Ayr came into the Championship via the play-offs and being a part-time club they knew they faced an uphill struggle to survive. They signed the much-admired Gary Harkins from Dundee and hoped to build the team around him. Through the season he was the focal point of their attack, but his presence wasn’t enough as wins failed to materialise. In the end poor home form and a lack of goals proved to be their downfall as they finished six points adrift at the bottom of the table. Manager, Ian McCall, talked a good game and as ever was on excellent terms with the media to get his viewpoint across. Despite his positive spin, as the season progressed he could not disguise Ayr’s obvious failings.
Three consecutive defeats opened their season and the anticipated struggle seemed assured. However, four wins in six games followed giving hope they could establish themselves in mid-table. Scottish Premiership calibre, Conrad Balatoni, was also added to bring craft and experience to their defence. In the middle third of the season Ayr endured a 15-game spell without a win, although in much of this they were producing commendable draws on the road. A good Scottish Cup run and three wins in the league suggested they might yet steer clear of relegation. That proved to be overly optimistic as they only took two points from their final seven games of the season. Overall, Ayr had scored the least number of goals (33) and conceded the most (62). Ayr
will look back on the season and wonder how it may have turned out if they had invested in a proven striker.
