That's all from us on another belting night of Friday night Championship action.

Dick Campbell said the Arbroath players are getting the weekend off, and it's hard to begrudge them that after a huge win moves them away from the relegation scrap.

Lee Bullen, meanwhile, will be spending the next few days looking for answers as his side missed the chance to pile the pressure on at the top of the table.

Whatever you're up to this weekend, stay safe and take care. See you soon!

Image source, SNS

Tonight's game is just the start of what is sure to be another gripping weekend in the second tier.

Basement boys Cove and Hamilton have stern tests against promotion chasing Dundee and Partick Thistle, respectively.

Morton and Inverness are both desperately hunting those play-off spots, while league leaders Queen's Park look to bounce back at Stark's Park.

Image source, BBC Sport

When Dick Campbell was shown the Championship table in the Sportscene studio, he asked the team to "keep that up there".

Now, here it is for you to cast an eye over for as long as you wish. Neither side move in terms of position after tonight's result, but there's big ramifications around the second tier.

Image source, BBC Sport

Arbroath manager Dick Campbell has been sharing his delight after his side widened the gap between themselves and the relegation zone.

He tells BBC Scotland: "I'm delighted with the result because we need the points. it's another shut out. We've got Dundee in the next game and we'll have a big crowd for that. My players aren't fancy."

"You've got to be happy with the attitude of the players that want to work for you and our players were magnificent at that tonight, against a very, very good Ayr United team. I thought we deserved to win because we scored.

"That's seven games undefeated now. I'm like one of those guys that keeps beating the drum. Our objective is to stay in the league. We're getting nearer it now, but I don't take anything for granted."

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Goalscorer David Gold has also been chatting after his header clinched the game for the Smokies.

He tells BBC Scotland: "I think every man put in a shift. It was a team performance. We know what's required inside that changing room. Everybody's working towards that end goal and we want to stay in this league."

Player of the match Mikey McKenna has told BBC Scotland just how much his side needed their win this evening.

"It was a much needed result against a good team," he said. "We've not beat them yet. We won last week against Queen's Park and we've not backed that up this season with back-to-back victories.

"We needed that badly tonight. We lost a lot of firepower in the summer and goals win you games."

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Leanne Crichton
Ex-Scotland international on BBC Sportscene

If I'm honest, I think they've taken a huge step to ensuring their survival.

I think the way the handled the game tonight, everybody's playing their part. I don't see them falling back into that fight. Two weekends beating first and third is massively impressive.

It's a first home win since October for Arbroath, and what a win it is.

After dispatching league leaders Queen's Park last week, they put third-placed Ayr United to the sword in confident fashion courtesy of goals from Dale Hilson and David Gold.

They're now six points off the foot of the table, though bottom club Hamilton Accies have two games in hand. Cove Rangers, who have played the same number of games as Arbroath, are five points behind in ninth.

Ayr will stay third this weekend, but the defeat could come back to bite them in the race for both the title and promotion play-offs.

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Arbroath may be perceived as a bunch of bruisers, but if anyone has exemplified their technical prowess this evening, it's been Mikey McKenna.

Cute touches and astute passes aplenty, James McFadden names him as the outstanding player on the park.

Ricky Little with another vital interception to squash an Ayr attack.

He's been fantastic this evening.

Ryan Dow gets a well deserved rest after a solid shift this evening.

His replacement is Bobby Linn, who as always, gets a warm round of applause from his Arbroath faithful.

For the second Arbroath live text in a row, I am begging someone to tell me why their assistant coach John Young insists on wearing two pairs of glasses on his face simultaneously.

I demand answers.

The two goalscorers depart.

Dale Hilson and David Gold get a rousing reception from Gayfield as they exit the stage, replaced by Paul Komolafe and Dylan Tait.

The latter seems to have misplaced his shin pads, so nicks a pair from Gold. True teamwork.

It was a golden (sorry) opportunity for the Arbroath man, but the power in his header left Charlie Albinson with absolutely no chance.

Just the second of the season for David Gold.

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The Arbroath defence is determined that Dipo Akinyemi doesn't hit 20 league goals this evening.

Every time he enters the box, it feels as if the whole team suddenly surround him, blocking off any route to goal.

Frankie Musonda going for the spectacular.

The defender attempts the overhead kick in the box, and the looping effort was dangerous enough for Joao Balde to turn it away. I think it might have cracked the post.

A response required from the visitors.

Lee Bullen looks for one in the shape of a double change, with Reece McAlear and Mark McKenzie replacing Chris Maguire and Andy Murdoch.

First change for The Honest Men as Jayden Mitchell-Lawson replaces Daire O'Connor.

Both players scored last week, though the substitute will be hoping to have more of an impact on this game than the man he's switched with.

Now that one was much closer from Ben Dempsey.

A skewed clearance falls to the midfield man right on the edge, but his effort takes a clip off Ricky Little, before taking another clip off the post.

He's so good at getting into those advanced positions. Will it pay off soon?