Honest Men pile on the pressure
Ayr boss Mark Kerr revealed the club are going all out to keep his top stars at Somerset Park after Stephen Kelly’s sixth goal of the season pushed them to within a point of second-placed Inverness.
United’s third single-goal victory on the trot was their first league success in 17 years against the Highlanders, the team that beat them in last season’s Premiership play-offs.
Player-boss Kerr admitted: “The boys are excited about the three clean sheets and the way we are winning.
“It’s brilliant to win. Ross County last week and then Inverness this week. The boys were conscious of the record. Young Stevie’s finish was brilliant, he showed composure for a young boy.”
Livingston are leading the race to nab hotshot Alan Forrest with Partick and Dundee also in the frame but Kerr vowed the club will do everything to keep their stars.
Kerr said: “Obviously we know the teams that are in for Alan, who was outstanding today and worked so hard.
“But I know our board are offering more than we’ve ever offered to players who are going out of contract.
“We’ve not given up hope of keeping him. We had a board meeting on Thursday and there’s a positive push on every front.”
United almost gifted Caley the lead after only four minutes. Skipper Steven Bell was robbed by Jordan White but the striker’s low shot lacked the power to trouble keeper Ross Doohan.
Ayr soon took a firm grip on the game and Irish striker Aaron Drinan, on loan from Ipswich Town, pulled a shot wide from Kelly’s cut-back when he should have done better.
The Highlanders led a charmed life in the 21st minute when Kelly and Ross Docherty had shots blocked before Forrest’s effort was well saved by Mark Ridgers.
Forrest was foiled again by the busy Ridgers before Michael Moffat rose to thunder a header from Kelly’s corner off the face of the bar.
Inverness were on the back foot but they underlined their threat a minute before the interval when James Keatings flighted in a freekick that beat everyone to nestle in the back of the net only for White to be penalised for his illegal challenge on Doohan.
Then, a timely goal-line clearance by James Vincent kept out an Aaron Muirhead shot as Ayr opened the period with a blaze of fire.
The Highlanders were swift to respond and this time it was Ayr who had the woodwork to thank when Charlie Trafford powered a header from a Keatings corner off the bar.
However, it was Ayr who struck the decisive blow after 61 minutes. Kelly robbed Trafford 25 yards out and then kept his cool as he ran on to slide the ball past Ridgers.
Inverness boss John Robertson had no complaints about the result and admitted: “The best team won. Ayr looked hungrier than us.
“If we had taken anything from the game it would have been smash and grab.”