The 2015-16 season was the 119th season of competitive football. It also saw the Honest Men promoted to The SPFL Championship after finishing as runners up in League One, winning the Championship Play-offs and sealing first promotion at Somerset Park since 1955-56 after defeating Stranraer in the final.
Ayr United manager Ian Mc Call had already stated that season 2015/16 would be a more successful season than the previous one and that Ayr United would at least challenge at the top. Well winning the Ryedale Cup at Gretna pre-season wasn't exactly what he was referring to, but it was a nice start for the club and supporters.
Early cup wins against Albion Rovers in the Petrofac Cup and Brechin City in the League cup were welcome, the former bringing a second round encounter with Rangers which did end in defeat as did the 2nd Round of the League Cup against Premier league side Ross County. Early league results were inconsistent but by mid September Ayr were putting a consistent winning run together including a 2-0 win at Dunfermline, a 5-2 win against Stenhousemuir and a 5-0 slaughtering of newly relegated Cowdenbeath in early October.
United were league leaders when the wheels came of the wagon in early December and into January when injuries to prominent players began to have an adverse effect on a slim player pool. By the time that United recovered Dunfermline Athletic had developed a good lead at the top of the table and the Honest Men were in a battle for second spot with Peterhead. There were still erratic results ranging from superb 4-1 victories against Stenhousemuir and Cowdenbeath in successive home games in March to disappointing defeats at home to Peterhead and then away to relegation threatened Brechin City and Forfar Athletic.
Second spot was ultimately secured with conclusive and successive 4-0 home wins against Peterhead and Stenhousemuir in late April, securing Ayr’s play-off place.
Ayr United faced Peterhead in the play off semi-finals playing the first leg in the Blue Toon in early May recording a tie winning 4-1 victory. A 2-1 win at home in the second leg was a formality by this time and a final place against Stranraer was established. A 95th minute equalising goal by Ross Docherty gave Ayr a valuable away draw in the first leg, which ultimately proved valuable when the teams played a goaless draw at Somerset Park in the second leg after extra time.
A penalty shoot would decide who gained promotion and the Ayr fans were soon singing the praises of goalkeeper after he saved the first three penalties leaving United to creat a promotion winning 3-1 lead in the shoot out. Championship football was coming to Somerset Park in 2016/2017.
Between drawing at Brechin City on 7th November and drawing at Stranraer on 11th May, Ayr United recorded their longest drawless run in the club's history. The 26 drawless matches comprised 23 in the league, one in the Scottish Cup and two in the play-offs. Ross Docherty broke this sequence in the play off semi final at Stranraer, for which the Ayr United following were enternally grateful.
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