Ayr United and Rangers met in their Scottish League One clash at Somerset Park on Saturday.
Rangers were flying high at the top of the table and boasted a 100% record on the road this season, while Ayr were battling to put the pressure on second place Dunfermline Athletic.
Both sides had chances in a scoreless first half, but after the break Ally McCoist's side upped the ante and ran out comfortable 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Nicky Law and Jon Daly.
Read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.
Good afternoon and welcome to the live commentary of the Scottish League One clash between Ayr United and Rangers at Somerset Park.
Rangers will be looking to maintain their 100% record away from home this season, as they have won 11 out of 11 matches so far. They hold a 23-point lead over second place Dunfermline in the table and are all but certain to earn promotion, bar a late collapse.
Ayr are currently third in the table and have won five home games this season, but lost their last outing at Somerset Park in a 3-1 defeat to Brechin. They will be looking to put that right this afternoon against the league leaders.
RANGERS STARTING XI: Bell, Foster, Faure, Cribari, Wallace, Aird, Black, Law, Templeton, Shiels, Daly.
AYR STARTING XI: Hutton, Hunter, Pope, McLaughlin, Lithgow, Gilmour, Crawford, Malcolm, Forrest, Kyle, Donald.
Rangers boss Ally McCoist has made two changes to his this afternoon, as Lee McCulloch and Bilel Mohsni are suspended meaning Sebastian Faure and Richard Foster come into the lineup.
The players are making their way out onto the pitch and we should be underway shortly.
KICKOFF: We're underway at Somerset Park
An early fiery challenge from Hunter as he goes in hard on Templeton down the left. That was a reckless challenge and the defender is lucky to escape a booking, as the referee awards a free kick.
CHANCE! Ayr threaten and the ball is launched into the area and it comes to Kyle in the box, who has space and tried an effort at goal. His effort is into the corner but Bell gets down well to make the save.
Another early knock this time between Daly and Hutton as Rangers launched the ball into the box and the striker clattered the keeper. Hutton goes down for a period but he soon gets to his feet, that was some hit by Daly.
SHOT! Malcolm picks up the ball in midfield and drive at goal, he gets about 20 yards away and decides to have a crack. But his effort is poor as it goes well wide of the target, high and wide that didn't have much going for it.
Ayr win a free kick around 25 yards from goal as Forrest is the latest player to make a surging run from midfield and is brought down by Black. That will give Pope a chance to have a crack at goal.
The free kick is poor as Pope cracks his shot straight into the wall with his left foot, and Rangers manage to clear the danger.
The tempo has increased in the last few minutes and it's the home side who are doing all the pressing at the moment. Rangers might just have to weather this storm for the next couple of minutes.
CHANCE! Donald raids down the left and wins a throw. Ayr take throw quickly and the ball comes to Malcolm on the edge of the area who hits the ball on the half-volley. His shot looks like creeping into the top corner before Bell gets a hand to it, to turn it past the post.
Ayr try to threaten from the corner but the delivery is poor and a scramble in the box, Faure guides the ball out for a goal kick.
CHANCE! Rangers turn to threaten as Wallace raids down the left and he whips a cross into the box. Shiels reacts to the ball and side foots an effort at goal, but his shot is straight at Hutton who makes a comfortable save. He could have done better with that chance, could Shiels.
CHANCE! Another chance for Rangers as the ball comes in again from the left from Wallace and this time his cross reaches Aird. The midfielder fires an effort first time at goal but his strike is straight at Hutton.
Rangers have done well over the past few minutes to get their game down to their pace. All the early pressing was done by Ayr with a quick tempo, but McCoist's side have done a good job to settle into a possession game.
YELLOW CARD! Malcolm goes into the book for Ayr as he commits his third late challenge of the game. That was one too many from the midfielder.
Another chance for Ayr to threaten from a free kick as Faure brings Malcolm down just outside the penalty area. Gilmour stands over the ball on this occasion for the home side.
Gilmour's effort takes a deflection off the wall and goes out for a corner, a chance for Ayr to crank up the pressure on the Rangers goal.
SAVE! The cross from the corner comes in from the right and Donald gets his strike on the ball but Bell somehow makes a save to keep his effort out from close range. That was a great reaction stop from the keeper.
OFF THE BAR! Rangers go on the counter attack immediately and Templeton feeds Law down the left, he has Aird in support and finds him. The midfielder takes a shot at goal but his effort cannons off the crossbar and Law following up puts the rebound over from six yards. An incredible miss from Law.
This game is very inconsistent. There are moments of complete placidity where nothing appears to be happening, then out of nowhere there are chances aplenty. Ayr will be pleased with how many times they have threatened the Rangers goal, but will feel that they should be ahead in this one.
Templeton raids down the left and digs out another cross and Daly makes contact in the box, but his header goes over the bar. Then seconds after the goal kick, Aird beats a challenge and then tries to poke the ball past McLaughlin but Hutton is out to gather the ball inside the area.
CHANCE! Malcolm makes another strong run from midfield as he beats the challenge of Black and gets inside the box. Faure comes across and provides just enough pressure to put the midfielder off his shot, and his effort goes wide of the target.
Kyle thinks he has won the ball for Ayr in a dangerous position down the left, but the referee blows for a foul much to his frustration. Rangers knock a long ball into the box from the resulting free kick, which is cleared with ease by the Ayr defence.
CHANCE! Rangers play a corner short and Wallace gets the return ball down the left. He whips in his cross right footed into a dangerous area of the box, but neither Daly or Aird can make the contact for a certain goal.
HALF-TIME: Ayr United 0-0 Rangers
Goalless at the break at Somerset Park as both teams have had chances to break the deadlock, but neither has been able to find the net. Aird has come the closest as he rattled the crossbar with his effort in the 27th minute, while Donald also had an effort well saved by Bell for the hosts.
The players are making their way back out onto the field for the second half.
KICKOFF: We're back underway at Somerset Park.
GOAL! Ayr United 0-1 Rangers (Law)
Rangers take the lead immediately after the restart. Aird raids down the right and he gets to the byeline and hammers a cross across the face of goal and Law is there with the simple tap in from close range.
CHANCE! Rangers are pressing in this second half as the ball comes out to Foster on the right and he lifts a cross to the back post. His cross loops towards goal and looks as though it might dip into the net, but Hutton gets a hand to the ball and tips it over the bar.
YELLOW CARD! Gilmour becomes the second player from Ayr to go into the book this afternoon. The midfielder committed a foul in the build-up to that cross from Foster.
Rangers keep up the pressure with a couple of corners, but the delivery is poor from both set pieces and Ayr clear the danger for now.
CHANCE! Malcolm drives forward again for the hosts and he finds space to move into the penalty area. The midfielder powers an effort towards the bottom corner, but Bell is there yet again for the Gers to make the save to turn the shot past the post.
GOAL! Ayr United 0-2 Rangers (Daly)
Rangers double their lead and it's a fantastic goal as Wallace whips the ball in from deep down the left. His cross is inch-perfect for the run of Daly, who meets the ball from eight yards out and he powers a header past Hutton into the net. A great finish.
An opportunity for Rangers to break to make it 3-0 as Aird raids down the right and gets into the area, but just as he is about to pull the trigger McLaughlin comes across to make the tackle.
Ayr win a corner down the right and get a chance to whip the ball into the area, but Bell as he has done for the majority of the afternoon deals with the threat of Gilmour's cross as he punches the ball away.
YELLOW CARD! Lithgow becomes the third Ayr player to go into the book, as he brings Templeton down with a late challenge.
CHANCE! Rangers push forward looking for their third as Templeton finds Shiels on the edge of the area, he manages to turn his man and fires a low shot at goal. His effort is low and into the corner but Hutton gets down to make the save.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Shiels comes off for Rangers and is replaced by Andy Little. While Crawford came off for Ayr and was replaced by Shankland.
Rangers are looking to kill the game here and they are doing well to keep possession and restrict what Ayr are doing on the ball. The home side look slightly out of ideas at the moment.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Kevin Kyle is brought off for the home side and replace by Michael McGowan, while Peralta comes on for Templeton for Rangers.
YELLOW CARD! McGowan is barely on the field 20 seconds before he goes crashing into a tackle on Black and he goes straight into the book. The fourth player for the home side to do so, this afternoon.
CHANCE! Rangers win a throw-in deep in Ayr territory and Wallace's throw is flicked into the path of Aird inside the penalty area. He strikes the ball first time on the half-volley, but his effort goes into the side netting.
CHANCE! Another chance for Rangers to threaten as a long ball over the top releases the run of Daly. He can't quite sort his feet out to get an effort away and the ball falls to Aird, who tries to shoot first time but his effort is blocked by McLaughlin.
It's getting a bit desperate for Ayr now, as Rangers seem to have this game all but wrapped up. They're doing an excellent job of closing the game out by retaining possession.
CHANCE! Rangers threaten to get a third again as Little receives the ball on the edge of the area. He turns his man with ease and gets inside the box, but his left-footed shot is well saved down low to his left by Hutton.
A late opportunity to get a goal back as Ayr win a corner down the right, as Hunter's cross is deflected off Wallace.
The corner comes into the box and once again Bell clears the danger with a good punch and his defenders do the rest.
YELLOW CARD! Hunter becomes the fifth Ayr player to go into the book as he brings down Black.
There will be two minutes of added time.
FULL-TIME: Ayr United 0-2 Rangers
Rangers march on at the top of League One as they reach the 70-point mark and retain their 100% record on the road with a comfortable victory over Ayr United this afternoon.
Those strikes from Nicky Law and Jon Daly were enough to hand Ally McCoist's side the win in a professional performance at Somerset Park. The home side had their chances and will rue not taking them in the first half, as after the break the Gers turned the screw and made it very hard for Ayr to get into the game at all.
Thanks for joining our commentary this afternoon. Until next time, goodbye.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
