Ayr United 0 - 0 Livingston: Honours even at Somerset

AYR and Livingston settled for a point apiece but both sides had chances to grab all three.

New boy Mark Fotheringham has been without a club since leaving Anorthosis Famagusta in the summer, but he displayed no signs of rustiness when he clipped the top of the bar with a 25-yarder after 23 minutes.

The former Dundee man also had a deflected drive which flew just wide. Then Livi’s Bobby Barr whipped in a cross which John Robertson was relieved to slice over his own bar.

Ayr’s best early chances came from a Michael McGowan free-kick which was just too high while the overlapping Jonathon Tiffoney raked in a shot that wasn’t far off target.

Tiffoney then made space in the box before rifling in a shot that flew just wide.

Livingston almost took the lead in 58 minutes when keeper Kevin Cuthbert needed two attempts to keep out a Bobby Barr shot.

Ayr responded with a McGowan header from a Mark Roberts cross which went inches over.

There was a huge talking point in 66 minutes when Ayr sub Gareth Wardlaw went down under a Kyle Jacobs challenge seemingly inside the penalty area. Referee Steven McLean booked Jacobs but to Ayr’s fury awarded only a free kick at the edge of the box.

Wardlaw then rose to head just wide from an Alan Trouten cross. and Eddie Malone had a header from a corner blocked on the line as Ayr chased the winner.

There was drama right at the end when Ayr defender Chris Smith and keeper Cuthbert collided. Both players required lengthy treatment before Smith was stretchered off.