LOGAN CHALMERS says it was no consolation at all to score on his return from injury after Ayr lost 2-1 to Raith Rovers on Saturday.

The front man came on for Harry McHugh just before the break at Stark’s Park, his first appearance since the last time the Honest Men faced Ian Murray’s men back on February 24.

The 24-year-old went on to pull Ayr level 10 minutes into the second period after Dylan Easton’s opener in first-half stoppage time – but it was the home side who took all three points thanks to Jack Hamilton’s penalty.

Speaking to Ayr’s media team after the match, the Dundee United loanee said: “It’s nice to be back, but when you score it doesn’t really count for much when the boys get beat.

“I’d much rather have seen out the game and not been the one to score.

“But it’s good to be pain free now and hopefully I can finish the season strong.”

The windy conditions made the game something of a lottery, but the result, combined with Inverness’s victory by the same score at home to Arbroath, leaves Ayr just three points above the relegation play-offs and facing a crucial pair of back-to-back home fixtures this week, against Morton on Tuesday night and the Red Lichties on Saturday.

“The wind was taking the ball everywhere,” Chalmers added. “You didn’t know where it was going to land. But they had to play against that as well and they’ve managed it a bit better than us.

"I think we just lacked that little bit of quality, just one or two passes to calm the game down.

“The Morton game is just around the corner and it’s important that we get three points there, and three points on Saturday as well.

“We can’t really be accepting losses and draws. We know what position we’re in. We know what we can do, but we also know what’s down there if we don’t start turning some of these mistakes into wins.”

Watch the post-match comments of both Logan Chalmers and manager Scott Brown in full at Ayr United TV.