Half- time rocket almost saves Ayr
McCall rant fires up a fightback but County hold on
Stuart Wilson at Dingwall
Ian McCall revealed how a half- time rocket almost propelled Ayr towards a deserved point in Dingwall.
United somehow failed to bag a share of the spoils after pounding County throughout the second half.
McCall went hell for leather as Ayr stared down the barrel of a heavy defeat at the interval.
He said: “Ross County played well in the first half and merited their two goal lead.
“We were poor, there’s no doubt about that.
“We had a lot of players not playing well and I had a wee go at them.
“Second half we were more aggressive and how we haven’t got at least a point is beyond me.”
Ayr were forced to play catch up after standing off and admiring the title favourites during a poor first half.
County, who were allowed to play the game at their own pace on a fine footballing surface, stroked the ball around at will and it was no surprise when they hit the front on 23 minutes.
Sean Kelly’s cross from the left was allowed to bounce in the Ayr box and Billy McKay carved the ball into the top corner from 12 yards despite being surrounded by white shirts.
The trend continued as County enjoyed an exhibition first half and the impressive Davis Keillor- Dunn fired inches wide from 25 yards after ghosting inside from the left flank.
Ayr simply weren’t at the races and Ross County: Fox, Watson, Morris ( Grivosti 51), Fontaine ( Demetriou 18), Kelly, Mullin, Cowie, Vigurs ( Graham 78), Keillor- Dunn, Lindsay, McKay. Ayr: Doohan, Smith, Adams, Rose, Harvie ( McDaid 46); Geggan, Kerr, Murdoch ( Forrest 76), Crawford; Moffat ( Moore 46), Shankland. Unused: Ferguson, Bell, Docherty Hare- Reid. Booked: Moore
the second goal, which was only a matter of time, duly arrived in the 33rd minute.
Former Livingston winger Josh Mullin was able to dance past three challenges down the right before wandering infield to curl a brilliant shot past the helpless Ross Doohan.
It was no more than the hosts deserved for a dominant display and Ayr badly needed half time to regroup.
McCall used the interval to reorganise and sent on Declan McDaid and Craig Moore in place of Daniel Harvie and Michael Moffat.
McDaid, deployed on the right wing, immediately made a difference to Ayr’s attacking threat and the visitors looked a different animal straight from the restart.
And they were back in it on 53 minutes when a long ball from Jamie Adams sent Lawrence Shankland through on goal and United’s hotshot did the rest by lashing past Scott Fox.
County were rattled and Ayr began tearing forward at will as the game turned on its head.
Robbie Crawford came close to levelling on the hour when finding space on the edge of the box but his curling effort drifted just wide.
A McDaid free kick then smacked the side netting as Ayr ramped up the pressure in search of an equaliser.
And they almost grabbed it with eight minutes left when sub Alan Forrest played in Shankland but his powerful shot was tipped over by a flying save from Fox.
Former Ayr midfielder Steven Ferguson, now co- boss at County, said: “All credit to Ayr, you can see why they are going so well.
“Ian McCall has them punching way above their weight and they are the best team we have played.
“We should have been able to manage things at 2- 0 but we were in a game alright in the second half.”