Ladbrokes League One

AYR UNITED 1

ARBROATH 2

By Stewart McConnell

UNITED's title dreams were dealt a hammer blow as they crashed to a costly second home defeat against the Red Lichties.

It was their third loss in four games following nine straight wins.

They spurned a barrowload of first half chances after Alan Forrest had given them an early lead, but proceeded to concede two soft goals with the loss leaving them a point behind new leaders Raith Rovers.

Ayr took the lead with the first action of the match in four minutes when Michael Moffat slipped a fine through ball to Forrest, who rolled the ball under former Ayr goalie David Hutton and into the net from 10 yards. Then in six minutes, new signing Steven Bell shot just over the bar from 10 yards.

At the other end in 10 minutes a cross into the box from Ryan Wallace was cleared by the United defence.

Then a delivery into the box in 14 minutes by Bobby Linn was scrambled away by the Ayr defence. At the other end a minute later a long through ball just over-ran Declan McDaid inside the box.

A Jamie Adams shot from a McDaid free-kick was hooked away by an Arbroath defender in 18 minutes. A cross from the left was headed just wide by Bell from eight yards in 20 minutes.

United were unlucky in 28 minutes when a Lawrence Shankland shot from 10 yards was tipped round the post by Hutton. Then the ball broke to Adams 16 yards out but he rifled it well over the bar.

Forrest shot well over the top from 16 yards in 32 minutes. United player David Ferguson was booked for a foul four minutes later.

A McDaid effort from the edge of the box hit the post but then appeared to be handled inside the box by a defender a minute later but no penalty was give. Adams saw his 25-yard shot easily handkerchief by Hutton in 38 minutes.

Shankland swung over a great cross to Moffat who volleyed over the bar from 12 yards in 42 minutes.

There was a huge setback for Ayr in 55 minutes when defender Chris Higgins was taken off with a calf injury to be replaced by Stuart Faulds.

Shankland shot home for United from 12 yards in 64 minutes but the flag had already gone up for offside.

However Arbroath levelled in 67 minutes when Wallace drilled the ball home from 12 yards.

A good three-man passing mind in 75 minutes saw Forrest win the ball in midfield and he set up Moffat who passed to Craig Moore but the substitute frustratingly shot straight at Hutton.

At the other end Omar Kader sent an effort well wide from 12 yards.

Arbroath were reduced to 10 men in 80 minutes when Tom O'Brien was sent off for pushing Shankland. But the resultant free-kick from 25 yards by Shankland was blocked by the visitors' wall.

A chance was spurned by Ayr in 85 minutes when a long range shot from Craig Reid was easily saved by Hutton. However disaster struck in 87 minutes when Jordan Hart came well out of his goal and collided with Bell. Leighton McIntosh snapped up the ball and it into the empty net from 20 yards to seal victory and complete a miserable afternoon for Ayr.