Dundee United break down stubborn Ayr to reach last 16

Dundee United battled through to the fifth round of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup against Championship outfit Ayr.

Scott Brown’s side had frustrated the hosts with the game looking likely to be heading for extra time.

However, United substitute Nikolaj Moller finally broke the deadlock with another replacement Pan Camara adding a second late on.

The hosts made three changes to the side that lost against Celtic last week with Vicko Sevelj, Owen Stirton and Camara being replaced by Sam Cleall-Harding, Max Watters and Amar Fatah. New signing from Barnsley Neil Farrugia was on the bench.

The visitors made four alterations to the team that beat Stranraer in the Challenge Cup in midweek with Kevin Holt, Jamie Murphy, Mark McKenzie and Marco Rus returning at the expense of Shaun Want, Curtis Main, Jude Bonnar and Liam Dick.

The game only went ahead following two inspections after torrential rain in the City of Discovery, with one area of the pitch heavily sanded.

Ayr were the first to threaten in the ninth minute when Rus embarked on a barnstorming run down the left before finding Anton Dowds at the edge of the home penalty area, with the striker hitting a low shot which home keeper Dave Richards dived to his left to push behind for a corner.

The Terrors responded with two quickfire chances but skipper Ross Graham sent a shot onto the roof of the net and then Ayr keeper Liam Russell pulled off a vital stop from a fierce Zac Sapsford strike from the edge of the penalty area.

United continued to press with Fatah bursting into the visitors’ box but his angled shot flew into the side netting.

Russell was called into action shortly after the restart but dealt comfortably with a snap-shot from outside the box by home defender Cleall-Harding.

Rus was next to try his luck but he dragged his shot wide of Richards’ right-hand post.

United made a quadruple change in the 65th minute and two of the subs had quickfire chances, but Stirton and Moller failed to convert with a shot and a header respectively.

However, the hosts finally made the breakthrough in the 77th minute. Another replacement, Ryan Strain, robbed Rus before teeing up Moller inside the Ayr box and this time the striker made no mistake, slotting past Russell for his first goal for the club.

United then made absolutely sure of progression to the next round in the 89th minute. Camara burst forward and played the ball out wide to Trapanovski, who returned the favour with the midfielder giving Russell no chance with an emphatic finish – his first goal for the Terrors.