Ayr has been urged by Scott Brown to stop making the individual mistakes that he believes are preventing his team from getting out of the Championship drop zone.
At East End Park on Saturday, Dunfermline took the lead thanks to an unmarked header from Chris Hamilton. However, in first half stoppage time, Chris Kane added a second goal after Sean McGinty was caught in possession.
After the loss and Inverness Caley Thistle’s unexpected victory at Morton, Ayr is now only two points clear of the relegation play-off spot.
Much of the progress made in the team’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Partick Thistle at Somerset Park on Tuesday was undone by the loss, and Brown acknowledges that, with no game this weekend, the Fife defeat may weigh heavily on the minds of his players until their next match on March 16 in Inverness.
Following the game on Saturday, Brown told Ayr United TV, “It’s definitely brought us back down to earth.”
“We must put an end to individual mistakes. That is the expense to us. We need to have somewhat more mental toughness.
“Everyone will always remember that we had the opportunity to put some distance between us and Dunfermline.”
The game wasn’t very long; from the back to the middle third, we played some excellent football, but we didn’t generate enough clear-cut opportunities.
“Small margins determine whether you win or lose a game, and we were cost by individual mistakes and set play errors.”
defender Nathan McGinley, 27, who was released by Motherwell in January, was one of the players from Ayr’s squad on Saturday. His transfer to Somerset Park was officially announced on Friday.
However, after being an unutilized substitute at East End Park, the former Forest Green Rovers player, who spent the first half of this season on loan at Partick Thistle, will have to wait for his debut.
