United Edge it At Home

Last updated : 13 December 2008 By honestman
19th January 2008 Ayr's latest win at Somerset Park
Ayr United will at last take to the pitch today to play a league fixture against Alloa Athletic leaving behind the problems of the Scottish Cup. Its an important match that Ayr must win to keep in the promotion race and it wont be easy after such a long lay off against a uesful Alloa side.

Over the years since that first match at Alloa's Recreation Park on 25th November 1922, Ayr have by far the best success rate with 56% of wins and 19% of the matches drawn.

Ayr recorded a 1-1 draw in that inaugeral First Division league match between them in 1922. It was 1-1 when the clubs met at Somerset park for the first time on 7th April 1923.

It was Second division football when the Honest Men recorded their first ever win over the Alloa winning by 2-1 on the opening match of the 1925/26 season and they followed this up with a frst away win on 9th February 1926.

On 27th August 1927 met Alloa at Somerset Park and none of those who turned realised that Ayr would romp home to the title that season. Jimmy Smith made the half time difference and he scored Ayr's third late on, Billy Brae having scored the second.

United had a resounding 4-1 victory on 6th March 1937. United gained promotion the following season and Alloa followed them for the 1938/39 first division encounter on 21st January 1939 giving Alloa their first win over Ayr on home soil. Scottish Cup action followed with no success for Ayr and the Alloa were already giving Ayr a hard time.

The war years intervened and on resumption Ayr had a good 3-1 win in 'B' division 0n 18th August 1945. Ayr had a dreadful 4-1 home defeat on 4th September 1948 but didn't wait long for their next win which came on 15th January 1949, having played out a 4-1 draw the previous year.

Success at Alloa was routine by now and United had an exciting 5-3 win there on 25 November 1950 and a 6-3 win on two years later on 8th November 1952. At home United had won 2-0 on 6th October 1951. Alloa wins were rare and draws outnumbered home wins. On 21st February 1959 Ayr had a comfortable 2-1 win at Alloa, just one more on the road to United's 2nd Division Championship win of 1958/59.

By season 1961/62 Ayr had unfortunately been relegated from the 1st Division and a disappointing 9th place finish was due largely to displays like that recorded on 13th January 1962 - a 7-2 defeat by Alloa and to date still the highest aggregate score between the sides. This defeat was made even more embarrassing when it is considered that Alloa played for most of the second half with one man short.

The following season didn't provide much cause for optimism at Ayr but at least the 1-1 draw at Alloa on 15th September 1962 was an improvement on the previous season's effort. Alloa had a spell in the first division as did Ayr and so it wasn't until a league cup match on 4th September 1968 that the two teams again met, with a 1-0 win for the Honest Men.

League meetings became scarce due mainly to Ayr remaining in higher divisions but another cup encounter on 30th January 1982 saw Alloa progress into the next round of the Scottish Cup by 2-1.

The clubs did finally resume league clashes and Ayr won by 2-1 September 1982 and at Recreation Park on 16th April 1983 when Alloa held sway by 3-0 in the first division clash. It was 4-2 for Ayr on 1st October 1983 and 3-0 on 17th March 1984. In between a 0-0 draw was obtained on 3rd December 1984.

It was a 1-1 draw with at Alloa 7th September 1985. Both teams were relegated and the following season Alloa won the second division match 1-0.
Having been relegated the previous season they had another blow of losing 1-0 at Alloa on 23rd August 1986 but won at home on 22nd November 1986 by 1-0 and by 2-0 on 21st February 1987.

The following season Ayr were unstoppable and won by 3-0 on 25th October and by 2-0 at Alloa on 1st March 1988.

Ayr United were already promoted to the 1st Division when they took on Alloa at Recreation Park on 16th April 1988 with a team of Watson, McIntyre, Hughes, Brown, McCann, Evans, Templeton, Wilson, Walker, Sludden and Cowal. John Sludden (who else) took only 13 minutes to put Ayr ahead - the super U's 93rd goal of the season and a new record for the new style 2nd Division. It was on the half hour mark that Kenny Wilson dummied a Sludden pass to let Jim Cowal in to score Ayr's second.

Kenny had only a few minutes to wait, however, for his own strike which came when the Alloa keeper failed to hold another John Sludden piledriver. Despite a consolation goal for the home side in the second half, Ayr ran out 3-1 winners and secured the 2nd Division Championship into the bargain. The happy Ayr fans invaded the pitch at the end, a sight that had become familiar with all associated with Ayr United that season.

League encounters were not resumed until Alloa attained first division status in 2000 and Eddie Annand goals assured Ayr not only of a 1-1 draw on 12th August 2000, but a 2-0 win on 13th March 2001. United earned themselves a 1-0 on 21st September 2002 after the Wasps one season spell in division two.
More recently United recorded an excellent win at Recreation Park on 3rd December 2005 by 4-0 although United had to be content with a 1-1 draw n 8th April 2006.

Season 2006/07 saw Ayr record a 1-0 win at Alloa on 16th September 2006 but Alloa won at Spmmerset Park on 11th November 2006. United took the seasons honours with a 1-1 draw away on 20th January but recorded a good 4-3 win at Somerset Park on 17th March 2006

The following season the clubs met early on 1st September 2007 at Somerset Park when United won 2-0 through late goals from Stephen Swift (75), and Ryan Stevenson (86). It was late goals that won the home fixture on 19th January 2008 after Alloa had taken an own goal lead in the second minute.
Alex Williams equalised right on half time but goals Gareth Wardlaw (80) and Ryan Stevenson (90) gave United a much needed win.

The following season United recorded a superb 2-0 win at Recreation Park on 9th August 2008.