Ayr United 0 – 0 Arbroath
Dick Campbell Post Match Interview
Mason Hancock Post Match Interview
10-man Arbroath picked up a valuable point at Somerset Park this afternoon in the opener of the 2022/23 Scottish Championship.
The Lichties were reduced to 10 men in the 81st minute when Thomas O’Brien was adjudged to have been the last man after tussling with Dipo Akinyemi.
Arbroath started the match with one change from last Saturday as David Gold started at right back with Jason Thomson on the bench and Keaghan Jacobs replacing Gold in midfield. New signing Mason Hancock started on the bench as Arbroath lined up with Gaston, Gold, Little, O’Brien (c), Hamilton, Stewart, Jacobs, Low, Linn with McKenna just behind Shanks.
The bench consisted of Thomson, Hilson, Donnelly, Hancock, Fosu, Craigen and Gill.
Ayr United however made a bright start to the game and Arbroath were on the back foot for the opening exchanges but Ayr wasted several great chances. Derek Gaston was again on top form and made some crucial saves.
Arbroath’s first half chance came in the 20th minute when Scott Stewart glanced a header from a Bobby Linn corner kick.
Bobby Linn had a shot deflected winning a corner just after the half hour mark, with Nicky Low also having a long range shot saved shortly after.
Derek Gaston denied Dempsey just before half-time, which was another fantastic chance for the home team.
At the interval Arbroath made 3 changes with Jason Thomson replacing David Gold at right back, James Craigen replacing Keaghan Jacobs who had picked up an injury in midfield with Daniel Fosu taking the place of Shanks up front.
The substitutions start to change the game and Fosu made space before pulling the ball back to Craigen in the box but unfortunatey his shot was directly at the keeper.
A run forward by Jason Thomson was followed with a dangerous cross into the box before a lovely long ball from O’Brien who found Linn before he raced into the box but nobody could follow up with a shot.
Referee Chris Graham had booked Shanks and Jacobs in the first half before adding Craigen and McKenna into his book in the second half.
Mason Hancock came on for Bobby Linn in the 66th minute before Dale Hilson replaced Michael McKenna 2 minutes later.
Thomas O’Brien made two fantastic clearances with his head as he cleared a shot from under his crossbar but in the 81st minute was sent off after having been judged the last man as he fell to the ground with Dipo Akinyemi, but the angle had left the Ayr United forward a lot to do. From the resulting free kick Ayr were unable to capitalise.
Daniel Fosu had a great chance at the back post from a corner before Dale Hilson also had a half chance as the ball feel to him. Fosu really impressed up front and gave McGinty a real battle in the air.
Mason Hancock was booked for his first tackle in the 92 minute but Ayr United couldn’t capitalise from the free kick out on the wing.
The full time whistle finally came and on reflection it had been a tough game for the Lichties, but a clean sheet and the first point on the board made it a good start to the season.
Ayr United
21 – Charlie Albinson
3 – Patrick Reading
5 – Sean McGinty (c)
4 – Frankie Musonda
17 – Nick McAllister
11 – Jayden Mitchell-Lawson ( O’Connor 73)
6 – Andy Murdoch
8 – Ben Dempsey
23 – Sam Ashford (McKenzie 90+3)
9 – Dipo Akinyemi
30 – Fraser Bryden
Ayr United Substitutes
2 – Jordan Houston
10 – Daire O’Connor – 11; 73rd
15 – Alex Kirk
20 – Michael Hewitt
22 – Marc McKenzie – 23; 90+3
25 – Finn Ecrepont
26 – Kinlay Bilham
31 – Paul Smith
1 – Aidan McAdams (GK)
Arbroath
1 – Derek Gaston
7 – David Gold (Stewart 45)
3 – Colin Hamilton
4 – Ricky Little
5 – Thomas O’Brien (c)
6 – Nicky Low
10 – Keaghan Jacobs (Craigen 45)
12 – Scott Stewart
8 – Michael McKenna ((Hilson 68)
16 – Kieran Shanks (Fosu 45)
11 – Bobby Linn (Hancock 66)
Arbroath Substitutes
2 – Jason Thomson – 7: 45th
9 – Dale Hilson – 8; 68th
15 – Luke Donnelly
18 – Mason Hancock – 11;
27 – Daniel Fosu – 16; 45th
28 – James Craigen – 10; 45th
21 – Cammy Gill (GK
Yellow Cards – Shanks 28, Jacobs 37, Craigen 58, McKenna 66, Hancock 92
Red Card – O’Brien 81
Attendace – 1872
Officials:
Referee – Chris Graham
Assistant Referee 1 – Stuart Stevenson
Assistant Referee 2 – Calum Doyle
