Following Tuesday morning’s inspection, the tie has been postponed due to a frozen pitch. All tickets purchased will remain valid for the rearranged fixture, which will take place on Tuesday 13 January.
Daniel McManus is confident Stranraer can give Ayr United a run for their money – regardless of who plays.
The Blues travel to Somerset Park on Tuesday night for the first time in more than five years.
And while both sides might see their respective league campaigns as the most important competition, both will also be keen to progress to the quarter-finals of the KDM Evolution Trophy.
Stranraer manager Chris Aitken has regularly given minutes to different members of his squad in the tournament and is expected to do so again for the last 16 contest.
McManus said: “The manager has said to us that he needs the whole squad.
“It is not just the XI that he needs.
“We have got the squad of boys that can all come in, fill in and play their part in the team.
“It is not as if the team will get any weaker if he changes it.”
McManus has increasingly become a key part of the manager’s squad in recent weeks.
The summer signing has made 29 appearances, missing just three games this term.
And he felt the side being disappointed only to pick up a point against Edinburgh City having been behind at half time showed the attitude of the squad.
He said: “The run we are on just now, we have won some decent games.
“We have had some good results and scored a lot of goals and coming away 1-1 is tough.
“We need to keep going and keep up the unbeaten streak.”
Bradley Barrett had put the visitors into a first half lead on Saturday before Deryn Lang responded with a second half header.
There were some choice words in the home dressing room at the break and the players responded well to battle back.
However, McManus was keen to ensure that it did not take a half time teamtalk to get the side going.
He said: “We should not need that though.
“We have created chances in previous weeks and we just did not start against Edinburgh.
“It has worked and we have come away with a point but at least we have not lost the game.
“At the start of the season, we might not have got back into the game or dominated as much as we did.
“We are doing well just now and just need to keep it up.
“Hopefully, we can get back to winning ways.”
Last meeting
Stranraer took the lead after just 56 seconds on their last visit to Somerset Park, when Darryl Duffy blasted home after good link up play involving Tom Orr and Joao Victoria.
Jack Baird had a header off the crossbar for the hosts before Stranraer had a chance to double their lead. Ruari Paton was brought down in the box but Duffy’s penalty clipped the crossbar.
Ayr’s leveller came in the second half when Luke McCowan broke the offside trap.
Both sides had chances to win it but the tie was settled on penalties. James Hilton, Duffy, Adam Cummins, Joao Victoria and Paton scored the first five for the Blues before Orr was off target.
Ayr United: Sinisalo, Houston, Roscoe-Byrne, Hewitt (Kerr 82), Baird, Miller, McCowan, Chalmers, Moffat, Anderson, Zanatta (McKenzie 62).
Not used: Murdoch, Smith and Hare-Reid.
Stranraer: Fleming, Robertson, Cummins, Sonkur, McIntyre, Hilton, Gallagher, Paton, Duffy, Victoria, Orr.
Not used: Hamill, Adair, Wilde, Mitchell and Walker.
Last five meetings
- Ayr United 1 Stranraer 1 (McCowan; Duffy) (Ayr United win 6-5 on penalties) at Somerset Park on November 14, 2020
- Ayr United 2 Stranraer 2 (Moffat and Kelly; Cummins x2) (Stranraer win 6-5 on penalties) at Somerset Park on July 27, 2019
- Ayr United 1 Stranraer 2 (Adams; Anderson and Agnew (Pen)) at Somerset Park on April 14, 2018
- Stranraer 1 Ayr United 5 (Turner; Shankland x2, Moffat and Forrest x2) at Stair Park on January 2, 2018
- Ayr United 2 Stranraer 0 (Moffat and Shankland) at Somerset Park on October 28, 2017
Last five games
Stranraer
- DRAW v Edinburgh City (H): 1-1 (Lang)
- DRAW v Annan Athletic (A): 2-2 (Russell (Pen) and Lang)
- DRAW v Dumbarton (H): 1-1 (Russell)
- WIN v Elgin City (A): 1-2 (Plank and Rough)
- WIN v East Kilbride (A): 1-4 (Russell (Pen), Lang, McManus and Hunter)
Ayr United
- DRAW v Greenock Morton (A): 1-1 (Dowds)
- WIN v Dunfermline Athletic (A): 2-3 (McKenzie, Dowds and King)
- LOSS v St Johnstone (H): 2-4 (McKenzie and Murphy)
- WIN v Peterhead (H): 2-1 (Dowds and McAllister)
- DRAW v Partick Thistle (H): 0-0
Last time out
Stranraer
Lineup v Edinburgh City: Lane, Ecrepont, Reid, Rough, Docherty (Dunne 77), Dolan (Cleland 63), Plank (Hunter 87), McManus, Gillies (Hughes 87), Russell (Quigg 77), Lang.
Not used: McKnight and Henderson.
Ayr United
Lineup v Greenock Morton: Russell, Holt, King, McMann, McAllister, Bannigan, Dempsey, McKenzie, Rus, Dowds, Murphy (Main 78).
Not used: Want, Thomas, Hislop, Simpson, Brown and Mitchell.
Five facts
- Deryn Lang’s header on Saturday against Edinburgh City was Stranraer’s 50th goal of the season.
- Stranraer and Ayr United have played each other twice in the League Challenge Cup, with both sides having a win apiece. Ayr United were winners at Stair Park in 2002 when Eddie Annand and James Grady scored and David Farrell pulled one back. A year earlier, Stranraer were 3-2 winners. Kevin Finlayson, Ian Harty and Frazer Wright all scored after John Bradford opened the scoring. Pat McGinlay pulled one back for Ayr but it was not enough.
- Finn Ecrepont will be hoping to line up against his former side. He made more than 20 appearances for the Somerset Park team. Meanwhile, David Mitchell, Liam Dick and Aaron Brown all pulled on the blue of Stranraer. Between them, they made almost 350 appearances.
- Saturday’s draw with Edinburgh City was the third draw in a row for Stranraer. The last time they drew four games over 90 minutes was towards the end of the 2019/20 season. A goalless draw with Airdrie was followed by 1-1 draws with Falkirk (Ryan Thomson scored), Raith Rovers (a Ryan Stevenson penalty) and Forfar Athletic (Stevenson from open play).
- If either Kirk McKnight or Aaron Quigg feature at Somerset Park, it would take them to 50 appearances in a Stranraer shirt. McKnight is currently on 31 starts and 18 substitute appearances while Quigg is 32 starts and 17 times off the bench.
Admission
All supporters must buy their ticket online in advance via the home club’s ticketing platform.
Reduced admission prices have been agreed by the clubs:
- Adult – £12
- Concession (65+, disabled or student) – £6
- Juvenile (13 to 17 year old) – £6
- Child (under 13) – £3
Blues supporters will be seated in Somerset Park’s West Stand.
Podcast
Check out last week’s Hogmanay edition of Look Blues Talking for a look back on the best moments of 2025, a full review of our draw at Annan and a preview of the midweek trip to Somerset Park.
Coverage
If you’re further afield, follow our live matchday updates on X (formerly Twitter).
The manager’s post-match reaction will be available on YouTube following the game.
Club 1870 subscribers get a first look at the goals from 10pm on Saturday night, along with full match footage.
Extended highlights will be available via YouTube on Sunday, with Laurence Nelson and Brian Martin on commentary.
Photos: Bill McCandlish, MadMac Photography, Colin Poultney (Collarge Images)
