Match Report
On a cold, crisp night but a night where conditions were otherwise as near perfect as you can get manager Ian McCall made three changes to the side that went down to a narrow defeat at Queen of the South. Injury ruled out Martyn Corrigan while Stephen McKeown and Steve Lovell dropped to the bench. In their place came in Paul Paton, Simon Donnelly and Chris Erskine.
The early stages of this game belonged to the home side. Ayr forcing a corner as early as the first minute. In the 9th minute they were close to opening the scoring when Ryan McGowan's shot from the edge of the box was just a little on the high side. Four minutes later it took a fine stop from Jonny Tuffey to keep out a Tam McManus header with the Thistle keeper having to punch clear under pressure from the corner that followed.
All Thistle had to offer meantime was a rather tame Paul Cairney effort that was deflected for an unproductive corner.
Gradually though Thistle began to assert themselves on proceedings. In the 26th minute Liam Buchanan was just a fraction away from connecting with a Chris Erskine cross.
Twice in the space of the next two minutes Thistle were close to opening the scoring. Firstly David Rowson saw a well placed shot turned round the post by Samson before Samson produced an even better save to touch a Buchanan drive from an angle over the bar.
At this point it was Thistle that looked the more likely side to opening the scoring but when a goal did arrive in the 34th minute it was for the home side. Tam McManus set up Steve Bowey whose shot from 20 yards flew past Tuffey into the Thistle net via the underside of the crossbar.
Thistle should still have gone in at half-time on level terms. A David Rowson half volley in the 43rd minute nearly sneaked in at Samson's right hand post but the Ayr keeper got down well to save.
Thistle's best chance of the half came with the game in first half injury. A fine move saw Liam Buchanan set up Paul Cairney but Cairney could lash the ball into the side netting when a goal looked likely.
Just as the first half had finished with Thistle coming close to a goal so too did the second half start with a near thing. Or two near things to be strictly accurate. Twice in the space of a minute Craig Samson in the Ayr goal stood between Thistle and an equaliser. Firstly he produced an excellent save to keep out a Simon Donnelly effort that had looked destined for the bottom corner.
Before Thistle had finished cursing their luck over that opportunity they were cursing again when Chris Erskine was next to see his attempt at goal repelled by the home keeper.
For all the pressing that Thistle were doing it was Ayr that came closest to scoring again in the 61st minute. Danny Lafferty's shot striking the base of Tuffey's right hand post.
If Thistle's luck wasn't bad enough there was worse to follow in the 65th minute when Jackie McNamara left the field in a stretcher with what looked a very nasty injury. Stephen McKeown was the man sent on to replace him.
Thistle's efforts at finding an equaliser were becoming more and more frantic but Stephen McKeown did force Samson into some work in the 85th minute with a shot that was just a little too near the keeper.
With the game in injury time Jonny Tuffey came forward for a corner and was nearly caught out as Ayr broke quickly.
In a season of missed chances and opportunities Mark Corcoran added to them when, from no more than six yards out, he knocked the ball over the bar.
