Scottish football fairytale turns sour as Victor Wanyama sent off on debut and Neil Lennon loses out

Dunfermline's Victor Wanyama with manager Neil Lennon as he is sent off for a foul on Ayr's Mark McKenzie. (Photo by Euan Cherry / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Scottish football’s “fairytale” went badly wrong at Somerset Park as Neil Lennon lost his maiden match in charge of Dunfermline Athletic - and his new signing Victor Wanyama was sent off on his debut.

Former Celtic manager Lennon - who has won multiple trophies as a player and a manager in Scotland - took over as boss of Dunfermline eight days ago, returning to an SPFL dugout for the first time in more than four years as the Pars replaced the axed Michael Tidser with the Northern Irishman.

Dunfermline went into Saturday’s match against Ayr United in second-bottom place of the Championship and in need of a victory with just seven games to go prior to kick-off.

Dunfermline's Victor Wanyama with manager Neil Lennon as he is sent off for a foul on Ayr's Mark McKenzie. (Photo by Euan Cherry / SNS Group) | SNS Group

The match in Ayrshire had added spice given Lennon was coming up against his former Celtic captain Scott Brown, who is the current Ayr manager, while his former teammate Wanyama was added to the Pars squad ahead of the match. Moreover, the trio all share the same birthday - June 25 - with Wanyama pre-match calling in occasion a “fairytale”.

It was Brown who ended the afternoon smiling the most as Ayr overcame Dunfermline 3-0 to maintain their faint hopes of challenging leaders Falkirk in the league.

Conversely, it was a chastening afternoon for the Pars. Wanyama appeared as a 64th-minute substitute with Dunfermline a goal behind before the 33-year-old Kenyan was sent off for denying Mark McKenzie a clear goalscoring opportunity 20 minutes later with a handball offence.

Lennon also had to watch his young striker Connor Young, who had been restored to the starting XI, come off in the first half with what appeared to be a serious injury.

After a competitive opening part to the match, Ayr grew into it and took the lead on 43 minutes through Connor McLennan to dampen the spirits of a strong travelling support.

The lead was doubled on 68 minutes when Jamie Murphy capitalised on a mistake in the Ayr backline to chip home, before Wanyama saw red for a professional foul.

Ayr put the cherry on the cake in the fourth minute of stoppage time when substitute Ethan Walker scored the final goal.

Dunfermline, who are two points behind Hamilton Accies in eighth place, will look to bounce back on Wednesday when they host Livingston in their game in hand over their rivals.