Ayr United 3 - 3 Inverness CT

League Match
Saturday, December 7th, 2002, 3:00 PM at Somerset Park
Attendance: 1,663
Referee: J Rowbotham
Ayr United Inverness CT

Goalscorers
Chaplain (21)
Annand (48)
Lovering (52)
Bobby Mann (54)
Paul Ritchie (70)
Dennis Wyness (72)

Team Managers
Unknown. Steve Paterson

Starting Eleven
Dodds
Campbell
McManus
Craig
Nicholson (Lyle 28)
Chaplain
Murray
Sheerin
Lovering
Annand (Kean 72)
Grady
Mark Brown
Ross Tokely
Grant Munro
Bobby Mann
Stuart Golabek
Barry Robson
Roy McBain
Russell Duncan
Richie Hart
Dennis Wyness
Paul Ritchie

Bench
Lyle
Kean
Black
McColl
Hamilton
Ally Ridgers
Stuart McCaffrey
Charlie Christie
Anthony Low
Liam Keogh

Substitutions
Lyle -> Nicholson (28)
Kean -> Annand (72)
None.

Bookings
McManus
Lovering
Annand
Roy McBain (60)

Red Cards
Grady (75) Russell Duncan (75)
Appearances & Goals To Date
Mark Brown (GK) 21 apps -
Stuart Golabek 100 apps1 goal
Bobby Mann 152 apps13 goals
Ross Tokely 216 apps15 goals
Grant Munro 53 apps1 goal
Russell Duncan 60 apps1 goal
Barry Robson 146 apps21 goals
Richie Hart 19 apps6 goals
Roy McBain 101 apps5 goals
Paul Ritchie 64 apps31 goals
Dennis Wyness 136 apps71 goals

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Ross Tokely (23 years 280 days)
Oldest Player:Grant Munro (2004 years 128 days)
Average Player Age:23 years 280 days
Domestic Players:11 (100.00 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Ross Tokely (23 years 280 days)
Oldest Player:Paul Ritchie (2004 years 128 days)
Average Player Age:30 years 88 days
Domestic Players:16 (100.00 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones
Stuart Golabek played his 100th major competitive game for the Club.

Caley Thistle surrendered top place in Division One to Falkirk but were delighted to take a point after being 3-0 down. Dennis Wyness headed over the Ayr bar before the home side took the lead in 21 minutes. Scott Chaplain dived to head home James Grady’s cross from the right. There were no more first half goals although John Dodds saved well from Wyness and Paul Sheerin shot just wide. Ayr seemed to have it sewn up with a quickfire double just after half time. In 48 minutes Mark Brown got a touch on an Eddie Annand shot but it crept agonisingly over the line. Four minutes later the Caley Thistle defence failed to clear a Sheerin corner and Paul Lovering crashed the ball home from close range. The comeback started in 54 minutes when Bobby Mann pulled one back with a back post header following a Barry Robson corner from the right. Annand should have made it 4-1 when he was clean through but he elected to pass to James Grady on his right then overhit. In 70 minutes Paul Ritchie shot high into the net after he was first to react when a Richie Hart free kick came back off the bar. Two minutes later it was 3-3 when Wyness took a Roy McBain pass and scored from 22 yards with the aid of a slight deflection. James Grady and Russell Duncan clashed in the 75th minute and both were red carded. Both sides could have snatched a winner as first Ayr substitute Stewart Kean shot wide then Hart did the same at the other end.

Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Falkirk 17 12 3 2 36 15 21 39
2. Inverness CT 17 12 2 3 42 16 26 38
3. Clyde 17 8 4 5 27 17 10 28
4. St. Johnstone 17 8 4 5 17 10 7 28
5. Ayr United 17 6 5 6 18 20 -2 23
6. Queen of the South 17 6 4 7 22 25 -3 22
7. St. Mirren 17 5 4 8 21 37 -16 19
8. Ross County 17 4 6 7 20 18 2 18
9. Arbroath 17 2 4 11 14 31 -17 10
10. Alloa Athletic 17 2 4 11 9 37 -28 10