Such are the gaudy, spectacular and occasionally absurd aspects of Scottish football that matters on the pitch regularly lie in the shade of what happens off it.

But sometimes, just sometimes, the two collide to provide the barely credible.

In a flurry of storylines before this crucial match, Victor Wanyama played a starring role as he signed for Dunfermline.

The Kenyan, who once commanded a £12million fee, stepped on to Somerset Park after 65 minutes. Eighteen minutes later, he was sent off for a deliberate handball. He is thus suspended as the Fifers lie in dangerous waters near the bottom of the Championship. Neil Lennon, his manager, was also booked for dissent in a separate incident. It was not an auspicious day for debuts.

A vital match for both sides thus showed the inventiveness of those footballing gods who draw up the storylines for Scottish fitba’.

The backdrop was already intriguing before a ball was kicked or indeed handled.

In one dugout was Lennon — the only character in Scottish men’s football who has won a treble as a player and manager.

In the other was Scott Brown, whose playing honours include 10 titles, six Scottish Cups, and seven League Cups. Their Celtic link as manager and player is celebrated.

Wanyama was cheered by the travelling support as he paced the sidelines. He was jeered by the home support as he was sent off in the second.

The Nigerian took a poor touch on the edge of the area, the ball bobbled into the path of Mark McKenzie and Wanyama stretched out his arm and dragged it back. Referee Iain Snedden brandished the red.

As if this was all not enough, Kyle Benedictus, the Dunfermline skipper, was playing after facing serious assault charges at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. He — and fellow team-mate Sam Fisher, who is on loan at Stenhousemuir — made no plea and the case was continued. In another twist, Benedictus was responsible for the loss of the second goal, passing directly to Jamie Murphy, who dinked the ball home deftly.

The Pars’ misery was completed when substitute Ethan Walker drove home at the back post after a period of frantic pressure.

The most important aspect of the match in terms of league placings was that Ayr United secured three points to confirm their play-off place. Dunfermline are still stuck in the relegation play-off spot.

The football almost served as a footnote, restricted as it was by conditions that would have forced a polar bear to don a tammy and scarf. A heavy pitch, with a strong wind laced by freezing rain, was not conducive to tika taka of any sort but football commendably broke out on occasion.

This was supplied in the early stages by Connor Young, who enthused a large Dunfermline travelling support with his driving runs. He could, perhaps should, have earned a penalty but his claim was waved away.

Unfortunately, he was carried off injured after 22 minutes, with the impetus switching to Ayr, and Curtis Main proving a physical threat to the visiting defence.

One cross by the promising Dylan Watret did find the striker after 30 minutes but his shot was blocked. Watret had a better reward for his efforts minutes later. His pace found him clear wide on the right and though his cross was diverted it fell to Connor McLennan at the edge of the box and his deflected shot flew into the net.

Murphy and Walker completed the scoring to ensure a comfortable win. Dunfermline’s problems are conspicuous. They cannot score. They rarely troubled the Ayr defence and now face a battle to remain in the Championship.

Lennon said: ‘What am I disappointed with is our lack of cutting edge. We have to carry more of a threat in the final third. We have gone with three up because we haven’t scored in five of our last six games. I can see why at times as our final pass is not good enough.’

On Wanyama’s red card, he said: ‘He slipped and his immediate reaction was to reach out for the ball. I am not happy with the

referee. I got booked today for apparently protesting a decision but a player remonstrates with the referee and doesn’t get a card. It was a strange performance from him but I don’t blame the referee for losing the game today.’

Lennon acknowledged that Dunfermline had a ‘lot of hard work’ ahead of them. A sentiment shared by Brown, whose team are now assured of the play-offs.

‘These were never in doubt but it’s great to tick that off,’ said the bullish Ayr manager. ‘It’s now about the next goal and how we can finish in the league and how far we can push it.

‘We weren’t on a great run and it’s great to jump back in, especially with a clean sheet. It gives the lads that little bit of confidence going into the next games.’