Second half Ayr raid hands Livi first defeat of the season

Oct 7 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

BOBBY BARR has hit out at whistler Brian Winter for failing to award him a second-half penalty at Somerset Park.

The Livingston winger had jinked his way past Scott Taggart when the Ayr sub looked to drag him back with a handful of his shirt.

But Winter (pictured below), who had hit the headlines a week earlier after booking the same player twice but failing to send him off, waved play on.

Ayr immediately broke up the park at pace to take the lead, leaving Livingston on the wrong end of a double blow.

And a furious Barr was left seething after revealing the referee claimed he had tried to con him.

He said: “Personally I think it was a stonewall penalty.

“I was by my man, I was on the right side of him and he was behind me.

“There was no need for me to go down but the boy pulled me so I went down.

“The referee said there was minimum contact but why has he not booked me for diving?

“He also said I went down in instalments but if he thinks I dived then he should have booked me.

“Ayr broke up the park and scored from it. I think it was a poor decision but it will be a long season and, hopefully, we will get some right decisions in the future.

“Until Ayr scored, we weren’t under that much pressure.

“We had a couple of chances to kill the game off but credit to Ayr, they kept plugging away and they took their chances when they came.

“We are disappointed not to have taken some of our chances ourselves but we’ll work hard on Monday and we’ve got a couple of weeks to get over it and come out flying against Stenhousemuir on October 16.”

It was a second-half quickfire Ayr raid which saw the hosts ruinLivingston’s unbeaten league record.

Ayr scored three times in eight minutes to hand Livi their first defeat of the campaign and move to with a point of the top of the table.

Liam Fox’s first-half opener had the visitors in charge but Eddie Malone nodded Ayr level before a double from Mark Roberts left Livi on their knees.

The result sees them drop a place to second spot on goal difference, with Brechin now on top of the pile.

Livingston were not without their chances at Somerset Park and Raffaele De Vita went close in opening four minutes with a ball across goal which squirmed out of David Crawford’s hands but there were no Livi players in the box to capitalise.

The visitors came even closer to a breakthrough on 10 minutes when midfielder David Sinclair cracked a 25-yard curler off the angle of post and crossbar.

Ayr should have taken the lead themselves when Danny McKay pounced on a poor defensive header from Paul Watson and galloped in on goal but Tony Bullock raced off his line to made the stop.

De Vita and Crawford continued their personal battle, with the keeper denying the Italian a goal with two saves in quick succession.

Livingston did eventually make one of their chances count when skipper Fox lashed the ball into the top corner following a Sinclair corner.

Chances continued to come at both ends after the break with De Vita screwing wide for Livi.

At the other end, McKay had an effort charged down while Martyn Campbell bulleted a header past the post.

Ian Russell had a golden chance to double the Livi lead on 66 minutes after De Vita cut the ball back to him 14 yards out but he dragged his shot wide.

Livingston were left to rue this missed chance when Ayr pulled level. Roberts’ back-post volley was parried by Bullock but Malone was on hand to head the second ball into the net.

Ayr then raced in front six minutes later, but the goal came in controversial circumstances.

Barr looked to have been dragged back by Taggart in the Ayr box but ref Winter waved play on.

As the visitors appealed, Ayr broke up the field at break-neck pace, turning defence into attack, resulting in McKay rolling the ball across goal for Roberts to tap into the empty net for the lead.

Just two minutes later, Roberts pounced again, forcing a corner-kick over the line to make it 3-1.

Livingston did get the ball in the net before the end when De Vita steered home a Chris Malone ball, but he had strayed offside.

Ayr United boss Brian Reid said: “We were a wee bit disappointed to find ourselves a goal down at half-time as we should have been tighter at the back.

“Livingston had a few chances from the edge of the box and eventually one went in.

“I felt we were better in the second half and showed good character to come back to win at home from a goal down, which keeps our run going.

“It was a good time to get the win as we head into the international break, as it can feel like a long time before your next game to put it right.

“We’re not getting carried away and there is still a long way to go but at least we are heading in the right direction now.

Livingston manager Gary Bollan said: “Obviously, I’m disappointed with the end result but before they scored their first goal, I thought we were creating all the chances.

“We had a crazy couple of minute spell but, when they got it back, we still shouldn’t be losing goals like we did in quick succession.

“I’m not going to say too much on the penalty but decisions change games and it is one I’d like to see again.”

Courier Star Man: David Sinclair

LIVINGSTON: Bullock, C Barr, Watson, O’Byrne, C Malone, Keaghan Jacobs (Kyle Jacobs), Fox, Sinclair, B Barr, De Vita, Russell (Winters). Subs: McDowall, MacDonald, Conway.