A BRIDGE TOO FAR FOR THE BANFFERS

DEVERONVALE 0 AYR UNITED 1 (Ht 0-0)

SCORER: Stevenson 70

Deveronvale were knocked out of the Active Nation Scottish Cup on Saturday when they narrowly lost out to Ayr United, Ryan Stevenson scoring the all-important winner with seventy minutes played.

The outcome always looked favourable towards the 1^st division side but the Vale players put on a brave performance and can reflect with pride the effort they put in to the tie on a horrible November afternoon.

Ayr, with a small band of loyal supporters cheering them on, struggled at times during the encounter but their class told in the end and if truth be told James Blanchard in the home goal kept the score-line to a minimum with some fantastic stops over the ninety minutes.

Vale, with nothing to lose, started the brighter in the driving rain but with just Mike McKenzie up-top never really looked like breaking down the Honest Men’s defence who looked comfortable throughout.

Gary McGowan had an effort charged down and McKenzie saw his snap-shot drift harmlessly wide as the senior side tentatively settled into the match.

A Scott Fraser slip allowed Kenny Connelly to nip clear of the Vale defence but his centre to strike partner Mark Roberts was a yard short of finding its intended target.

Fraser made up for his earlier error when he threw himself at a Ryan Stevenson volley following a set-piece which the home defence had struggled to clear.

The huge 6’ 7” frame of Kevin James headed a deep corner beyond the post before Jim Blanchard was called into action when he brilliantly saved Billy Gibson’s header after the midfielder had met Dean Keenan’s set-piece 6-yards from goal.

Keenan’s next free kick was a long range effort which had Blanchy at full stretch as he clawed the ball over the top of his left-hand postage stamp for a fruitless corner.

A double save from Blanchard with some help from Steve Dolan denied Ali Woodburn a certain opener while Robbie Duncanson’s strike from distance didn’t have Craig Samson in the Ayr goal too worried as he watched it drift well wide. HT

The wind increased from the East as the second half kicked off and it might have been the wind of change if Robbie Duncanson’s curling effort from 25-yards had nestled in the top corner but Samson was equal to it as he turned the ball around his post for Vale’s first corner of the tie.

The visiting support behind Blanchard’s goal were in full song as they tried to lift their side and it very nearly paid off when Kenny Connelly found the net from close range but their joy was short-lived as the assistant had flagged for offside well before Connelly had stroked the ball home.

The Banffers seemed to have a little more confidence as the game wore on and Gary McGowan’s strike was blocked for a corner and from the resultant set-piece Paul Urquhart pulled a low strike a yard wide from the edge of the box as Mark Chisholm looked on wondering why he never struck out a boot to the ball.

Substitute Ryan Borris brought some much needed pace into the visiting side and this change in personnel seemed to swing the game in Ayr’s favour.

The sub had Blanchy flying across his goal to touch the ball to safety and from the corner which followed Kevin James beat the Vale keeper but the ball landed a foot wide of the opposite post.

Vale’s goal led a charmed life yet again when Mark Roberts sent a lovely ball across the six-yard box inviting the arriving Alistair Woodburn to put his laces through it at the back stick but again Blanchy came to the rescue with a stunning block low at his post.

A  goal was coming as the game opened up and it duly did when Woodburn’s centre from the right was collected by Ryan Stevenson, the midfielder composing himself before dispatching the ball under Blanchard from 12-yards out.

To their credit Vale responded and Mark Smith had two headers on target but just failed to get enough purchase on either to worry Craig Samson – although the second of the two did force a decent stop from the otherwise untested keeper.

Blanchy got a strong hand to turn Ryan Stevenson’s fierce free kick around his right post before the keeper was quickly off his line to thwart Borris as he looked to finish the tie.

Mark Smith and Craig Samson had a bust up when the midfielder chased a loose ball in the Ayr box, Smith perhaps lucky to escape with just a caution while the keeper escaped unpunished from the incident.

Woodburn should have wrapped things up inside stoppage time but somehow missed the target from 3-yards with the goal gapping while Mark Smith had the last chance of the tie when Gary McGowan was hacked down 25-yards from goal but the normally deadly midfielder disappointed when he sent his free-kick wide of the target.

Line Ups:

Ayr – Samson, R McGowan, #N McGowan, Gibson, #James, Stevenson, Woodburn, #Keenan, Connelly, Roberts, Easton (Borris)

Subs Not Used – C Aitken, A Aitken, Cawley, Grindlay (gk)

Manager – Brian Reid

Deveronvale – Blanchard, Milne, Dolan, #Chisholm, Fraser, Urquhart (Cowie 90), #McGowan, #Brown, Duncanson, McKenzie (Gauld 86), #Smith

Subs Not Used: Barclay, Rodger, McKenzie (gk)

Co Managers – Stuart Glennie & Scott Anderson

Officials:

Ref - N Watters

Asst Referees - G Cheyne & D Ross

Vale Stats:

Shots On Target: 2

Shots Off Target: 4

Blocked Efforts: 2

Woodwork: 0

Headers On Target: 2

Headers Off Target: 0

Corners Won: 2

Offside: 4

Approx Attendance: 1100

Last Season: NA

Ground Conditions: Heavy

Overhead Conditions: Raining

Temperature at Kick Off: 4°C