Ayrshire derby

The Ayrshire Derby refers to football matches between the two professional Scottish football sides based in Ayrshire: Ayr United and Kilmarnock. Ayr United play at Somerset Park, whilst Kilmarnock play at Rugby Park. The first match was held on 14 September 1910, in the same year that Ayr United were formed. This game was the final of the Ayrshire League in the 1909–10 season, and finished in a 4–4 draw.[5] Ayr United were the first of the clubs to record a win the following season.

Ayrshire Derby
Both sets of fans hold up card displays as the teams line up before the 2012 Scottish League Cup Semi-final at Hampden Park
LocationAyrshire
TeamsAyr United, Kilmarnock
First meeting14 September 1910
Latest meetingAyr United 1–3 Kilmarnock
2021–22 Scottish Championship
(11 March 2022)
Next meetingTo be confirmed
StadiumsRugby Park (Kilmarnock),
Somerset Park (Ayr)
Statistics
Meetings total142[1][lower-alpha 1]
Most winsKilmarnock (59)[1][lower-alpha 1]
Largest victoryKilmarnock 7–2 Ayr United (1935)[2]
Largest goal scoringAyr United 3–5 Kilmarnock (1932)
Longest win streak4 games
Kilmarnock
(2021–2022)[3]
Longest unbeaten streak9 games
Kilmarnock
(2021–2022)[4]
Location of the two teams' stadia
Ayr United
Kilmarnock

The six most recent meetings took place in national cup competitions because Kilmarnock have played in a higher division than Ayr since 1993. Up until 1998, both clubs competed in a local cup competition, the Ayrshire Cup, which also involved local junior sides.[6]

The current record for Ayrshire derby games in major competitions stands at 56 wins for Kilmarnock and 48 for Ayr United.[1] The term Ayrshire Derby has also been used to refer to Scottish Cup matches involving two teams from the county, most recently in the 2018–19 fourth round when Auchinleck Talbot beat Ayr United.[7]

Results table

National competitions

As of March 2022[1]

Competition[lower-alpha 2]GPAYRDKILAYRGKILG
Scottish Football League[lower-alpha 3]113402746148191
Scottish Cup103251216
Scottish League Cup186571721
Scottish Challenge Cup100101
Total142493459177229

Table only includes matches between Kilmarnock and Ayr United from 1910. Major fixtures involving Ayr's predecessor clubs are shown below:

Defunct local competitions
CompetitionGPAYRDKILAYRGKILG
Ayrshire Cup (1930–1998)[6]7026113393123
Ayrshire League (1910–1911)[5]4211108
Ayr Charity Cup (1928–1939)[13]115422815
Kilmarnock Charity Cup (1928–1939)[14]115152433
West Sound Trophy (2003–2005)[15]301227
Total99381843157186
  1. National competitions only
  2. Does not include minor or wartime tournaments such as the Scottish War Emergency Cup
  3. Includes all divisions and versions of main league system (they never met during the Scottish Premier League era, nor since the advent of the Scottish Professional Football League

Recent matches

This section shows the ten most recent competitive match-ups between the sides.

Scottish Championship 2021–22
Ayr United1–3Kilmarnock
  • Fjørtoft Red card 30'
  • McInroy 38'
 Report
Attendance: 6,136
Referee: Alan Muir
Scottish Championship 2021–22
Kilmarnock1–2Ayr United
F. Murray 7' Report
Attendance: 7,560
Referee: Bobby Madden
Scottish Championship 2021–22
Ayr United0–1Kilmarnock
Report Shaw 89' (pen.)
Attendance: 6,052
Referee: Nick Walsh
Scottish Championship 2021–22
Kilmarnock2–0Ayr United
 Report
Attendance: 3,600
Referee: Don Robertson
Scottish League Cup 2017–18
Ayr United1–0Kilmarnock
Geggan 39' Report
Attendance: 6,417
Referee: John Beaton
Scottish League Cup 2014–15
Second Round
Kilmarnock1–0Ayr United
Rory McKenzie 69' Report
Attendance: 8,877
Referee: Craig Thompson
Scottish League Cup 2011–12
Semi Final
Ayr United0–1 (a.e.t.)Kilmarnock
[16] Dean Shiels 109'
Attendance: 25,057
Referee: Steven McLean
Scottish Cup 2008–09
Fourth round (replay)
Kilmarnock3–1Ayr United
 Report Bryan Prunty 13'
Attendance: 11,563
Scottish Cup 2008–09
Fourth round
Ayr United2–2Kilmarnock
 Report
Attendance: 9,280
Scottish League Cup 2001–02
Ayr United0–0 (a.e.t.)Kilmarnock
Penalties
5–4
Attendance: 7,418
Scottish Cup 1998–99
Ayr United3–0Kilmarnock
Attendance: 10,153

In January 2009, the two clubs met for the first time in over seven years. They were drawn together in the Scottish Cup at Somerset Park. The game finished 2–2, Kilmarnock twice taking the lead and Ayr United equalising twice, with the final goal of the game scored by substitute Ayr striker Alex Williams in injury time. Ayr keeper Stephen Grindlay also saved a penalty kick from Kilmarnock's Allan Russell. In the replay at Rugby Park, Ayr United took the lead with a goal from Bryan Prunty, which television replays confirmed had involved the use of his hand. However, Kilmarnock won the tie 3–1 with goals from Simon Ford (twice) and Moroccan Medhi Taouil. This was Kilmarnock's first victory in the derby in a senior competition for seventeen years.

The previous meeting was a Scottish League Cup tie in October 2001. Ayr United had midfielder Paul Sheerin sent off early in the second half, playing the rest of the 90 minutes and extra time with ten men. However, no goals were scored in open play, and Ayr United won 5–4, with Chris Innes of Kilmarnock missing the vital spot-kick. Prior to that, Ayr United recorded 3–0 and 2–0 wins in the Scottish Cup in 1997–98 and 1998–99, the former bringing to an end Kilmarnock's reign as the cup holders. In the 1998–99 match, Andy Walker scored two penalties, the second of them being chipped over the Kilmarnock goalkeeper Gordon Marshall.[17]

2011–12 League Cup Semi-Final

On 28 January 2012, Ayr United and Kilmarnock met at Hampden Park for the League Cup semi-final. Kilmarnock won 1–0 thanks to a 109th-minute goal from Dean Shiels.[16] This was the first time that the Ayrshire derby had taken place in the semi-finals of a major competition[18] and it was also the first derby to be played at a neutral venue. The game also achieved the highest recorded post-World War II crowd of any Ayrshire derby with 25,057 people travelling to Hampden (Kilmarnock versus Ayr United on 19 March 1938 had a crowd of 27,442).

League

The last league meeting between the sides was on 20 March 1993 at Rugby Park, finishing in a 1–1 draw. Since then, Kilmarnock have played in the Scottish Premier League and Ayr in the First or Second Divisions. By contrast, in the late 1970s Ayr United played in the then-top tier of Scottish league football with Kilmarnock in the division below. Following Kilmarnock's relegation from the Premiership in 2020–21, the two clubs will share a division for the first time in 28 years in the following season.[19] Kilmarnock would win the first derby of the season on both clubs' opening league day, winning 2–0 at Rugby Park.[20]

Ayrshire Cup

The two clubs have both won this local competition on many occasions, but the last time it was contested was in 1998, when Kilmarnock won 4–2 at Rugby Park after trailing 2–0 at half time. This match was made even more special with Kilmarnock left back Dylan Kerr jumping into the Moffat Stand to celebrate his superb strike to make it 3–2. The trophy has been won by Kilmarnock on 42 occasions and by Ayr United on 27.

Other matches

Between 2003 and 2005, a series of annual one-off friendly matches were held in October, sponsored by a local commercial radio station and named the West Sound Trophy.[15] Kilmarnock won the first match at Rugby Park 1–0; the following year at Somerset Park Ayr United won on penalties, having earlier been 2–0 behind; and in the final match Kilmarnock won 4–0 at home.

References
  1. "Kilmarnock Head-To-Head (Filter:Vs Ayr United)". Fitbastats. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  2. "Ayr United v Kilmarnock Head-to-Head Record". Football Stats. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  3. "AYR UNITED VS KILMARNOCK HEAD TO HEAD STATS". Soccer Punter. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  4. "AYR UNITED VS KILMARNOCK HEAD TO HEAD STATS". Soccer Punter. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  5. "Kilmarnock Results List (Filter:Vs Ayr United, Ayrshire League)". Fitbastats. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  6. "Kilmarnock Results List (Filter:Vs Ayr United, Ayrshire Cup)". Fitbastats. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  7. Bark, Stephen (28 November 2018). "Talbot face Ayr United in Ayrshire derby Scottish Cup tie". Cumnock Chronicle. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  8. "Kilmarnock Results List (Filter:Vs Ayr Eglinton)". Fitbastats. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  9. "Kilmarnock Results List (Filter:Vs Ayr Academicals)". Fitbastats. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  10. "Kilmarnock Results List (Filter:Vs Ayr FC)". Fitbastats. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  11. "Kilmarnock Results List (Filter:Vs Ayr Thistle)". Fitbastats. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  12. "Kilmarnock Results List (Filter:Vs Ayr Parkhouse)". Fitbastats. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  13. "Kilmarnock Results List (Filter:Vs Ayr United, Ayr Charity Cup)". Fitbastats. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  14. "Kilmarnock Results List (Filter:Vs Ayr United, Kilmarnock Charity Cup)". Fitbastats. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  15. "Kilmarnock Results List (Filter:Vs Ayr United, West Sound Trophy)". Fitbastats. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  16. "Ayr United 0–1 Kilmarnock". BBC Sport. 28 January 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  17. "Ayrshire Derby: Ayr United's Andy Walker scored the most famous penalty ever seen at Somerset Park to seal legendary 3-0 Scottish Cup win". Daily Record. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  18. "Ayrshire's bitter derby reaches Hampden". When Saturday Comes. 26 January 2012. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  19. "Dundee promoted as Kilmarnock drop down for first time in 28 years". BBC. 24 May 2021. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  20. Campbell, Andy (2 August 2021). "Kilmarnock 2–0 Ayr United". BBC. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
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