18s v Hearts Match Report
Ayr welcomed their Premier League opponents for the late afternoon kick off today at a very wet Cumnock Juniors. Following a couple of positive results away from home Ayr wanted to put in a strong performance in their last home game before the winter break. In fact Ayr nearly took an early lead when forward Brian Connor dispossessed a Hearts defender to go through one v one on the keeper. Connor took an extra touch which allowed the keeper to narrow the angle and block the shot with his legs. Hearts then forced a couple of corner kicks which Ayr did well to defend. With the midfield area very congested the wide areas of the pitch were the places to play and on the 25th minute mark Ayr did just that. Decci McFadyen won the ball well in his own half before passing to captain Andrew Heaney. As Ayr full back Lewis Nohar attacked the space the ball was played into his path. Nohar wasted no time in firing the ball into the danger area where Heaney completed his run and fired the ball home from close in. A very well worked goal made by moving the ball quickly from one side of the pitch to the other. There was very little space in midfield as both teams contested that area fiercely as the game moved on. However, on 35 minutes Hearts levelled through a hotly disputed free kick awarded on Ayr’s left side. As the free kick was swung in the ball seemed to deceive Ayr keeper Kirkland and floated into the top corner. The goal seemed to unsettle the home side for a few minutes until they recovered their composure prior to the interval.
Half Time : Ayr United 1 Hearts 1
The second half kicked off with the rain sweeping across Townhead Park as conditions made the surface slick. Ayr were raising the tempo by pressing well and forcing their opponents to go long. However, Ayr were forced into a change when replacing unwell striker Kaylum Ferguson with Sam McKee. The game had become. fairly stretched with Hearts being forced mainly to hit long balls. Ayr now had the upper hand and replaced wide men Logan Angus and Brian Connor with Josh Robinson and Alex Dean. As the game entered the final stages Ayr finished the stronger of the two sides. Ryan Hannah replaced Aaron Miller in an effort to inject some fresh legs in midfield. Josh Robinson drove towards goal and as his fierce shot was beaten out by Hearts international keeper Harry Stone, Sam McKee’s shot from the rebound ricocheted off a defender and past for a corner. Ayr pressed for the winner but the decisive goal would just not come.
Final Score : Ayr United 1 Hearts 1
Head Coach John Crawford was pleased with the performance over the ninety minutes against an Elite side. Crawford said, ‘Overall a very solid performance again today. The team kept their shape well, pressed with an intensity and dominated the second half. We should have been more clinical with a couple of good chances but as a team there were many things to like. Solid at the back, industrious in midfield and quick on the counter attack. Good individual performances throughout contributed to a good collective performance.’
Ayr United :
Kirkland, Nohar, Fraser, Bilham, McFadyen, Miller, Smith, Angus, Heaney, Connor, Ferguson.
Subs : Dean, McKee, Robinson, Hannah, Kasule.
