KaisAYR Goals |
Steve Noble
54 mins
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Steve picked the ball up wide on the left hand side and cut inside. His attempted cross was floating in at the back post and found the net despite the defenders best attempts to clear. |
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Pete Noble
67 mins
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Matt controlled on the edge of the box before playing in his brother. Pete, under pressure from a defender, fired the ball across the goalkeeper from 18 yards out to put KaisAYR into the lead. |
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Andrew Gamble
71 mins
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Kenny sent Matt clear down the left flank and his first time cross with the left foot allowed Gamble all the time in the world to control and finish to make it 3-1. |
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Graeme Morton
76 mins
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After Gamble was fouled, Grammy floated a dangerous free-kick towards the far post which was missed by everyone and sailed past the outstretched goalkeeper. |
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Internazioswally (Airdrie) 1-4 KaisAYR (Ayr United)
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| Saturday, 26th August, 2006 |
Both Leagues |
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KaisAYR gave incoming gaffer Eddie Main the perfect start in the hotseat with a resounding 4-1 victory away to an experienced Internazioswally side.
The new boss lined up with a similar 3-5-2 system to the side that had lost 3-1 in last weeks void match at Morton, although he couldn't rely on his own shooting boots as he takes up a purely managerial role.
Miles, Jimjay and Stewarty returned to the starting eleven, whilst Kenny Paterson made his debut for the club. Mark Dewar also made his first appearance as a late substitute.
KaisAYR settled very early in the match and there seemed to be a revitalised look about the side as everyone was keen to impress. The story of the first half was a fine attacking performance from the visitors, although it ultimately ended with a one nil deficit at half-time.
Gamble was first to threaten the home goal as he burst down the right-wing and outpaced the Airdrie defence, eventually shooting tamely wide when a square ball would have left a tap-in for Pete who had made up the ground to support from midfield. Airdrie were struggling to cope with the pace of Gamble and Steve Noble in attack and the former had several further opportunities to open his competitive account for the season. Poor finishing and a lack of communication and listening prevented any of these from being taken.
Airdrie were limited to a few hopeful punts through the middle, though the back three were holding a good line and managed to play the opposing forwards offside on several occasions.
It looked as though the earlier misses could return to haunt KaisAYR as Airdrie scored five minutes before the break - inevitably from one of their balls over the top. Paul could only half-clear from a high position and the Swally were able to exploit the space in behind as their wide midfielder ran onto the through-ball before finishing, despite the best efforts of Miles.
This fired KaisAYR into action again and Stewarty and Gamble combined well from the re-start to test the home 'keeper. He was to face another test a minute later after more tenacious work from Gamble allowed him to lay the ball off to Pete. As the defenders stood off, he took a touch and fired an excellent dipping effort, which took a deflection before rattling the crossbar, spinning up and dropping onto the bar again, and finally being palmed over by the goalie.
From the resulting corner, Gareth sent a header over the top from just inside the six yard box and that finished the first half.
After a positive chat at half-time, KaisAYR went out for the second half in search of a quick equaliser and that came, albeit with a fair amount of fortune attached to it!
Steve received the ball in a wide left position and started to cut inside. With support in the box he tried to float in a cross but it ended up sailing in at the far post, despite the best efforts of the Airdrie defender on the goal-line.
This proved to be just the piece of luck the visitors needed and the continued in their quest for a second goal. A tactical masterstroke saw Matt Noble replace Steve, while Mark Sherwin came on for Stewarty. Big Matt almost scored straight away when he found space to meet a dangerous near-post corner, but headed narrowly wide. He then played a crucial role in putting the game to bed, with a hand in the next two goals.
First, he controlled an attempted shot by Simon and flicked the ball through to Pete who struck a fierce first time shot across the goalkeeper to put KaisAYR into a 2-1 lead. Then, minutes later, he broke down the left flank and floated a delightful ball into Gamble. The nippy wee striker took his time before placing the ball into the corner.
By this point the match was looking dead and buried, and skipper Graeme Morton rubbed salt into the Airdrie wounds with a fourth goal. After Gamble was brutally taken out of play as he made headway in on goal, Grammy stepped and floated a free-kick in the right area. It evaded everyone, including the full-stretch goalkeeper for his first goal of the season and put the seal on an excellent performance.
AJ and Mark Dewar replaced the bloody-mouthed Gamble and Paul, and AJ could have added a fifth as KaisAYR broke away on a counter attack after a corner. Pete took a quick throw-in from Miles, flicked the ball over the oncoming defender on the halfway line and sent a cross-field pass towards AJ - unfortunately the keeper just got out to smother in time to deny the super-sub.
Overall, plenty to be happy about in what is KaisAYR's first victory since March, and the biggest in a long, long time. It's very early days, but if everyone can keep their feet on the ground and put the same effort into every match that comes, it could be the start of something good.
Man of the match, in a game in which any of the squad could have taken it, was won by Jimjay for an excellent defensive performance, with Grammy and Gareth close behind.
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