Ayr secure cup tie with Rangers
Saturday’s 3-0 win at home to Kelty Hearts saw Ayr safely into the hat for round five – with Sunday night’s draw handing the Somerset side a trip to Ibrox next month.
It’ll be Ayr’s first visit to Rangers since a League Cup quarterfinal tie in September 2018, and a first Scottish Cup meeting between the sides since a fifth round clash earlier that same year – when Jamie Murphy was among the Light Blues’ scorers as they won 6-1 at Somerset Park.
Speaking to Ayr United TV after the match, White, the club’s youth development chief, admitted it had been a tough week for the squad after the departure of manager Lee Bullen last Monday.
“At the start of the week it was all about the emotion,” he said. “There was a real connection between the players and the staff to Lee as a man and we’ve had to deal with that.
“It’s been a tough week, but it was the Scottish Cup, and the Scottish Cup is huge for Ayr United to get through and we tried to motivate the players with that fact alone.”
After a goalless first half in the first-ever meeting between the clubs, Roy Syla broke the deadlock with his first Ayr goal, with Ahkeem Rose adding a second to put the tie out of the visitors’ reach before Mark McKenzie added the icing to the cake late on.
“I was really pleased with how we finished the game,” White said. “The first half we started really bright, but leading into half-time Kelty were the brighter team, and we needed halftime to get in, reset, regroup and re-energise.
“In the second half there was a bit of energy about us, a bit of quality, and the physical side came through.
“We’re really pleased with how the game went overall.”
Quizzed on whether he’d like the manager’s job on a permanent basis, White added: “The role I have at the club is to serve the club, it’s not to be the manager of the club.
“Clearly it’s to lead and drive the academy forward.
“Whatever role I’m asked to do – whether that’s more handson, working on the pitch like today or whether that’s taking a wee step back from that, I think that’s where my skillsets are right now.
“There might be a time comes when that changes but right now I just see myself being in the background driving things forward as much as I can.
“That’s what motivates me, as well as developing the young players.”
Watch full match highlights from Saturday’s tie, as well as interviews with both Davie White and Roy Syla, online at ayrunitedfc.co.uk/ayr-united-tv.
Ayr are due to return to action tonight against Arbroath at Somerset in a game which was postponed in December.
The Scottish Cup tie against Rangers is scheduled to take place on the weekend of February 10.