Football Academy 19s Back With A Bang

Published 16 Aug 2010 09:30 0 Comments

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Sunday at Prestwick Academy saw Ayr United Football Academy under 19s team back on Pro Youth action with a tricky tie against Stirling Albion.

Two wins last season against Albion didn't deceive manger Stevie McMillan, who set his team out to fight from the very beginning, and the excellent tactics planned by the boss didn't take long to bear fruit - four minutes to be precise. Roddy Paterson, not for the last time in this match, broke on the right wing, made his way into the box and chipped the keeper for his first of the match.

Only 5five minutes later in the Ayrshire sunshine, Robbie Crawford passed down the right hand side for an electric Dale Moore, who seemed to pass the ball under the Stirling keeper, to make it 2-0. The right hand side seemed to be the way to go for the Ayr attackers and in 22 minutes, Dale Moore made a great run into the box, again from the right, but was brought down and the ref pointed to the spot.

Dal, himself took the penalty but the Stirling keeper saved but only six minutes later Paterson scored an almost identical goal as his first with a run from the right, except this time putting the ball under the keeper to make it 3-0.

It looked like Ayr were strolling at this point but in true football fashion, they conceded a goal less than one minute later when a penalty was converted and brought Albion right back into the match. This point was further pushed as Stirling scored a stunning goal two minutes from half time as a 40 yard cross field pass was volleyed into the net from 20 yards out to give the Ayr keeper no chance and bring the score to 3-2.

Although Ayr looked to be on the back foot, it was a false dawn for their opponents as right on half time, Ayr won a penalty when a freekick for Stirling looked like being the correct decision, but sometimes these things go for you and in this instance, Ayr gained a penalty which Dale Muir converted with ease this time to make it 4-2 for the home side.

Roddy Paterson decided to make Stirling's right hand side suffer again as he scored another copycat goal for his third and Ayr's fifth but the scoring wasn't finished as Albion scored after a long throw into Ayr's box was headed into the net to finish the game 5-3 in Ayr's favour.

Ayr's manager Stephen McMillan was happy with the performance stating: "We could have and should have scored more but considering this is our first competitive match this season, we are pleased to finish the game with a win."

McMillan continued: "This sets us up nicely for Wednesday's match against Dunfermline in the semi final of the cup that has continued from last season, strange, I know, that the cup should run from one season to another. It's strangely unfortunate that some of the players that got us here last season are now playing for the Ayr United side and therefore will miss a match that they helped the team to reach but we have a good squad of players that can cope."

Squad 1. Darryl Jones 2. Ian Fisher 3. Keiran MacIntyre 4. Robbie Crawford, 5. Gareth Armstrong 6. John Frame 7. Dale Moore, 8. Stuart Milligan 9. Roddy Paterson 10. Darren Baird, 11. Dale McLelland 12. Shaun Kelly 14. George Thompson 15. trialist 16. Alan Murdoch 21. Darryl Mathews.

The 17s were in action on Sunday as well

This article appeared in Cumnock Chronicle 17 Aug 10

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