# 2021–22 Ayr United F.C. season

The 2021–22 season was Ayr United's fourth consecutive season in the Scottish Championship after being promoted from league one in the 2017–18 season. Ayr also competed in the, League Cup, Challenge Cup and the Scottish Cup.

## Summary
### Season

Ayr United began the season under the management of David Hopkin who had been in charge since March of the previous season. Hopkin would step down from his position on 9 September following a poor start to the season. He was replaced by his assistant Jim Duffy before he was also relieved of his duties by the club after just one win in eleven games. On 7 January 2022, Ayr United confirmed the appointment of Lee Bullen as their new manager.

## Results and fixtures

Win  Draw  Loss  Postponed

### Scottish League Cup
#### Group stage

Results

#### Knockout stage
### Scottish Challenge Cup

Notes
* ^ A: Ayr United had originally beaten Rangers B 3 – 0, however it was later revealed that Ayr had fielded 2 ineligible players during the game and were subsequently charged by the SPFL with Rangers B awarded a 3 – 0, victory.

### Scottish Cup
## Squad statistics
### Appearances

    As of 29 April 2022
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Championship | Championship | League Cup | League Cup | Challenge Cup | Challenge Cup | Scottish Cup | Scottish Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | SCO | Aidan McAdams | 32 | 0 | 27+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | SCO | Jordan Houston | 33 | 0 | 26+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | SCO | Patrick Reading | 41 | 2 | 35+0 | 2 | 4+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | SCO | Aaron Muirhead | 35 | 4 | 27+1 | 4 | 4+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | IRL | Sean McGinty | 35 | 1 | 28+0 | 1 | 3+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | SCO | Andy Murdoch | 39 | 1 | 32+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | SCO | Michael Moffat | 21 | 1 | 4+14 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | SCO | Kerr McInroy | 14 | 2 | 13+1 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Tomi Adeloye | 38 | 14 | 24+8 | 11 | 4+0 | 3 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | IRL | Daire O'Connor | 27 | 1 | 13+11 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Alex Kenyon | 3 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | ENG | Blaine Rowe | 3 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | SCO | James Maxwell | 37 | 6 | 29+5 | 5 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 |
| 15 | DF | SCO | Jack Baird | 33 | 1 | 24+3 | 1 | 4+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Ryan Gondoh | 7 | 0 | 1+5 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | SCO | Nick McAllister | 13 | 0 | 11+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | ENG | Ben Dempsey | 7 | 0 | 6+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | ENG | Sam Ashford | 12 | 1 | 12+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 20 | DF | SCO | Michael Hewitt | 7 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 21 | GK | ENG | Charlie Albinson | 11 | 0 | 9+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 22 | FW | SCO | Mark McKenzie | 34 | 2 | 20+8 | 2 | 4+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | NOR | Markus Fjørtoft | 23 | 2 | 14+6 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | SCO | Scott Tomlinson | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | SCO | Finn Ecrepont | 4 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 26 | DF | SCO | Kinlay Bilham | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 27 | FW | SCO | Max Guthrie | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 28 | DF | SCO | Alex Jeanes | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 30 | FW | SCO | Fraser Bryden | 12 | 1 | 3+8 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 31 | MF | SCO | Paul Smith | 6 | 0 | 1+4 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | SCO | Dylan Watret | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 33 | MF | SCO | Carter Jenkins | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 34 | FW | SCO | Dario Viviani | 0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| Players who left the club during the 2021–22 season ||||||||||
| 8 | MF | SCO | Michael Miller | 4 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Cameron Salkeld | 21 | 2 | 8+7 | 1 | 3+1 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | SCO | Steven Bradley | 15 | 2 | 6+7 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | SCO | Joe Chalmers | 19 | 2 | 13+3 | 1 | 0+2 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 24 | FW | IRL | Jonathan Afolabi | 16 | 1 | 5+9 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |

## Team statistics
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 6 | Hamilton Academical | 36 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 38 | 53 | −15 | 42 | |
| 7 | Greenock Morton | 36 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 36 | 47 | −11 | 40 | |
| 8 | Ayr United | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 39 | 52 | −13 | 39 | |
| 9 | Dunfermline Athletic (R) | 36 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 36 | 53 | −17 | 35 | Qualification for the Championship play-offs |
| 10 | Queen of the South (R) | 36 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 36 | 54 | −18 | 33 | Relegation to League One |

### League Cup table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AYR | HAM | ALB | EDI | FAL |
| 1 | Ayr United | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 10 | Qualification for the second round | — | — | — | 3–0 | 3–0 |
| 2 | Hamilton Academical | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 8 | | 0–1 | — | p2–2 | — | — |
| 3 | Albion Rovers | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 5 | | p0–0 | — | — | p1–1 | — |
| 4 | Edinburgh City | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 | | — | 0–1 | — | — | 3–0 |
| 5 | Falkirk | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 3 | | — | 1–2 | 5–1 | — | — |
* ↑ Ayr United were awarded a technical 3−0 win over Falkirk, who were unable to raise a team after a COVID-19 outbreak among players and staff.
* ↑ Edinburgh City were awarded a technical 3−0 win over Falkirk, who were unable to raise a team after a COVID-19 outbreak among players and staff.

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| 25 May 2021 | MF | Cameron Salkeld | Greenock Morton | Free transfer |
| 27 May 2021 | DF | Markus Fjørtoft | Greenock Morton | Free transfer |
| 27 May 2021 | DF | Sean McGinty | Greenock Morton | Free transfer |
| 27 May 2021 | DF | Nick McAllister | St Mirren | Free transfer |
| 21 June 2021 | GK | Aidan McAdams | Greenock Morton | Free transfer |
| 1 July 2021 | FW | Tomi Adeloye | Barnet | Free transfer |
| 8 July 2021 | GK | Charlie Albinson | Warrington Town | Free transfer |
| 28 July 2021 | MF | Daire O'Connor | Cliftonville | Free transfer |
| 12 January 2022 | MF | Ryan Gondoh | Wealdstone | Free transfer |
| 29 January 2022 | MF | Sam Ashford | Crawley Town | Free transfer |
| 7 March 2022 | MF | Alex Kenyon | Scunthorpe United | Free transfer |

### Transfers out

| Date | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| 7 May 2021 | MF | Liam Miller | Free Agent | Free transfer |
| 7 May 2021 | DF | Sam Roscoe | Linfield | Free transfer |
| 7 May 2021 | FW | Andre Wright | Sligo Rovers | Free transfer |
| 7 May 2021 | MF | Dario Zanatta | Raith Rovers | Free transfer |
| 1 June 2021 | MF | Luke McCowan | Dundee | Free transfer |
| 24 January 2022 | MF | Joe Chalmers | Dunfermline Athletic | Undisclosed |

### Loans in

| Date | Position | Name | From | End date |
| 27 July 2021 | DF | James Maxwell | Rangers | 31 May 2022 |
| 2 August 2021 | FW | Jonathan Afolabi | Celtic | 11 February 2022 |
| 6 September 2021 | MF | Steven Bradley | Hibernian | 3 January 2022 |
| 24 January 2022 | MF | Ben Dempsey | Charlton Athletic | 31 May 2022 |
| 31 January 2022 | MF | Kerr McInroy | Celtic | 31 May 2022 |
| 31 January 2022 | DF | Blaine Rowe | Coventry City | 31 May 2022 |

### Loans out

| Date | Position | Name | From | End date |
| 31 August 2021 | FW | Paul Smith | Cumnock Juniors | 31 May 2022 |
| 3 September 2021 | DF | Michael Miller | Stenhousemuir | 31 May 2022 |
| 28 January 2022 | DF | Nick McAllister | Clyde | 31 May 2022 |

#### Notes

* ^ A: Ayr United were awarded a technical 3−0 win over Falkirk, who were unable to raise a team after a COVID-19 outbreak among players and staff.