The pie is disappointing, it's soggy on the bottom and bone dry topside. My dad finishes his and sticks another £3 in my pocket and I'm sent off to get two more just in case these two are a from a bad bunch. The second effort doesn't fair much better.
Raymond pipes up with another hidden gem regarding him and my dad watching football when they were younger. Earlier this season he enlightened me with the knowledge that my dad was once a Hibs fan and now he tells me that during the late 50s and 60s when Kilmarnock were playing away from home they'd both come down here to watch United.
Still I'll let him off as he's been Kilmarnock through and through since then.
The sun is shining brightly in Ayr and here's hoping we get an entertaining game. Things start off in a positive motion when Ayr run out to Back in Black by AC/DC.
The game kicks off.
Both teams start brightly and it's the visitors who score first after only seven minutes. East Fife win a corner and from Bobby Linn's delivery Matthew Park has a free header at the back post and scores with ease.
The home fans are not happy whereas the small band of supporters for the Fife side are delighted. Raymond and his mate comment on the poor marking and how such and such would have done a better marking job in that position.
Ayr are level within ten minutes through Alan Trouten. William Easton made good progress down the left wing and he cut into the penalty and attempted a cross. This was deflected up behind Trouten who, with a casual flick of his boot, sent the ball over own head and beyond the reach of Michael Brown in the Fifers goal.
Five minutes later and East Fife should have retaken the lead when another Linn cross into the box is met by Ryan Wallace. From only six yards out he managed to some how sit on the ball and the danger is cleared.
Easton then had a ping at goal which had the keeper beaten but unfortunately for the home side it went just wide.
The impressive Trouten then skipped past three or four challenges as he ran fifty yards in to the heart of the away sides penalty box and whilst we were all screaming at him to shoot he chose to pass to top scorer Mark Roberts. He surely must score. He fluffs his shot and it goes so slowly the keeper almost dives past it before he collects it comfortably. A huge groan emits from the terracing.
Five minutes before the break Steve Hislop has a great chance to put the visitors two one up but after finding space in the box his shot was straight at the keeper.
Then right on the stroke of half time Scott Durie's clumsy tackle on Mark Roberts is punished with the award of a penalty. Roberts picks himself up and places the ball on the spot. He steps back a few paces, runs up and hits the softest penalty I've seen in a while straight down the middle at the keeper. I managed to get a photo of it as you see above.
You can see the lads confidence is down and Raymond tells me it's been a while since Roberts has scored and while he isn't scoring the goals aren't coming from around the team. He goes on to tell me he had Roberts playing for him in the Kilmarnock School Boys teams throughout his teens.
Half time.
We decide against a third pie but I do troop off down the stairs to visit the gents. Got to be one of the smallest toilet facilities we've seen so far and surely could do with a wee revamp.
The second half kicks off and Ryan McCann almost scored with a cheeky lob moments after the whistle.
Park almost scored his second of the game when he met a knock down from a corner and struck a fierce shot on goal that Alan Martin did well to hang on to.
Ayr then had a period of sustained pressure but were guilty on more than one occasion of trying to walk the ball in to the back of the net. Plenty of those home fans sat around us were screaming for one of them just to take a bloody shot!
With just under half an hour to play Ayr were denied a second penalty. This one looked like another stone wall penalty as Trouten was clearly pushed in the back as he went for the ball. To the disgust of the home fans in the terracing behind the goal the referee waved play on.
Seventy five minutes in and Bobby Linn tries a speculative shot that curls past the post.
Michael Moffat then had a great long range effort from all of thirty five yards. The ball was headed clear from a corner by the East Fife defence but it was met on the half volley by Moffat and the away keeper had to make a very smart save down to his right.
In the final stages great work down the right wing by an Ayr player (couldn't see his number - editor's note: it was Andy Rodgers) who beats three players on his way to the goal line led before cutting the ball back to Trouten but his shot was deflected clear.
Inexcusably with only minutes remaining Emma phones me up on her mobile. Thinking something must have happened I answer in a flash. She asks "What are you up to?" and I have to reply "Only the same thing I've been doing for the past ten months or so at 4.30pm on a Saturday afternoon, watching football"'. She quickly gets the message and tells me she'll call back later. Good girl!
There is no more excitement on the pitch and the referee blows for full time. Ayr will look a this 2 points dropped and rightly so. They had plenty of chances, missed some easy opportunities including that penalty and will now be looking over their shoulder to see if Forfar have closed the gap on that fourth and final play off spot up for grabs in Division 2.
We thank Raymond for the tickets as we all walk back to our cars and I promise to get the blog up asap.
Well that's almost it. Only one ground left. Gayfield Park, Arbroath on Saturday 16th April.
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