Stevenson, Gilmour, Adams, Preston, Forrest, Moore. Subs: Newman (GK), Boyle, Trouten, Crawford, McLaughlin, McCracken, Wardrope.

Starman

Alan Forrest 3

Andy Graham 2

Peter Murphy 1