Ayr United v Raith Rovers

[Buckfast]

21 hours ago, Enigma said:

I’m going to email our BoD and have it seen to that you get stuck in the main stand corner on your return to Stark’s if we don’t get the behind the goal option at Somerset.

That would be brilliant mate, we will get to shout at Gordon Brown?

Edited February 19 by Buckfast

[itzdrk]

5 minutes ago, Enigma said:

I’m going to email our BoD and have it seen to that you get stuck in the main stand corner on your return to Stark’s if we don’t get the behind the goal option at Somerset.

Been in there before! 

Kevin Nisbet put the ball over the bar on the line and Gary Harkins scored a free kick red card each I think as well.  Was alright. 

[SerieA]

11 hours ago, AUcal said:

Looking forward to this.

Rovers appear to have found their mojo again after a big win on Friday night, they won't want it to count for nought so would expect them to be right up for it. Ayr have also seen an improvement in performances of late and will be looking to stretch the gap to the bottom even further. 

In the game at Stark's in December we had a quite a lot of joy from really having a go at the Rovers defence, utilising the pace of Chalmers and Amartey to stretch their backline in every direction. It will probably be a different game here, but I'd still like us to show that same intensity and attacking intent. Chalmers to come back into the starting lineup. Our improved defensive performances of late have been good to see, McGinty in particular was excellent at Airdrie, and they'll have to be at their best again against a Raith side who will have their tails up. 

Prediction: Ayr 2-2 Raith

Thinking/hoping we’ll be different defensively this time round.

Gutted won’t make it down.Cracking atmosphere in away end last time.

[Specky Ginger]

According to the website we've got the choice of behind the goals or the stand this time.

Might dilute the atmosphere a wee bit, but hopefully the performance on the park is enough to spark it.

[SerieA]

6 hours ago, AllanJM said:

Really looking forward to this after Friday's result.  Another tough game but the players should be full of confidence having ended the poor run.

Expecting a pretty decent travelling support to go down for this too.  I suspect Scott Brown's screamer on Friday will result in at least double the number of away fans we would've had if we'd lost.

I imagine Byrne will be a doubt for this with concussion protocols after taking a whack in the face on Friday.  Scott Brown the obvious replacement.  I would expect a couple of other changes in attacking areas too but hopefully the same back 4.

Ayr will be confident after a good win but it did really feel like we turned a corner on Friday and I'm going to join Tx in predicting a Rovers win by a couple of goals.

Brown in for Byrne for sure. Surprised Rudden started ahead of Hamilton on Friday-wouldn’t be my choice but can see Murray doing that again.

Love our bench at the moment. As Murray said-finishing 11 as important as starting 11.

Edited February 18 by SerieA

[Ex Machina]

Our Scott Brown would batter your Scott Brown.

[AllanJM]

12 hours ago, Buckfast said:

Are Raith likely to bring more than the usual 200 fans?

I'm hoping for at least 500-600 after Friday.  If we can take 700 to Arbroath on a Tuesday night, surely we can take a similar number to Ayr on a Saturday......

Too many Rovers fans seem to have a real issue with travelling beyond Glasgow.  Our support always seems to  be fairly poor away to Ayr and Morton. People need to look at a map and figure out it really isn't actually that far away.

[Enigma]

Just now, AllanJM said:

I'm hoping for at least 500-600 after Friday.  If we can take 700 to Arbroath on a Tuesday night, surely we can take a similar number to Ayr on a Saturday......

Too many Rovers fans seem to have a real issue with travelling beyond Glasgow.  Our support always seems to  be fairly poor away to Ayr and Morton. People need to look at a map and figure out it really isn't actually that far away.

Public transport can be a bit of a pain in the hoop as you generally have to walk through Glasgow City Centre to change trains to get down to Ayr.

[AllanJM]

1 minute ago, Enigma said:

Public transport can be a bit of a pain in the hoop as you generally have to walk through Glasgow City Centre to change trains to get down to Ayr.

So you just leave early enough to have a pint or three in Glasgow between trains.......

In all seriousness I do get your point but it's always been frustrating to see as we take a decent support pretty much everywhere else (apart from Inverness but that actually is pretty bloody far).

[Broken Algorithms]

19 minutes ago, AllanJM said:

I'm hoping for at least 500-600 after Friday.  If we can take 700 to Arbroath on a Tuesday night, surely we can take a similar number to Ayr on a Saturday......

Too many Rovers fans seem to have a real issue with travelling beyond Glasgow.  Our support always seems to  be fairly poor away to Ayr and Morton. People need to look at a map and figure out it really isn't actually that far away.

In fairness, we've been to Greenock and Ayr so many times over the last few years. When it's been a larger game (see Barry Smith waiting to change from a 4-5-1 at 3-0 down) we've taken decent supports. I'd expect Saturday will be a larger support than usual.

[AUcal]

I don't blame folk from the other side of the central belt for not fancying it, but the walking through Glasgow between stations is something I've heard numerous times as a reason that folk can't make it down to Ayr, Morton, St Mirren, Killie etc. I can't really understand it tbh, it's a 5 minute walk between the stations.

Btw just a heads up to any Rovers fans heading down, I believe last time you were down the train just stopped at Prestwick and there was no additional train to Ayr available - that has now changed. Get off at Prestwick Town and wait 5 minutes for another wee shuttle train that goes on to both Newton-on-Ayr & Ayr.

Eta. Granted with Ayr station a bit of a mess, the public transit is a bit more of a pain right now.

Edited February 19 by AUcal

[Ro Sham Bo]

1 minute ago, Broken Algorithms said:

In fairness, we've been to Greenock and Ayr so many times over the last few years. When it's been a larger game (see Barry Smith waiting to change from a 4-5-1 at 3-0 down) we've taken decent supports. I'd expect Saturday will be a larger support than usual.

Did you have to mention that game? A horrible performance.

[Enigma]

2 minutes ago, AUcal said:

I don't blame folk from the other side of the central belt for not fancying it, but the walking through Glasgow between stations is something I've heard numerous times as a reason that folk can't make it down to Ayr, Morton, St Mirren, Killie etc. I can't really understand it tbh, it's a 5 minute walk between the stations.

It wouldn’t put me off but the two changes (one at Haymarket, one being a walk through Glasgow) requires slightly more forward planning than just jumping on a train in Kirkcaldy that will take you directly to Arbroath, Dundee etc.

[AllanJM]

4 minutes ago, AUcal said:

I don't blame folk from the other side of the central belt for not fancying it, but the walking through Glasgow between stations is something I've heard numerous times as a reason that folk can't make it down to Ayr, Morton, St Mirren, Killie etc. I can't really understand it tbh, it's a 5 minute walk between the stations.

Btw just a heads up to any Rovers fans heading down, I believe last time you were down the train just stopped at Prestwick and there was no additional train to Ayr available - that has now changed. Get off at Prestwick Town and wait 5 minutes for another wee shuttle train that goes on to both Newton-on-Ayr & Ayr.

It doesn't really bother me as I tend to drive but I can see why this might put off Rovers fans in Kirkcaldy.  They're already having to change trains in Edinburgh and then again Glasgow.  Add in another change at Prestwick and it may seem to much bother for some.

[Broken Algorithms]

Do they still do the train direct from Edinburgh to Ayr? I got that one down and back from said Barry Smith game. Abject misery.

[AUcal]

4 minutes ago, Enigma said:

It wouldn’t put me off but the two changes (one at Haymarket, one being a walk through Glasgow) requires slightly more forward planning than just jumping on a train in Kirkcaldy that will take you directly to Arbroath, Dundee etc.

 

3 minutes ago, AllanJM said:

It doesn't really bother me as I tend to drive but I can see why this might put off Rovers fans in Kirkcaldy.  They're already having to change trains in Edinburgh and then again Glasgow.  Add in another change at Prestwick and it may seem to much bother for some.

Ah, there was me thinking there was direct trains from Kirkcaldy to Glasgow. Didn't realise changes at Haymarket were always involved. I'm sure I had been on a direct service not that far back. May have misremembered.

2 minutes ago, Broken Algorithms said:

Do they still do the train direct from Edinburgh to Ayr? I got that one down and back from said Barry Smith game. Abject misery.

They don't, that service was scrapped I think. Took absolutely ages if I remember correctly.

[TxRover]

16 hours ago, Michael W said:

Well, we managed our 14th league victory of the season* by a one goal margin, if we can call that getting our mojo back! The hard part is now stringing a couple of wins together again and seeing where that takes us. If we could possibly avoid giving Ayr the huge amount of space we provided in the last game at Stark's this time around, then that would be nice as well. 

*Yes, that's all of them. Every single league win has been by a single goal. 

And every loss too.

15 hours ago, AUcal said:

It's absolutely mental.

Surely there can't have been a side win that many games at the 2/3 point of the season, and not 1 of them by more than a single goal.

Interesting data in this thread, more focused on the entire season results::

Craig Killie’s post about six down has some really interesting stats, and it’s pretty eye opening.

[TxRover]

3 hours ago, AUcal said:

Ah, there was me thinking there was direct trains from Kirkcaldy to Glasgow. Didn't realise changes at Haymarket were always involved. I'm sure I had been on a direct service not that far back. May have misremembered.

They don't, that service was scrapped I think. Took absolutely ages if I remember correctly.

I still have the Scotrail app loaded from my wee visit, so I looked at Kirkcaldy to Ayr on Saturday. The options are all 3 or 4 changes, 3+30-4 hours and starting at £34.30. Pretty bleak for anyone wanting to go.

[Enigma]

Worth noting we’ve not lost in the league by more than a single goal either.

[Raithie]

You'd imagine there'll be a good bit of confidence within the squad and supporters after Friday. I get we've won at Somerset Park this season already but it's never a place I feel overly confident about getting a result. Important we do build on Friday though and try and put a run of good results together.