Ayr United 3-1 Raith Rovers: Raith boss Dougie Imrie frustrated at 'gifting opportunities' to hosts
Dougie Imrie reckons Raith Rovers should have been awarded a stonewall free-kick for a foul on Kai Montagu in the build-up to Ayr United’s second goal in their 3-1 home William Hill Championship win over Rovers at Somerset Park on Saturday.
The Kirkcaldy gaffer was speaking in the wake of Ayr goals by Kieran Shanks (2), the second of which was a penalty, and Marco Rus – Anton Dowds netted for Raith to pull it back to 2-1 on 54 minutes – with the eventual loss dropping Rovers to third in the table on 25 points from 15 matches.
“It was a very strange game today,” Imrie told Raith TV post match. “A game we were largely in full control, made some great opportunities.
"And that was probably the tale of the game, Ayr took their chances when they came – albeit gifted opportunities – and when we had our opportunities we never took them.
"And that’s the frustration for me because I think certainly we’ve played worse this season and won. And I don’t think we deserved to lose today, but when you give teams opportunities gifted to them, you give yourselves a mountain to climb. And that’s what we did.
"Kieran Shanks has got two players round him and neither of them get a block on it, he gets a free shot at goal and it goes in.
"The second one is an error from Josh but I’ve said to Josh: ‘Get your head up. You’ve saved us a million times this season and last season and these things can happen’. The big thing though with him is how quickly he can get it out his system. But it’s uncharacteristic of him because he’s been excellent this season.
"It’s as clear a foul as you’ll see all season on Kai for the second goal. He (Ayr player) just runs into the back of him. It was baffling today that both lino and referee both deem it not a foul.
"From there we don’t deal with the counter attack. Kyle (Turner) slips, allows Rus in, gets a free shot on goal and you’re thinking it’s bread and butter for Josh but unfortunately for us it goes through him.
"That gives us a mountain to climb. At two-nil it’s easy for them to sit in and soak up pressure. But again, we’ve got a golden chance five minutes before half-time with Kai (Montagu). He’s got to score.
"It’s a great bit of play. Tiff (Scott Tiffoney) gets down the side, great cutback and he’s just got to slide it in the side netting, either way send the goalkeeper the wrong way, but for him it’s the same old story. Straight down the middle, keeper makes a great save.
"He could have taken a touch and put it away as well. That would have given us an incentive going into half-time, get a bit of momentum. And then at half-time I thought I would change the shape. I left it five minutes and within two minutes we get that goal that we were craving.
"Great play, switch aside, back across, great ball into Tiff, great flick round the corner and a great finish from Anton.
"Then you’re thinking with 33 minutes to go you’ve got a great chance to go and get a second. But when you give away a needless free-kick and then don’t take one on the chin for your team-mates the inevitable is going to happen.”
"We had some glaring opportunities today and don’t take them. The quality needs to be better.
"Too many times today again first man balls out the pitch from easy crossing positions that we don’t just take a care on."
Ayr United: Stone, Dick, McMann, Holt, McAllister (McBeth 64), Summers (McKenzie 71), Lyon, Whyte, Rus (Hatton 83), Shanks (Stirton 71), Taylor (Murphy 83).
Subs not used: Douglas, Landers, Russell, Walker.
Raith Rovers: Rae, Stevenson, Hanlon, Baird, Millen, Turner (Telfer 51), Brown, Tiffoney, Montagu (Vaughan 51), McMullan (Lyall 75), Dowds.
Subs not used: Armstrong, Fordyce, Rowe.
Referee: Cameron Stirling
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