Ayr United 3 Dunfermline 0

Neil Lennon`s first match in charge ended in defeat as Pars failed to find the net for the fifth time in six games and new signing Victor Wanyama saw red after only 20 minutes.

Ayr United welcomed Dunfermline Athletic to Somerset Park with the tactical battle on the pitch overshadowed by a compelling subplot. At the heart of this narrative are three men who once formed a winning partnership as champions at Celtic, Scott Brown, Victor Wanyama and Neil Lennon.

There`s a delicious irony in football`s tendency to create such coincidences. New managers and new players frequently find themselves thrust into confrontations that feel almost personally scripted, facing teams or individuals with whom they share a complex history. For Lennon, just a week into his tenure at Dunfermline, the first significant challenge came in the form of his former midfield general and long-time Celtic captain, Scott Brown. Then there was Lennon`s first Dunfermline signing, Wanyama on the bench against his former teammate and still good friend, Brown.

Fifteen days after a dismal defeat to Raith Rovers that proved to be head coach, Michael Tidser`s final in charge, Dunfermline were seeking the new manager bounce. Neil Lennon made two changes from the side that started at Stark`s Park, David Wotherspoon and Archie Stevens making way for Joe Chalmers and Connor Young.

Following their draw with Hamilton the previous Saturday, Ayr United brought in Nick McAllister, Dylan Watret, Jamie Murphy, Jake Hastie for Lenny Agbaire, Cole McKinnon, George Oakley and Frankie Musonda.

It was an unpleasant wet and windy afternoon at Somerset Park. The photographers took up their positions and trained their cameras to capture Neil Lennon`s return to management in Scottish football as the teams entered the park. Tashan Oakley-Boothe kicked off with the visitors attacking the goal in front of their very vocal travelling support. Chris Hamilton forced a corner within 40 seconds and Ayr had to defend a Chalmers delivery and a follow up second cross that proved to be just too strong for Aaron Comrie at the far post.

Lewis McCann won the tenth minute corner again crossed by Chalmers from the left but Curtis Main headed clear. Tobi Oluwayemi`s free kick forced another corner that was also well defended. It was a Young run that created the first real chance. His chip across the face of goal was turned back by McCann and gathered by Ewan Otoo to fire a right footed shot from the edge of the box that just cleared the crossbar.

The Honest Men had barely troubled the Pars defence but a 16th minute free kick had Benedictus and Oluwayemi going to clear the same ball. The clearance dropped for Ayr captain Ben Dempsey but he shot wide right. Three minutes later Young required the physio on the park for treatment and unfortunately the player signed from Edinburgh City in the January transfer window had to be stretchered off with an ankle injury. Ephraim Yeboah came on in his place.

The next chance fell to Chalmers and encouraged by the crowd`s cry of `˜shoot`, he obliged trying to find the target from 35 yards out. Sadly the ball went wide of target. At the other end Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen made a telling interception as Watret lined up to take advantage of a Henderson-Main move down the right.

Ayr`s first corner in 32 minutes bounced off a few heads before Yeboah lumped the ball clear. Watret however collected the ball and sent a great ball over for Main at the far post where fortunately Chilokoa-Mullen blocked the shot. Dempsey was next to try to hit the Pars goal but his shot sent the ball out of the ground.

The home team took the lead however in 43 minutes, taking advantage of a poor Pars pass in their own half the ball was sent down the right. Otoo and Watret raced for the ball but the Ayr man kept his feet and the ball as the Pars man challenged. The initial cross was defended out but when Connor McLENNAN latched on to the loose ball his shot with the aid of a deflection, found the visitors` net. 1-0

An immediate response was almost completed when Oakley-Boothe got in behind the Ayr defence but there was no one in front of goal who could finish. After Yeboah conceded a free kick on the right corner of the Dunfermline penalty box, Scott McMann curled an added time effort narrowly wide left.

It had been a first half in which the Fifers had moved the ball about and made every effort to go forward. There had been no lack of effort from them on an increasingly difficult and slippy playing surface. Unfortunately Ayr had taken the one good chance of the game to lead at the interval.

Half time: Ayr United 1 Dunfermline 0

A Main and Benedictus tussle earned the home side a 47th minute free kick. From 30 yards out on the right side, Henderson flighted the ball to the far post where McCann was happy to concede a corner. The Pars defended that and then Hamilton did well to cut out a dangerous McLennan cross.

Oakley-Boothe went down with a hamstring injury in 50th minute requiring the physio to come on again. Unable to continue Andre Raymond came on in his place. The game had swung into Ayr`s influence and their threat had grown. Yeboah eased the pressure with a run that earned McAllister a yellow card for stopping the on-loan Bristol City player. Chris Kane reached Chalmers delivery but his header dropped safely into Josh Clarke`s hands. An inviting Otoo cross evaded the inrunning Comrie before in 65 minutes, Neil Lennon made the double substitution withdrawing Chris Hamilton and Lewis McCann to bring on Josh Cooper and Victor Wanyama.

Unfortunately it was only three minutes until Ayr United doubled their lead. A mistake in defence allowed MURPHY to cash in and net the gift. It was the unfortunate attempt by Benedictus to pass towards Chilokoa-Mullen that was cut out by the goalscorer, 2-0.

Cooper earned the 80th minute corner that sneaked through the six yard unmet. Wanyama had seen little of the ball but his slip in 84th minute was followed by him pushing the ball away from Ayr sub Mark McKenzie with his hand. Referee Iain Snedden awarded the free kick 25 yards out and showed the Pars player a red card. The contest effectively ended there but sub Ethan WALKER after some neat close control, netted a third in the fifth minute of time added on. That completed a miserable afternoon for Dunfermline and their 922 strong travelling support.

AYR UNITED: Josh Clarke: Dylan Watret, Nicholas McAllister, George Stanger, Scott McMann: Jay Henderson (Mark McKenzie 72), Ben Dempsey (c), Connor McLennan (Ethan Walker 85), Jamie Murphy (Marco Rus 72), Jake Hastie (Patrick Reading 85), Curtis Main (George Oakley 78).
SUBS NOT USED: Cole McKinnon, Lenny Agbaire, Liam Russell (GK), Harry Stone (GK)
SCORERS: McLennan (43), Murphy (68), Walker (90+5)
YELLOW CARD: McAllister (61)

DUNFERMLINE: Tobi Oluwayemi: Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Kyle Benedictus (c), Joe Chalmers: Aaron Comrie, Tashan Oakley-Boothe (Andre Raymond 54), Chris Hamilton (Josh Cooper 65), Ewan Otoo: Connor Young (Ephraim Yeboah 25), Chris Kane, Lewis McCann (Victor Wanyama 65)
SUBS NOT USED: Archie Stevens, Tommy Fogarty, Owen Hampson, Craig Clay, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
YELLOW CARDS: Neil Lennon (66), Chalmers (81)
RED CARD: Wanyama (85)

REFEREE: Iain Snedden
ATTENDANCE: 3253 (inc 922 away fans)
WEATHER: Wet and Windy 8°C

NEXT MATCH: (home) William Hill Championship v Livingston, Wednesday 3rd April 2025, 7.45pm at KDM Group East End Park.

TO BE UPDATED
Dunfermline: Tobi Oluwayemi: Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Kyle Benedictus (c), Joe Chalmers: Aaron Comrie, Tashan Oakley-Boothe (Andre Raymond 54), Chris Hamilton (Josh Cooper 65), Ewan Otoo: Connor Young (Ephraim Yeboah 25), Chris Kane, Lewis McCann (Victor Wanyama 65),

Dunfermline Subs:
Archie Stevens, Tommy Fogarty, Owen Hampson, Craig Clay, Deniz Mehmet (GK),

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