Livingston 1-2 Ayr United: Ayr enjoy the perfect preparation for Hibs

AYR United warmed up for their Scottish Cup quarter-final with Hibernian on Saturday in style, as they put two former Easter Road idols – John Collins and John Hughes – to the sword.

Brian Reid’s part-timers were playing their eighth match in just 24 days but goals from Mark Roberts and Michael McGowan were enough to negate Keaghan Jacobs’ opener and secure all three points to leapfrog Raith and escape the bottom two of the First Division.

For Livingston, it was the third defeat in four matches for manager Hughes and director of football Collins.

Livingston were first to strike when Mark McNulty was set free in the box and squared for Keaghan Jacobs to tap home. But Ayr hit back within eight minutes from the spot after Keigan Parker was hauled down by Andy McNeil. They secured the winner when McGowan latched on to a deep Parker cross, which had been flimsily fisted at by McNeil, and fired a powerful effort into the bottom corner.