Ayr United 1 - 2 Inverness CT

League Match
Saturday, March 4th, 2023, 3:00 PM at Somerset Park, Ayr
Attendance: 1,820
Referee: Scott Lambie
Ayr United Inverness CT

Goalscorers
Dipo Akinyemi (13) Sean Welsh (19)
Jay Henderson (74)

Team Managers
Lee Bullen Billy Dodds

Starting Eleven
Charlie Albinson
Nick McAllister
Alex Kirk
Sean McGinty
Paddy Reading
Josh Mullin
Ben Dempsey
Reece McAlear
Daire O'Connor
Dipo Akinyemi
Mark McKenzie
Mark Ridgers
Zak Delaney
Robbie Deas
Wallace Duffy
Daniel Devine
Scott Allardice
Sean Welsh
David Carson
Nathan Shaw
Jay Henderson
Ethan Cairns
Billy Mckay

Bench
Aidan McAdams
Jordan Houston
Frankie Musonda
Mikey hewitt
Sam Ashford
Kinlay Bilham
Fraser Bryden
Paul Smith
Chris Maguire
Cameron Mackay
Robbie Thompson
Lewis Hyde
Aaron Doran
Ethan Cairns
Austin Samuels
Steven Boyd
Daniel Mackay

Substitutions
Sam Ashford -> Josh Mullin (10)
Frankie Musonda -> Nick McAllister (72)
Michael Hewitt -> Mark McKenzie (84)
Chris Maguire -> Paddy Reading (84)
Aaron Doran for Scott Allardice (63)
Steven Boyd for Nathan Shaw (90)

Bookings
Nick McAllister (35)
Chris Maguire (89)
Robbie Deas (49)
Sean Welsh (77)

Red Cards
Daire O'Connor (29) None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Mark Ridgers (GK) 225 apps -
Zak Delaney 30 apps -
Robbie Deas 102 apps2 goals
Wallace Duffy 67 apps3 goals
Daniel Devine 172 apps6 goals
Sean Welsh 124 apps15 goals
David Carson 129 apps1 goal
Scott Allardice 88 apps5 goals
Nathan Shaw 32 apps5 goals
Billy Mckay 234 apps95 goals
Jay Henderson 11 apps3 goals
Ethan Cairns 5 apps1 goal
Aaron Doran (sub) 361 apps53 goals
Steven Boyd (sub) 33 apps1 goal

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Ethan Cairns (18 years 81 days)
Oldest Player:Billy Mckay (34 years 141 days)
Average Player Age:26 years 17 days
Domestic Players:7 (58.33 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Ethan Cairns (18 years 81 days)
Oldest Player:Billy Mckay (34 years 141 days)
Average Player Age:25 years 43 days
Domestic Players:12 (63.16 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones

Red Oh Daire

Three points would have been a welcome diversion from off-field issues for the Caley Jags. Inverness missed Cammy Harper from last week and Austin Samuels dropped to the bench as Billy Mckay returned from suspension. Frankie Musonda was on the Ayr bench and the 15 goal striker Dipo Akinyemi led their attack with Josh Mullin and Ben Dempsey backing him up. At the end of the day it was Inverness that picked up a valuable win.

First Half

Billy Mckay was keen to get going again after his suspension and he hit one from distance in the opening moments but it went over the bar and he followed that with another that went wide after seven minutes. Ten minutes in and Sam Ashford replaced the injured Josh Mullin and two minutes later Dipo Akinyemi scored his sixteenth of the season to put United ahead. The lead lasted just seven minutes when Sean Welsh scored after a Jay Henderson cross to level the game. Charlie Albiston was quick off his line to deny the eager Mckay as he honed in on goal and five minutes later he was close to getting on the end of a Shaw cut back after Albiston made a mess of a clearance. Before the half hour Daire O'Connor was sent off for a challenge on Wallace Duffy. Duffy shot over before Mckay had an effort deflected over the bar and Duffy headed the resultant corner over as well. Just on the break the keeper saved well from a Duffy shot into the top corner just after Paddy Reading went close at the other end.

Half Time: 1-1

Ayr began the second half on the front foot with McKenzie and Akinyemi shooting wide before Billy Mckay was blocked in the box at the other end and Scott Allardice fired one over. Ashford shot over on the hour after some good possession from the hosts and Duffy shot wide after finding himself in an advanced position again. More profligacy from the visitors as Henderson missed the top corner after a burst into the box. Welsh was blocked then had another effort deflected behind for a corner with twenty minutes left. The chances eventually paid off when Henderson connected with a Nathan Shaw cross at the back post to fire home. Mckay then shot wide after being played through ten minutes from the end. Inverness saw out the game to put themselves on the outer fringes of a play-off spot.

Full Time 1-2

Match report written by tm4tj



Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Queens Park 27 14 6 7 55 37 18 48
2. Dundee 27 13 7 7 44 31 13 46
3. Partick Thistle 27 13 4 10 49 39 10 43
4. Morton 26 11 8 7 39 31 8 41
5. Ayr United 26 11 7 8 47 34 13 40
6. Inverness CT 27 9 9 9 38 39 -1 36
7. Raith Rovers 27 9 8 10 33 36 -3 35
8. Cove Rangers 27 6 8 13 33 55 -22 26
9. Hamilton Academical 27 6 7 14 25 45 -20 25
10. Arbroath 27 4 12 11 24 40 -16 24