Friday night clash falls foul of storm
Craig Thomson claimed he had “no option” but to scrap Ayr’s big telly clash just 40 minutes before kick- off on Friday.
The whistler postponed the Honest Men’s live date with Inverness as fans filed into Somerset Park.
But he insisted gale- force winds and lashing rain gave him nowhere to turn.
Thomson pulled the plug following a flurry of last- minute pitch inspections.
And when Ayr keeper Ross Doohan was unable to reach the halfway line with goal kicks the game’s fate was sealed.
Thomson said: “I had no option in the end. The wind was gusting so hard.
“We gave it every chance but the weather has beaten us.”
Thomson passed the pitch as playable after two early inspections.
But when Doohan was asked to attempt goal kicks the swirling winds made it almost impossible.
And both managers agreed the right call was made in the end.
Ayr gaffer Ian McCall said: “We’re gutted as it was a chance to go five points clear but it would have been silly to play.
“We’re disappointed but our boys have reached the stage where we don’t want weather being a leveller and it would have been.”
Caley manager John Robertson said: “The referee has made the correct decision.”
Inverness fans were left fuming at the late decision. A post on a fan site said: “Ridiculous that they didn’t call it off earlier.”