Scott Brown, the manager of Ayr United, has expressed his admiration for his team after their 3-2 friendly triumph over neighbourhood rivals Kilmarnock. He pushed them to capitalise on this momentum as competitive matches begin.
Tuesday evening will see the Honest Men entertaining Falkirk in their League Cup opening round. They are expected to approach the encounter with poise, continuing their impressive preseason performance.
Their winning streak carried on at Somerset Park, drawing an audience of more than 3200 that same Thursday night.
Scoring commenced 26 minutes into the game, slightly by chance as George Stanger’s distant shot passed through Robby McCrorie.
Eight minutes along, their lead was doubled courtesy of a superb goal from Marco Rus. The Romanian player expertly exploited a defensive slip, driving the ball into the far corner of the goal.
Kilmarnock, however, managed to claw one back just before halftime, as Brad Lyons skillfully lodged the ball into the top corner after Kyle Vassell’s well-directed shot was blocked by goalie Harry Stone.
Just past the hour point of the game, an Anton Dowds penalty allowed United to regain mastery, especially as Kilmarnock had started the second half strongly. George Oakley was claimed to have been tripped by Joe Wright to justify the penalty.
Fraser Murray’s delivery was turned into a goal by Robbie Deas’ header, narrowing the deficit, while Bruce Anderson’s spectacular rear post volley, which slammed off the post, could have tied the score.
Following the match, Scott Brown complimented the performance, mentioning: “Kilmarnock brought a robust team, and we battled well. We stayed composed and effectively neutralised their challenge.”
“Now the real grind begins. Maintaining an undefeated streak through the preseason does not imply we should anticipate defeat in the cups. It’s crucial to retain the mentality of victory,” he added.
There’s a strong sense of unity at the club, encompassing everyone from the kitmen, kitchen staff, to the players; we all seek the best for the club. We aspire to persist in this feeling for as long as feasible.”
“The newly inaugurated stands give the feel of a genuine football club. Both we and the chairman share a collective ambition. As much as possible, we want to uphold that drive,” he concluded.
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