Sunday 15th May 2016
IT’S a warm welcome to the Championship for Ayr United after they triumphed over Stranraer in today’s play-off final second leg.
Having drawn 1-1 in the first leg at Stair Park, the teams went to penalties at Somerset Park today after 120 goalless minutes with no away goals rule.
And after Stranraer missed all of their first three penalties, it was former Sons skipper Andy Graham who scored the decisive kick for a 3-1 win for Ayr.
The result means that Andy and fellow former Sons defenders Nicky Devlin and Pat Boyle will return to the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium next season.
It will also be the first time the sides have met since 2010/11, in the former Second Division, when Ayr won three of the sides’ four meetings.
The exception was a 3-2 home win for Sons in November 2010, when Pat Walker scored on his debut against the team he supported as a boy.
Sons’ last victory at Somerset Park was way back in October 2004, when Andy Rodgers scored the only goal of the game in injury time.
As well as Sons, Ayr will also face Dundee United, Hibernian, Raith Rovers, Morton, St Mirren, Queen of the South and Dunfermline Athletic in next season’s Championship.
It is now over to Kilmarnock and Falkirk to battle it out to avoid the final place in this week’s Premiership play-off final.
Andy Galloway