Inverness CT 3 - 1 Ayr United

League Match
Saturday, September 29th, 2001, 3:00 PM at Caledonian Stadium, Inverness
Attendance: 1,533
Referee: D Somers
Inverness CT  Ayr United

Goalscorers
Charlie Christie (49)
Paul Ritchie (51)
Paul Ritchie (63)
Grady (70)

Team Managers
Steve Paterson Gordon Dalziel

Starting Eleven
Nicky Walker
Ross Tokely
Bobby Mann
Stuart McCaffrey
Charlie Christie
Mike Teasdale
Barry Robson
Roy McBain
Martin Bavidge
Dennis Wyness
Paul Ritchie
Nelson
Robertson
Lovering
Duffy
Hughes
Sheerin
Teale
Wilson
Annand
Grady
Scally

Substitutes
Jim Calder
Graeme Stewart
Anthony Low
Neil MacDonald
David MacRae
McLaughlin
Bradford
Sharp
McEwan
Dodds

Substitutions
Graeme Stewart for Martin Bavidge (87)
Neil MacDonald for Paul Ritchie (88)
Sharp -> Scally (54)
McLaughlin -> Lovering (61)
Bradford -> Annand (69)

Bookings
None. Sharp (79)

Red Cards
None. None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Nicky Walker (GK) 5 apps -
Bobby Mann 100 apps8 goals
Ross Tokely 166 apps7 goals
Stuart McCaffrey 47 apps -
Mike Teasdale 209 apps19 goals
Roy McBain 52 apps4 goals
Barry Robson 93 apps12 goals
Charlie Christie 247 apps31 goals
Dennis Wyness 82 apps39 goals
Paul Ritchie 12 apps7 goals
Martin Bavidge 93 apps14 goals
Graeme Stewart (sub) 13 apps -
Neil MacDonald (sub) 10 apps1 goal

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:Ross Tokely (22 years 211 days)
Oldest Player:Paul Ritchie (2003 years 59 days)
Average Player Age:30 years 36 days
Domestic Players:11 (100.00 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Ross Tokely (22 years 211 days)
Oldest Player:David MacRae (2003 years 59 days)
Average Player Age:32 years 342 days
Domestic Players:16 (100.00 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones
Bobby Mann played his 100th major competitive game for the Club.

Caley Thistle�s excellent home record against Ayr continued with this 3-1 victory. Bobby Mann made his 100th appearance for the Club and Paul Sheerin came back for the first time as one of the Honest Men. The dozen Elvis impersonators brightened up the away terracing but they went home disappointed. In 16 minutes Caley Thistle came very close � first when a strong Martin Bavidge shot was saved by Craig Nelson and then when Ross Tokely�s follow-up came crashing down off the bar. Paul Sheerin tried to beat Nicky Walker with a cross-goal chip in 24 minutes but it missed the top corner by a whisker. In 25 minutes Dennis Wyness headed over then Eddie Annand should have put Ayr in front in 29 minutes when he headed wide from a good position. Caley Thistle were always ahead in the match but did not score until the 49th minute. Wyness passed from the left inside to Charlie Christie � he turned and shot into the top corner from 20 yards. Two minutes later it was 2-0 when a Roy McBain cross from the left was headed back across the Ayr goal by defender Paul Lovering � Man-of-the-Match Paul Ritchie held off a challenge and touched it past Nelson. In 58 minutes Nelson stuck out a foot to deflect a Barry Robson drive and in 63 minutes a Robson cross from the left set up goal number three. Ritchie took it first time and volleyed into the net from close range. Ayr never gave up and pulled one back in 70 minutes. It was a solo effort from James Grady who ran down the left, weaved past two defenders into the box then shot into the net off the right hand post. Ayr had a good spell after this but the home defence held firm. The best chance fell to Marvin Wilson in 84 minutes but he volleyed sky high from a good position inside the Caley Thistle area. Two minutes into injury time there was an almighty scramble in the home six yard box with bodies everywhere. Eventually the ball popped out and was cleared for a corner. Sheerin took it and Stuart McCaffrey had to clear off the line in the resultant confusion. This ended the scoring and Caley Thistle finished the first quarter of the season in sixth place on 11 points.

None.

Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Airdrieonians 9 6 3 0 23 5 18 21
2. Partick Thistle 9 5 3 1 18 11 7 18
3. Ayr United 9 4 1 4 16 15 1 13
4. St. Mirren 9 3 3 3 14 15 -1 12
5. Raith Rovers 9 3 2 4 19 17 2 11
6. Inverness CT 9 3 2 4 17 17 0 11
7. Falkirk 9 3 2 4 15 17 -2 11
8. Clyde 9 3 2 4 11 16 -5 11
9. Ross County 9 3 0 6 8 16 -8 9
10. Arbroath 9 3 0 6 9 21 -12 9