Ayr Boswell hosted Hillwood Boys Club in the semi-finals of the Under 14s Scottish Youth FA Cup. Playing the game at Somerset Park - the stadia of Ayr United's professional team - Boswell ran out 4-2 winners and advanced to the finals being held in May. Boswell were up 3-0 after only sixteen minutes, courtesy of a Gavin Todd double either side of a Jack Taylor header. They made it 4-0 only two minutes into the second half when Robbie Meikle swept home. Hillwood captain Barry Knox did grab a couple of late consolation goals in the dying moments of the match - however it was too little, too late for the away side and Boswell were the team celebrating at the full-time whistle.
Boswell could not have started the match any brighter than they did. Inside two minutes, they took the lead when Todd pounced onto a cut-back from the right to fire his side into the lead.
Buoyed by a huge crowd, Boswell were relentless in the opening minutes, and were two-nil up only five minutes in. It was Taylor who got the second, timing his run to perfection to nod the ball beyond Ross Stoddart in the Hillwood goal.
They then had a couple of more chances in quick succession: first, Meikle attempted to flick his header in at the near post but his effort went marginally wide. Then, Arran Sawyer's cheeky corner almost went straight in at the back post, but Stoddart managed to just get back and stretch in time to divert the ball wide.
A third Ayr Boswell goal looked inevitable, and it arrived on the sixteen minute mark when Todd doubled his tally for the game. First, Meikle drove beyond his marker and sent in a stunning cross - however, no one anticipated it and the ball went all the way to the back post to Taylor. Picking up the pieces, he drilled in a cross that took a wicked deflection that produced a wonderful reaction save from Stoddart. However, Todd was on hand to fire his team three nil ahead and to raise the Somerset Park roof by sending the crowd into raptures.
Hillwood were stunned in the opening passage, but did get back into the game a bit in the second period of the first half. Kyle Alexander would have been in utter disbelief that his effort on a rebound did not end up in the back of the net; with the goal gaping the striker had did everything he could... only for Boswell's Jordan Bell to slide in and deflect the ball out for a corner, somehow denying Hillwood what looked like a certain goal.
Then, Knox had a half-volley well held by David Hill in the Boswell goal.
It was almost 4-0 on the stroke of half-time when Arran Sawyer raced one on one with Stoddart, however the keeper again denied the pacy winger - this time using his leg to block the effort.
Derry McGettigan almost pulled a goal back for Hillwood with a lob: he looked to have caught out Hill but the ball didn't come down enough and instead it remained atop of the roof of the net. That effort concluded the first half, with the whistle blowing straight after.