Yet another slow blow for Ayr
ManagerBullenleftfuriousasUnitedconcedeearlygoals–again
If Lee Bullen had any hair left, he’d have been tearing it out on Saturday.
Long gone is the new gaffer’s patience with his squad’s now tortuous trait of gifting teams starts.
All told, Ayr have conceded the first goal in a startling 28 games this season.
It’s a fact not lost on Bullen that a group of players – who evidently will go to the well for him – are continuing to make life harder for themselves.
And he knows the habit could ultimately prove their downfall as United enter their crunch final three games.
Fraser Bryden – with his first goal for the club – and sub Markus Fjortoft staged the latest comeback to earn a point.
But it cut little ice with Bullen who couldn’t fail to hide his fury at the first half horror show.
He said: “Every single week we go behind in the first 10 minutes.
“Ultimately at this football club if we are to make progress that can’t be acceptable.
“My overall feeling because of that is anger and frustration.
“On the flipside I’ve got to give the boys credit, subs came on and made a real positive impact which is all I ask.
“We could, and should, have gone on to win the game.
“One question I don’t have about this group of players is their resilience which they show but I’m fed up saying it.”
Another sluggish start from Ayr gifted Caley a two goal lead out of the blocks.
They hit the front when Billy Mckay had time and space to produce the perfect cutback for Shane Sutherland and he fired home from six yards.
Ayr were all at sea in the early going and it was little surprise when they quickly fell further behind in the 13th minute.
Again they stood off and Logan Chalmers was able to curl home a cracker from 20 yards.
Bullen made a double change at the break as top scorer Tomi Adeloye and Daire O’Connor entered the fray.
And the positive move almost had an immediate impact as Bryden drew a brilliant stop from Cammy MacKay.
But he didn’t have to wait long for his first Ayr goal as he turned to fire home a centre from O’Connor.
Adeloye’s powerful run then helped tee up O’Connor before the Irishman’s effort was well saved by MacKay.
But Ayr finally got their reward when a Kerr McInroy free kick was headed home by another sub, Fjortoft, to earn Ayr a remarkable point.
Caley boss Billy Dodds said: “I thought we were great in the first half and could have scored more.
“You have to give credit to Ayr for the fight they showed but we were really poor and started doing silly things and couldn’t get out of the rut.”
AYR: McAdams, Houston (Fjortoft 72), McGinty (Baird 89), Muirhead, Reading; McKenzie (Adeloye 46), Kenyon (Smith 57), McInroy, Maxwell (O’Connor 46), Bryden, Ashford.
INVERNESS: MacKay, Carson (Devine 83), Broadfoot, Duffy, Deas, Welsh, McAlear (Samuels 77), Sutherland, Doran (Harper 46), Chalmers (MacGregor 71), McKay (Hardy 82).
Referee: Willie Collum; Attendance: 1,756