Match ends, Ayr United 3, Partick Thistle 1.
AyrAyr United3Partick ThistlePartick Thistle1
Ayr United secured Scottish Championship football next season as Partick Thistle sealed a promotion play-off quarter-final despite defeat.
Former Thistle striker Aaron Muirhead scored two penalties either side of a Tomi Adeloye header through goalkeeper Jamie Sneddon's legs.
Alex Jakubiak's reply came too late to spark a Thistle comeback.
Ayr finish eighth, four points ahead of Dunfermline, to avoid a relegation play-off, while Thistle stay in fourth.
Dunfermline needed to better Ayr's result to overtake them but lost at home to Queen of the South despite taking an early lead shortly before Muirhead's opener at Somerset Park sent Ayr on their way to ending a run of seven home games without a victory.
There needed to be an eight-goal swing for Raith Rovers to overtake Thistle with victory and the Kirkcaldy side also fell short after their 1-1 draw with champions Kilmarnock.
Thistle, who were without manager Ian McCall through illness and who rested five players, host Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Tuesday's first leg for the right to face Arbroath in the Premiership promotion play-off semi-final.
Ayr United manager Lee Bullen: "I'm just disappointed we lost that goal as I would have loved the lads to get that clean sheet, but let's not cry over spilt milk - it was a brilliant performance and such a big win for the club.
"They deserve a lot of credit because there's a lot of mental strength needed, and mental tiredness in that sort of thing, to control emotions."
Partick Thistle assistant manager Alan Archibald: "It wasn't good enough. We started really poorly and it was stop-start with the couple of early injuries that didn't help.
"The team will be different on Tuesday, no doubt about it, and we'll reset and be ready to go. Ayr had everything to play for, we had a couple of guys playing with illnesses on top of the injuries and it obviously played its part."
Line-ups
Ayr
Formation 4-4-2
- 1McAdams
- 4Muirhead
- 15Baird
- 5McGinty
- 3Reading
- 10O'ConnorSubstituted forMcKenzieat 85'minutes
- 31Smith
- 8McInroy
- 14MaxwellSubstituted forHewittat 85'minutes
- 9AdeloyeSubstituted forBrydenat 81'minutes
- 19AshfordSubstituted forMoffatat 81'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Moffat
- 11Kenyon
- 16Gondoh
- 20Hewitt
- 21Albinson
- 22McKenzie
- 23Fjørtoft
- 25Ecrepont
- 30Bryden
Partick Thistle
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Sneddon
- 16McKenna
- 4MayoSubstituted forHendrieat 45'minutes
- 18Akinola
- 2FosterBooked at 29minsSubstituted forBellat 66'minutes
- 22Crawford
- 23DochertyBooked at 26mins
- 6TurnerSubstituted forBanniganat 14'minutes
- 37McAllisterSubstituted forHoltat 41'minutes
- 10Jakubiak
- 11SmithSubstituted forAlegrÃaat 66'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Holt
- 8Bannigan
- 13Firth
- 15Bell
- 17Murray
- 25AlegrÃa
- 30Stanway
- 33Hendrie
- Referee:
- Bobby Madden
- Attendance:
- 3,426
Match Stats
Home TeamAyrAway TeamPartick Thistle
- Possession
- Home36%
- Away64%
- Shots
- Home7
- Away5
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away2
- Corners
- Home5
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Ayr United 3, Partick Thistle 1.
Substitution
Substitution, Ayr United. Mark McKenzie replaces Daire O'Connor.
Substitution
Substitution, Ayr United. Michael Hewitt replaces James Maxwell.
Substitution
Substitution, Ayr United. Michael Moffat replaces Sam Ashford.
Substitution
Substitution, Ayr United. Fraser Bryden replaces Tomi Adeloye.
Goal!
Goal! Ayr United 3, Partick Thistle 1. Alex Jakubiak (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Stuart Bannigan.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Ciaran McKenna (Partick Thistle) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Aaron Muirhead.
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Kevin Holt (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Sam Ashford (Ayr United).
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Alex Jakubiak (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Patrick Reading (Ayr United).
Substitution
Substitution, Partick Thistle. Juan AlegrÃa replaces Cammy Smith.
Substitution
Substitution, Partick Thistle. Steven Bell replaces Richard Foster.
Post update
Goal! Ayr United 3, Partick Thistle 0. Aaron Muirhead (Ayr United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Post update
Penalty conceded by Kevin Holt (Partick Thistle) after a foul in the penalty area.
Post update
Penalty Ayr United. Tomi Adeloye draws a foul in the penalty area.
Post update
Foul by Tunji Akinola (Partick Thistle).
Post update
Sam Ashford (Ayr United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
