Ayr United Ladies made it two wins on the bounce as they defeated Stranraer 5-0 at home, on Sunday.
A first half Tamara Sommers goal followed by second half strikes from Stephanie Thomson (2), Miren Basabe-Kerr and trialist, Claire Masterton earned United an emphatic win.
The home side started brightly and Jodie Barbour was unlucky not to give her side the lead after just two minutes. The striker latched onto a Thomson pass only to see her shot saved by the keeper.
However, it didn’t take Ayr long to take the advantage and they got their noses in front just two minutes later. A well worked move down the right allowed Barbour to collect a clever Chloe Duthiepass inside the box. Barbour then fired the ball across the face of goal where Sommers was on hand to tap the ball into the empty net. 1-0 Ayr United with just four minutes on the clock.
Natalie Docherty then produced two good saves to deny Stranraer an equaliser. The first coming from a well struck free kick before she was forced into action again, clearing from the feet of the onrushing Stranraer striker.
Stranraer were looking the more dominant team and Docherty was then again called into action producing a terrific save to punch a Stranraer volley over the cross bar.
Then came a thirty minute break in play as Stranraer’s striker went down injured following a challenge. The striker was clearly in distress and everyone at Ayr United Ladies would like to wish her a speedy recovery.
Barbour then had two good chances to stretch her sides lead after the restart. The forward outpaced the Stranraer defence but watched her efforts saved by the opposition keeper.
Half time and the score remained Ayr United 1 – 0 Stranraer.
With just eight minutes of the second half gone, Ayr finally got the second goal they so badly needed. Duthie received the ball on the edge of the box before releasing it to Thomson. She then unleashed an unstoppable shot past the keeper to make it 2-0 Ayr United.
Five minutes later and it was to be 3-0. Thomson again the scorer with a simply sublime finish – controlling before calmly lifting the ball over the head of the helpless goalkeeper. A touch of class from the striker to give her side a three goal cushion with 58 minutes gone.
62 minutes into the game, Ayr United added a fourth goal. Centre half Basabe-Kerr found herself in unknown territory as she advanced into the box. Scott’s initial effort was blocked only for the ex Athletico Madrid player to rifle the ball into the empty net.
Louise Gillespie, Jodie Barbour and Rachel Scott all had chances to add to Ayr’s lead but it took until the dying embers of the game for Ayr to grab a fifth. The Stranraer keeper was adjudged to have picked up a back-pass but after excellently saving Scott’s powerful drive, Masterton was on home to expertly smash the ball into the top corner.
That was to be the last of the action as Ayr United went on to win comfortably after a scrappy opening 45 minutes.
Once again, from all of us at Ayr United Ladies, we wish the injured Stranraer player a speedy recovery.
Reported by Lauren Johnstone
Ayr United Academy
