2018–19 Ayr United F.C. season

The 2018–19 season was Ayr United’s 109th season of competitive football and their first season back in the Scottish Championship following their promotion from League One in the 2017–18 season.[1] Ayr also competed in the League Cup, Scottish Cup and the Challenge Cup.

Ayr United
2018–19 season
ManagerIan McCall
StadiumSomerset Park
Scottish ChampionshipFourth place
Scottish CupFourth Round
League CupQuarter-Final
Challenge CupFirst Round
Premiership Play-OffsQuarter-Final
Top goalscorerLeague: Lawrence Shankland (24)
All: Lawrence Shankland (34)
Highest home attendance3,249 v Partick Thistle, Championship, 4 August 2018
Lowest home attendance1,227 v Stenhousemuir, League Cup, 24 July 2018
Average home league attendance2,157

Summary

Season

In their first season back in the second–tier of Scottish football, Ayr United finished in fourth place and qualified for the Premiership play-offs, losing to Inverness CT in the quarter-final.

Results and fixtures

  Win   Draw   Loss   Postponed

Scottish Championship
Main article: 2018–19 Scottish Championship
4 August 2018 1Ayr United2 – 0Partick ThistleSomerset Park, Ayr
15:00 Shankland  7 pen.', 18' Report Attendance: 3,249
Referee: Craig Thomson
11 August 2018 2Inverness CT0 – 0Ayr UnitedCaledonian Stadium, Inverness
15:00 Report Harvie  30' Attendance: 2,376
Referee: Andrew Dallas
25 August 2018 3Ayr United4 – 1Dunfermline AthleticSomerset Park, Ayr
15:00 Forrest  5', 37'
Shankland  39'
Moffat  81'		 Report Longridge  55' Attendance: 2,597
Referee: Euan Anderson
1 September 2018 4Queen of the South5 – 0Ayr UnitedPalmerston Park, Dumfries
15:00 Dobbie  12', 20 pen.', 22', 84'
Harkins  37'		 Report Harvie  79' Attendance: 2,498
Referee: Colin Steven
15 September 2018 5Ayr United3 – 2FalkirkSomerset Park, Ayr
15:00 Shankland  48'
Geggan  63'
Fasan  65 o.g.'		 Report Rudden  18'
Petravičius  25'		 Attendance: 2,250
Referee: Alan Newlands
22 September 2018 6Alloa Athletic0 – 2Ayr UnitedRecreation Park, Alloa
15:00 Report Shankland  23', 65' Attendance: 949
Referee: Gavin Duncan
29 September 2018 7Greenock Morton1 – 5Ayr UnitedCappielow, Greenock
15:00 Telfer  35' Report Shankland  19', 75'
Moore  73', 81'
McDaid  89'		 Attendance: 2,273
Referee: Steven McLean
6 October 2018 8Ayr United2 – 0Dundee UnitedSomerset Park, Ayr
15:00 Shankland  21'
McDaid  74'		 Report Attendance: 2,621
Referee: Greg Aitken
20 October 2018 9Ross County2 – 1Ayr UnitedVictoria Park, Dingwall
15:00 McKay  23'
Mullin  34'		 Report Shankland  50' Attendance: 3,140
Referee: Steven McLean
27 October 2018 10Partick Thistle0 – 1Ayr UnitedFirhill Stadium, Glasgow
15:00 Report Rose  77' Attendance: 3,491
Referee: Bobby Madden
30 October 2018 11Ayr United3 – 0Alloa AthleticSomerset Park, Ayr
19:45 Shankland  46', 90+2'
Forrest  81'		 Report Attendance: 1,742
Referee: David Munro
3 November 2018 12Falkirk0 – 1Ayr UnitedFalkirk Stadium, Falkirk
15:00 Report Moore  51' Attendance: 4,310
Referee: Greg Aitken
10 November 2018 13Ayr United1 – 1Queen of the SouthSomerset Park, Ayr
15:00 Rose  75' Report Murray  81' Attendance: 2,539
Referee: John Beaton
17 November 2018 14Ayr United0 – 0Greenock MortonSomerset Park, Ayr
15:00 Moore  62' Report Attendance: 2,346
Referee: Willie Collum
30 November 2018 15Dundee United0 – 5Ayr UnitedTannadice Park, Dundee
19:45 Report Shankland  3', 41', 87 pen.', 89'
Moffat  78'		 Attendance: 6,097
Referee: Don Robertson
15 December 2018 16Ayr United3 – 3Ross CountySomerset Park, Ayr
15:00 Shankland  21 pen.', 25'
Geggan  43'		 Report Mullin  12'
McKay  48 pen.'
Cowie  52'		 Attendance: 2,030
Referee: Bobby Madden
22 December 2018 17Dunfermline Athletic0 – 0Ayr UnitedEast End Park, Dunfermline
19:45 Report Attendance: 4,916
Referee: Steven McLean
29 December 2018 18Queen of the South1 – 1Ayr UnitedPalmerston Park, Dumfries
15:00 Todd  29' Report Moffat  41' Attendance: 2,349
Referee: Alan Newlands
5 January 2019 19Ayr United0 – 1FalkirkSomerset Park, Ayr
15:00 Report Rudden  56' Attendance: 2,729
Referee: Bobby Madden
12 January 2019 20Inverness CT1 – 0Ayr UnitedCaledonian Stadium, Inverness
15:00 White  64' Report Attendance: 2,283
Referee: Alan Newlands
25 January 2019 21Ayr United1 – 0Dundee UnitedSomerset Park, Ayr
19:45 Moore  4' Report Gomis  89' Attendance: 2,232
Referee: Don Robertson
29 January 2019 22Ayr United2 – 3Inverness CTSomerset Park, Ayr
19:45 McDaid  53'
Shankland  85'		 Report Austin  9', 12'
Polworth  18'		 Attendance: 1,559
Referee: Nick Walsh
2 February 2019 23Alloa Athletic1 – 3Ayr UnitedRecreation Park, Alloa
15:00 Trouten  30' Report Moffat  29', 88'
Shankland  52' (pen.)		 Attendance: 957
Referee: Mike Roncone
16 February 2019 24Greenock Morton0 – 0Ayr UnitedCappielow, Greenock
15:00 Report Attendance: 2,335
Referee: Colin Steven
23 February 2019 25Ayr United0 – 1Dunfermline AthleticSomerset Park, Ayr
15:00 Report Longridge  71' (pen.) Attendance: 2,202
Referee: David Munro
26 February 2019 26Ross County3 – 2Ayr UnitedVictoria Park, Dingwall
19:45 McKay  35', 70', 75' Report Shankland  62'
Murdoch  73'		 Attendance: 3,489
Referee: Nick Walsh
8 March 2019 27Falkirk2 – 0Ayr UnitedFalkirk Stadium, Falkirk
19:05 McGhee  27', 40' Report Attendance: 4,344
Referee: Alan Muir
29 March 2019 28Dunfermline Athletic0 – 1Ayr UnitedEast End Park, Dunfermline
19:05 Report McDaid  31' Attendance: 4,671
Referee: Gavin Duncan
2 April 2019 29Ayr United1 – 1Greenock MortonSomerset Park, Ayr
19:45 Shankland  21 pen.' Report Kiltie  71' Attendance: 1,802
Referee: Willie Collum
6 April 2019 30Ayr United0 – 1Inverness CTSomerset Park, Ayr
15:00 Report McKay  66' Attendance: 1,566
Referee: Craig Thomson
9 April 2019 31Ayr United1 – 0Queen of the SouthSomerset Park, Ayr
19:45 Shankland  43 pen.' Report Attendance: 1,582
Referee: Greg Aitken
12 April 2019 32Dundee United2 – 1Ayr UnitedTannadice Park, Dundee
19:05 Šafranko  63'
McMullan  74'		 Report Bell  24' Attendance: 4,392
Referee: Bobby Madden
19 April 2019 33Ayr United1 – 3Ross CountySomerset Park, Ayr
19:05 Miller  12'
Docherty  90+5'		 Report Graham  42', 46', 71' Attendance: 1,692
Referee: Euan Anderson
23 April 2019 34Ayr United0 – 1Partick ThistleSomerset Park, Ayr
19:45 Report Gordon  17' Attendance: 2,429
Referee: Alan Newlands
27 April 2019 35Partick Thistle1 – 2Ayr UnitedFirhill Stadium, Glasgow
15:00 Gordon  9' Report Smith  17'
Muirhead  56'		 Attendance: 3,855
Referee: Nick Walsh
4 May 2019 36Ayr United1 – 1Alloa AthleticSomerset Park, Ayr
15:00 Shankland  37' Report Shields  33' Attendance: 1,665
Referee: Willie Collum

Premiership Play–Off
Main article: 2018–19 Scottish Premiership
7 May 2019 Quarter-final 1st LegAyr United1 – 3Inverness CTSomerset Park, Ayr
19:45 Rose  65' Report Trafford  33'
White  51', 76 pen.'		 Attendance: 2,171
Referee: Alan Muir
11 May 2019 Quarter-final 2nd LegInverness CT1 – 1
(4 – 2 agg.)		Ayr UnitedCaledonian Stadium, Inverness
19:45 Donaldson  79' Report McCowan  19' Attendance: 2,323
Referee: Steven McLean

Scottish League Cup
Main article: 2018–19 Scottish League Cup § Group E
14 July 2018 Group StageAyr United3 – 1Greenock MortonSomerset Park, Ayr
15:00 Shankland  48', 72', 75' Report Tidser  14' Attendance: 1,586
Referee: Willie Collum
21 July 2018 Group StageAlbion Rovers0 – 2Ayr UnitedCliftonhill, Coatbridge
15:00 Report Forrest  15'
Bell  80'		 Attendance: 519
Referee: Mike Roncone
24 July 2018 Group StageAyr United5 – 0StenhousemuirSomerset Park, Ayr
19:45 Shankland  2', 8', 46'
Moffat  41', 86'		 Report Attendance: 1,227
Referee: David Munro
28 July 2018 Group StagePartick Thistle0 – 2Ayr UnitedFirhill Stadium, Glasgow
15:00 Report Moffat  6'
Shankland  66'		 Attendance: 2,871
Referee: Nick Walsh

Group E Table
Pos Team Pld W PW PL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification AYR PAR GMO STE ALB
1 Ayr United (Q) 4 4 0 0 0 12 1 +11 12 Qualification for the Second Round — — 3–1 5–0 —
2 Partick Thistle (Q) 4 3 0 0 1 6 3 +3 9 0–2 — 2–1 — —
3 Greenock Morton 4 2 0 0 2 9 5 +4 6 — — — 2–0 5–0
4 Stenhousemuir 4 1 0 0 3 4 9 −5 3 — 0–2 — — 4–0
5 Albion Rovers 4 0 0 0 4 0 13 −13 0 0–2 0–2 — — —
Source: [2]
Rules for classification: 1) goal difference, 2) goals scored, 3) away goals scored, 4) matches won, 5) away matches won, 6) drawing of lots.[3]
(Q) Qualified to the phase indicated.

Knockout phase
8 August 2018 Round 2Dundee0 – 3Ayr UnitedDens Park, Dundee
19:45 Moussa  77'
Kusunga  90+3'		 Report Shankland  51', 86'
Moffat  89'		 Attendance: 3,151
Referee: John Beaton
26 September 2018 Quarter-finalRangers4 – 0Ayr UnitedIbrox Stadium, Glasgow
19:45 Katić  16'
Middleton  31', 70'
Morelos  49'		 Report Attendance: 35,042
Referee: Bobby Madden

Scottish Challenge Cup
Main article: 2018–19 Scottish Challenge Cup
14 August 2018 First RoundQueen's Park0 – 0
(4 – 2 p)		Ayr UnitedHampden Park, Glasgow
19:45 Report Attendance: 834

Scottish Cup
Main article: 2018–19 Scottish Cup
24 November 2018 Third RoundBeith Juniors0 – 3Ayr UnitedBellsdale Park, Beith
15:00 Report Shankland  64'
Docherty  79'
Moffat  88'		 Attendance: 1,780
Referee: Colin Steven
19 January 2019 Fourth RoundAuchinleck Talbot1 – 0Ayr UnitedBeechwood Park, Auchinleck
15:00 McCracken  78' Report Attendance: 3,100
Referee: Euan Anderson

Squad statistics

Appearances
As of 11 May 2019[4]
No. Pos Nat Player TotalLeague OneLeague CupScottish CupOther
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1 GK Ross Doohan 47036+006+002+003+00
2 DF Chris Higgins 500+300+002+000+00
3 DF Daniel Harvie 44031+206+002+003+00
4 MF Mark Kerr 30018+405+100+001+10
5 DF Michael Rose 44134+005+002+003+01
6 MF Andy Geggan 28222+123+002+000+00
7 FW Michael Moffat 441029+554+242+011+10
8 MF Robbie Crawford 44030+305+102+002+10
9 FW Craig Moore 2648+1241+301+001+00
10 MF Alan Forrest 25410+736+010+000+20
11 FW Declan McDaid 45420+1441+502+003+00
12 MF Craig McGuffie 1600+901+300+201+00
14 DF David Ferguson 601+203+000+000+00
15 DF Steven Bell 33221+512+211+101+00
16 MF Jamie Adams 1909+405+100+000+00
17 FW Lawrence Shankland 413429+2246+091+012+10
18 MF Andy Murdoch 44133+116+001+003+00
19 GK Ellis Hare-Reid 000+000+000+000+00
20 MF James Hilton 000+000+000+000+00
22 DF Finn Ecrepont 100+100+000+000+00
23 MF Ross Docherty 2319+1000+001+112+00
25 MF Luke McCowan 912+300+000+102+11
27 DF Liam Smith 39132+111+001+103+00
28 MF Nicky Cadden 1106+400+000+000+10
29 MF Calvin Miller 1418+510+000+000+10
30 DF Aaron Muirhead 1118+110+000+002+00

Team statistics

Final League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
2 Dundee United 36 19 8 9 49 40 +9 65 Qualification for the Premiership play-off semi-final
3 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 36 14 14 8 48 40 +8 56 Qualification for the Premiership play-off quarter-final
4 Ayr United 36 15 9 12 50 38 +12 54
5 Greenock Morton 36 11 13 12 36 45 −9 46
6 Partick Thistle 36 12 7 17 43 52 −9 43
Source: SPFL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Points in head-to-head matches; 5) Goal difference in hth matches; 6). Goals scored in hth matches; 7). Play-off (only for deciding promotion, play-off participation and relegation).[5]

Division summary
Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536
GroundHAHAHAAHAAHAHHAHAAHAHHAAHAAAHHHAHHAH
ResultWDWLWWWWLWWWDDWDDDLLWLWDLLLWDLWLLLWD
Position131631112211111112222222233334333334
Updated to match(es) played on 28 April 2018. Source: [6]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Transfers

References
  1. "Scottish League One: Ayr United pip Raith Rovers to title and automatic promotion". BBC Sport. BBC. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  2. "Summary - League Cup Group E". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  3. "Format". SPFL. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  4. "Ayr United FC Player Appearances". soccerbase.com. Soccerbase. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  5. "Championship 2017/2018 - Season rules". Scoresway. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  6. "League One 2017/2018". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  7. "Harvie signs for United". ayrunitedfc.co.uk. Ayr United FC. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  8. "Thursday treble signing". ayrunitedfc.co.uk. Ayr United FC. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  9. "Thursday treble signing". ayrunitedfc.co.uk. Ayr United FC. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  10. "Smith is latest signing". ayrunitedfc.co.uk. Ayr United FC. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  11. "Muirhead signs 18 month deal". ayrunitedfc.co.uk. Ayr United FC. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  12. "Celtic kid Calvin Miller hopes to impress Brendan Rodgers with Ayr United loan switch". dailyrecord.co.uk. Daily Record. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  13. "Livingston winger Nicky Cadden vows to help Ayr United's Championship title bid after deadline day move". dailyrecord.co.uk. Daily Record. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  14. "Avci signs for Stranraer". stranraerfc.org. Stranraer FC. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  15. "We've signed a keeper". queensparkfc.co.uk. Queen's Park FC. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  16. "East Kilbride new boy Craig Reid hoping promotion experiences can pay off for Kilby". dailyrecord.co.uk. Daily Record. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  17. "McInally says Boyle signed due to blue toons reputation among the players". eveningexpress.co.uk. Evening Express. 25 August 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  18. "Muirhead signs 18 month deal". ayrunitedfc.co.uk. Ayr United FC. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  19. "Muirhead signs 18 month deal". ayrunitedfc.co.uk. Ayr United FC. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  20. "Chris Higgins Joins On Loan". eastfifefc.info. East Fife FC. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
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