Forfar Athletic 1 - 4 Ayr United: Lethal Ayr take three-goal lead back to Somerset Park

Published on Wednesday 11 May 2011 17:54

It's advantage Ayr in the First Division play-off semis as they dumped rivals Forfar.

The Honest Men take a three- goal advantage back to Sommerset Park on Saturday thanks to goals from Michael Moffat and Ryan McCann, either side of an own goal from Forfar's Mark McCulloch and a late potential tie-clinching fourth from Andy Rodgers.

Ayr enjoyed a dream start as they took the lead after just 75 seconds. Moffat collected a neat feed from Jonathan Tiffoney and powered into the Forfar box before blasting a low powerful shot underneath Neil Duffy in the Forfar goal.

But the home side responded well and forced a series of corners after Ross Campbell's goal- bound shot was deflected wide. Brother Ian swung the ball in from the right and Chris Templeman powered a header down and over the line from six yards out.

Ayr were denied by the woodwork in the 29th minute. Moffat chased a long ball out of defence and did brilliantly to hold off Bolochoweckyj and bring the ball under control before slipping it past Duffy. However he could only watch in despair as his effort came back off the foot of the post and was hacked clear. Ayr did get a huge stroke of luck in the 35th minute, however, as Forfar cruelly conceded an own goal to restore the visitor's advantage.

Moffat clipped a ball into the box but it ricocheted off defender Greg Ross then broke off team mate Mark McCulloch and squirmed over the line with Duffy helpless.

It took an instinctive block from Duffy to keep his side from falling further behind when he somehow kept out a Martyn Campbell header from a Scott McLaughlin free kick. Forfar were inches away from levelling in the 52nd minute after Templeman twisted and turned to send a teasing ball across the face of goal.

But Ayr broke upfield and Ryan McCann raced clear and held off McCulloch just long enough to angle a shot beyond the keeper. With just four minutes left substitute Andy Rodgers stabbed home a cross from the left to round off a great win for Ayr.