Andrew Geggan (19 mins)
Mark Roberts (58 mins)
Blair Alston (6 mins)
The William Hill Scottish Cup Fifth Round
, Feb 15, 2012
Ground: Somerset Park
, Kickoff: 19:45 , Att 1,873
Team news
No Higgins for Honest Men Ayr will be without on-loan St Johnstone striker Sean Higgins when they meet Falkirk in the Scottish Cup fifth round.
The forward broke a metatarsal bone on his club debut against Queen of the South at the weekend and now joins fellow frontman Gareth Wardlaw and defender Ross Robertson on the treatment table.
Sweeper John Robertson requires a late check on a calf injury but midfielder Alan Trouten could return after illness.
The Honest Men's manager Brian Reid said: "We can go into this game with confidence as we battled to two draws against Falkirk this season.
"If we can improve our passing and crossing in the final third of the pitch we have a better chance of making this another great cup night at Somerset Park." Falkirk welcome back leading goalscorer Farid El Alagui from suspension.
The Moroccan striker missed the goalless draw with Morton on Saturday, but returns to lead the line for the Bairns as both sides fight to meet Hibernian in the next round.
Fellow forward David Weatherston, however, will need to pass a late fitness test before he can take part at Somerset Park.
Midfielder Blair Alston (knock) is another doubt for his manager Steven Pressley, who said: "The prospect of facing Hibs in the next round is fairly mouth-watering but that will be the same for both sides.
"For us to get through we need to be more fluent than we were at the weekend.
Ayr vs Falkirk
Last modified 22:12 15/02/12
Roberts on the spot for United Mark Roberts' second-half penalty proved decisive as Ayr overcame Falkirk 2-1 in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.
Visitors Falkirk were first out of the blocks against their First Division rivals and took an early lead through Blair Alston.
Thomas Scobbie found space to cross from the left and Alston was on hand to head home beyond Ayr goalkeeper Kevin Cuthbert.
However, Brian Reid's side were level with 19 minutes gone as Andrew Geggan nodded into the bottom corner from close range after Adam Dod clipped a dangerous cross into the Ayr box.
The tie remained in the balance until shortly before the hour when Darren Dods handballed inside the Bairns' area.
Roberts stepped up confidently to dispatch his spot kick low past Cuthbert and book a home clash against Hibernian in round six.
| Player rating out of ten | Player name | Substitution | Did they score? | Player's disciplinary record | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Cuthbert | ||||
| 2 | Jonathan Tiffoney | ||||
| 4 | Martyn Campbell(sub 70) |
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| 5 | Christopher Smith | ||||
| 3 | Edward Malone | ||||
| 7 | Adam Dodd | ||||
| 8 | Liam Tomsett |
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| 6 | Andrew Geggan |
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| 11 | Alan Trouten(sub 50) |
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| 9 | Michael Moffat | ||||
| 10 | Mark Roberts |
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| Substitutes | |||||
| 20 | Ryan McWilliams | ||||
| 12 | Micheal McGowan(sub 50) |
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| 14 | Gareth Wardlaw(sub 70) |
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| 15 | Jamie McKernon | ||||
| 16 | Ross Robertson | ||||
| Player rating out of ten | Player name | Did they score? | Player's disciplinary record | Substitution | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael McGovern | ||||
| 2 | Kieran Duffie | ||||
| 4 | Darren Dods | ||||
| 5 | Murray Wallace |
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| 3 | Thomas Scobbie | ||||
| 7 | Blair Alston(sub 77) |
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| 8 | Mark Millar |
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| 6 | Stewart Murdoch | ||||
| 11 | Craig Sibbald(sub 82) |
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| 10 | William Gibson(sub 68) |
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| 9 | Farid El Alagui | ||||
| Substitutes | |||||
| 20 | Graham Bowman | ||||
| 12 | Rhys Bennett(sub 82) |
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| 14 | Stephen Kingsley | ||||
| 15 | Jay Fulton(sub 77) |
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| 16 | Jordan White(sub 68) |
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| Team | Ayr | Falkirk |
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