Title Decider At Kirkcaldy??
Last updated : 14 March 2009 By Honestman
Ayr United and Raith Rovers go kneck and kneck in their battle to win the Scottish Second Division title - and promotion to Division 1 - today at Kirkcaldy.
Its true that there are still 8 matches to go and with the teams kneck and kneck having dropped points to everybody in the league, but nevertheless many will see this as a season decider.
Ayr United played their first match at Starks Park, Kirkcaldy on 15th November 1913 and had a poor 5-1 defeat. Raith faired better in thir first visit to Somerset Park drawing 0-0 on 21st March 1914. United's first victory over Raith was at Ayr on 5th December 1914 by 3-0, a season when the also took a 0-0 draw away from Starks Park on 3rd April 1915.
Ayr's first win at Starks Park came on 19th February 1916 - a superb 4-0 victory when only a draw at home was obtained.. United also won by 3-1 on 23rd September 1916 and completed the double on 21st April 1917, winning 2-1 at Ayr.
The 2-1 defeat that day was to herald a serious of dismal results for Ayr on their travels to this corner of Fife. The first hint of success came on their 4th visit when a 0-0 draw was recorded on 9th December 1922. Another rare home win was obtained by Ayr on11th december 1926 by 2-1.
9 defeats and a draw had gone before Ayr recorded a first victory in a 'B' division match 0n 12th January 1946 by 3-2. 22nd November 1947 saw a bad 4-2 home defeat for Ayr and they proceeded to lose at Kirkcaldy by 2-0 on 13th March 1948.
United won well at times at home also and recorded a 4-0 win at Somerset Park on 10th October 1959.
With the teams yo-yo ing up and down divisions, the next 23 years saw only a handful of games until the clubs met in a second division match on 5th October 1963 when Ayr recorded a another good win - this time a single goal settling the points.
A 2-2 draw was all hat could be mustered on 23rd October 1965 but a 2-0 second division win or Ayr was recorded on 13th April 1966 at Kircaldy. Once again the clubs missed each other frequently as they again experienced the mixed emotions of relegation and promotion. Ayr won a 1st Division class on 15th November 1969 drawing 1-1 at Starks Park on 4th April 1970.
United managed a 3-0 win at Somerset Park on 1st December 1979 where a herioc display by Raith keeper Murray McDermott kept the score down. Jim McSherry headed home a Frye crossin 23 minutes, Derek Frye himself scored in 44 minutes and Robert Conner scored with a penalty. United's hopes of promotion were as good as scuppered by their 2-0 defeat on 12th April 1980
The following season Ayr did manage a win 1-0 on 3rd October 1981.
Ayr chose Rovers' centenary season to record their next win - a good 3-1 win in another first division match on 17th December 1983.
United were defeated at Kirkcaldy on 14th October 1989 by 2-0 when future Ayr manager Gordon Dalziel opened the scoring.
A massive 4 goals in a 4-2 win first division win on 14th March 1992 was surpassed in Season 1999/00 which proved to be a most successful season for Ayr at Kirkcaldy, winning both first division matches there that season - the first on 4th September 1999 by a sensational 5-1 followed by a 2-0 win on 8th January 2000.
Ayr recorded a 3-1 win on 7th October 2000 and a 4-1 win on 20th January 2001 in a season that saw Rovers relegated to the 2nd division.
The position was reversed two seasons later when Ayr recorded a 1-1 draw and a 2-1 defeat at Kirkcaldy and found themselves relegated with Raith retaining their first division status.
United will need to show some steel today to achieve even a point today but with Prunty and new signing 'James, thats exactly what they will have where it matters.
COME ON YOU AYR!!!!!
